On January 8, 2024 I reached Antofagasta. After 8 intensive days full of solo bike rides and experiences, it was high time to rest. I wrote my previous blog post in Antofagasta, which generated many responses. The encouragement and funny comments motivated me to continue looking with full courage at possibilities to travel 300 km east from Antofagasta to the village of Peine, without any inhabited place to get supplies.
Cycling Adventure 15 (CA15) is my path of personal growth with which I want to inspire people to develop their own path of personal growth in this rapidly changing world.
I found the solo crossing by bike too risky, despite spontaneously offered water in recent days.
While I was still at home, I desperately searched for a way to obtain water while crossing the Atacama Desert towards Peine. I contacted Willy Wyqui of PA Cycling, a pioneer who organizes cycling tours, including in Chile and the Atacama Desert region. However, Willy was only willing to provide information if I paid him €200 per hour, because he said that he had searched for a long time for the best way to cross and that this was his intellectual property. 🤔
Through Eduardo, the friendly cycling enthusiast who helped me in La Serena and with whom I celebrated New Year's Eve, I came into contact with Nicholas, a friend of Eduardo, in Antofagasta. Nicholas works in a bike shop with other very helpful colleagues like Joosair, and he introduced me to his boss Lautaro. That's where I presented the problem. Lautaro knew Willy and was also surprised at the high amount he asked. In just 10 minutes, Lautaro explained to me where the three places were where I could find water to cover the 300 km.
With some experience gained, I estimated that the crossing of 300 km to an altitude of 4000 m would take me at least 4 days. In addition, I was unsure about how my body would react at such a high altitude. Despite occasionally being spontaneously offered water by passers-by in recent days, I still thought the risk was too great to attempt the crossing solo by bike.
And so I presented my backup plan to Nicholas: find someone who could take me to Peine, so that from there I could continue my bike ride towards San Pedro de Atacama. His girlfriend Madeleinne took up the challenge. 💪
Unfortunately, we did not expect Chilean strikers to close the road after two thirds of the route.
Madelleine was at the hotel at 10 o'clock sharp. She had come in her mother's car because her own car had been stolen in broad daylight a few days ago by unscrupulous gangs from Venezuela. After buying some supplies, we drove via Baquedano, the route that Google Maps indicated as the shortest, with an estimated travel time of 4 hours.
It turned out to be a completely wrong choice. As soon as we got off the highway, the road turned from a highway into a bumpy, worn, potholed road. I greatly admire Madelleine for her coolness in this precarious situation. She had already decided that from Peine she would definitely not return the same way, but instead via Calama, which is a little longer but has better roads.
Unfortunately we had not taken the strike by Chilean locals. After two-thirds of the route, they had closed off the entire width of a small newly constructed road to protest the fact that they were not involved in the negotiations between the government, SQM and the American company Albemarle about the extraction of Lithium needed for the batteries of electric cars. Chile is home to the world's largest salt flats with lithium reserves, 90% of which are concentrated near where the strike took place.
With all understanding for the strikers, our plan fell apart. The only solution I saw was to change clothes on the spot and still take the bike to Peine. It was already after 16 pm, and the Garmin indicated that it was still 75 km. It was also annoying for Madelleine, because she had to return the same bumpy road.
I tried to pick up speed on the bike, but the bad roads prevented that. It was so bad that my luggage was thrown off a few times, and at one point even my entire bike rack, luckily without damage. But the fear overcame me: what if I had technical problems there? No one came by and I didn't provide enough water.
In the heat of a blazing sun, with the thermometer reading 40 degrees, I continued my cycling journey. During my preparation I completely underestimated how intense the UV radiation can be. Even my lips were burned, an experience I had never experienced before. I also regularly had to cycle with my feet on my shoes, because they seemed to be on fire. The list of lessons learned is enormous. Fortunately, I arrived in the tiny village of Peine without any technical problems around 18:30 PM.
“Chile has been hit hard by capitalism in recent years,” Mirza said.
In Peine I was lucky: a lady showed me the way to find someone with a place to sleep. Mirza walked slowly towards me and spoke to me in English. What a relief not to have to use the Google Translate app right away. Mirza, who grew up in the village, had worked in America for a few years. With her savings she converted an old house into a guest house, mainly for local miners. Because the renovation had not yet been completed, there were no other guests, but I was allowed to sleep there anyway.
It was a pleasant surprise how Mirza had handled the renovation, really beautiful. She arranged dinner and breakfast for me. We talked at length about life in Chile, and she said that when she returned, she saw that Chile had been hit hard by capitalism. Lithium is exploited, among other things, so that we can run our electric cars. However, they in the village are afraid that their spring water from the mountain lake will run out as a result. The corporate group appeases them with free energy and, like the Chilean government, does not involve them in strategic negotiations.
With an eye to the future and to explore my physical limits, I decided to climb to an altitude of 3600 meters.
After the inspiring conversation with Mirza I continued my way towards San Pedro de Atacama. A few months ago someone was mauled to death by a gang of dogs, and it turns out a woman was also attacked a few days ago. Normally I wouldn't be so concerned about it, but a few days ago I was attacked along the coast by a gang of dogs that were huddled together in a large cage 100 meters from the road. As I passed along the street, they attacked me – ten to fifteen dogs. I was no longer shocked by two dogs, but I was seriously shocked by such a large group. I kept pedaling as hard as I could, but they still followed me for a kilometer. Since then I have been a bit scared and am seriously on my guard.
In San Pedro de Atacama, a desert village located at an altitude of 2500 meters and a tourist attraction because of its unique attractions, I deliberately chose a place to sleep far away from the tourist crowds. I rested on the first day, because I felt that the efforts at this height had an impact on my body that was different from what I was used to.
With the future cycling seasons in mind and the determination to see if my body can withstand exertion at higher altitudes, I decided to climb to 3600 meters altitude for a swim in the middle of the desert in the Puritama terms. Here are small swimming ponds separated by small waterfalls, located in a slightly deeper valley. From the beginning Garmin sent me along a route with desert sand where cycling was impossible, but eventually I reached the road that took me to the top after much toil.
After a swim in the natural mineral water with a pleasant temperature, coming from underground springs fed by meltwater from the Andes, I started my way back and felt a slight headache. But I think it was more related to the neck and shoulder pain that is typical on more difficult rides. And so the first altitude test was successful.
On Monday January 15, 2024 I made my last bike ride to Calama. It was a tough trip during which I cycled for the second time at an altitude of 3500 m. It went without any problems. Downhill there was that annoying strong wind again, so I could only drive down the last 20 km at a speed of 14 km per hour. 😂 Once I arrived in Calama, I luckily found a bicycle box in a small bicycle shop to put my bicycle on the plane to Belgium. With tired legs and countless memories, I concluded the first part of S4 of my trip: Adios Chile. 👋
Some numbers of my rides:
| Rith | trip from | #km | #Hours by bike | #Altitude mtrs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10/01 | Antofagasta – Mantos Blancos | 59 | 2u26 | 181 |
| 11/01 | Peine | 103 | 5u00 | 581 |
| 13/01 | San Pedro de Atacama to Puritama | 65 | 4u15 | 1372 |
| 15/01 | San Pedro de Atacama to Calama | 104 | 5u54 | 1270 |