The Motorcycle Diaries: Highway 40

“La Ruta 40” as this highway is passionately called by Argentineans has reached almost mystic dimensions as the last frontier of wilderness, isolation and pure nature. La Ruta 40 is the highway that stretches from the very south to the north of the country along the spine of the Andes, mostly on gravel roads. The Lonely Planet travel guide rewards it with the title of “Best Journey in Argentina” and many Argentineans are fond of telling you stories from their trip along “La 40.”

After the spectacular visits to Calafate and El Chaltén it was my turn to travel along Highway 40 as I headed further north along the Andes Mountains. “Tres Lagos” is my last stop to fuel up. The “town consists of little more than a gas station and is literally in the middle of nowhere. I had purchase spare gasoline canisters because the next gas station was 350km away and 600km away from the next city with nothing in between, just one long dirt road, La Ruta 40, sometimes in better condition, sometimes in worse.

Thanks to my prior attempts to maneuver on gravel the beginnings are not nearly as difficult as they otherwise would have been but driving a motorcycle on gravel is tough nevertheless. The faster you go the more stability the bike gets because each patch of stones is passed more quickly, the ride also becomes smoother. Driving slowly will leave you swerving back and forth, slipping and sliding (quite possibly falling) all over the place. Of course the problem with higher speeds is that the outcome of a crash is exponentially more severe than at a lower velocity so you have to balance the two – not an easy task.

By far the easiest way to find stability on gravel is to stay on the tracks left by prior vehicles. The difficulty is that the tracks frequently end without warning or the terrain changes suddenly to dirt or even worse sand (and is extremely difficult to drive on as it offers almost no traction).

Moreover the tracks were frequently very narrow (20-30cm wide). This may sound like plenty of width for a 10cm wide tire going straight, but then add curves and the gusty Patagonian winds and the task becomes very difficult. As if the wind was not enough, I was blessed with rain on top of it the second day making he road more slippery yet. In other words, the experience of driving on gravel is completely different form asphalt, where the surface is consistent and reliable, you can relax and look around and enjoy the ride. On gravel you have to maintain 100% attention at all times scanning both the distance as well as the space in front of the tire (one time simply looking down to my speedometer and back up I found myself sliding in the pile of gravel on the side of the wheel tracks). At the end of the day I would put up my tent, fortify it against the Patagonian winds, slip into my sleeping bag and fall asleep immediately (like a rock).

After 600km had passed I was glad to feel asphalt under my tires again (and to approach a town consisting of more than a gas station). In retrospect it was a challenging, rewarding and intense experience & and definitely and adventure (and I am glad to report to have mastered it without crashing or falling)! For all of you adventurers that have a desire to explore and conquer this last frontier of Argentina you have to hurry because Highway 40 is in the process of being paved and once completed will change its character forever as the influx of mass tourism will destroy the isolation and loneliness this journey offers today.