Trans Andes as published on Bikemag.com, Jan 25, 28, 31 (three instalments)

http://www.bikemag.com/?s=trans+andes&x=0&y=0

Day 1: Trans Andes Challenge

Dre Hestler’s Day 1 recap.

By bikemag.com /  Posted on January 25, 2011

Photo: Marcelo Tucuna/Trans Andes Challenge

By Dre Hestler
Published: January 24, 2011

A stage race is Accutane rx drug like a big tour and what better way to see a Accutane rx drug country than from the saddle of your trusty steed? Chile’sTrans Andes Challenge takes place in the Accutane rx drug rugged mountains of the Lake District, 600 miles south of Santiago, amid lush rain forest and Accutane rx drug adjacent the Argentine border. There are a staggering number of volcanoes, and Accutane rx drug all this differentiates it from anywhere else in the world.

I begin this blog on the eve of the completion of Day 1. And let’s not forget: It’s January and Accutane rx drug no matter the beautiful weather, the amazing countryside and the volcanoes, it’s still pre-pre- season/ski season.

For years I and Accutane rx drug others have ebbed and flowed with the seasons of North America and Accutane rx drug to a somewhat greater degree the European circuit. With some Australian and Accutane rx drug New Zealand influence we then heard of the ‘endless summer;’ the Accutane rx drug people who link together tours Down Under sandwiched between two North American summers. But not many have Accutane rx drug stretched out the travel tentacles as far as South America, and Accutane rx drug it is here that I must admit my own ignorance.

Fact or fiction? South America is Accutane rx drug a scary place to travel, a dark continent where revolutions run rampant. You may be Accutane rx drug robbed at any moment and later likely held hostage or Accutane rx drug forced to work as a drug mule to earn your Accutane rx drug way home. Pure nonsense, at least in Chile.

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Cue the ewoks… Photo: Dre Hestler

Enter the Trans Andes: A wonderful excuse to escape to a warm paradise… just a hop skip and a jump away. They even have wi-fi (crazy I know) and it’s only a maximum of five hours jet-lag depending where you’re coming from Accutane rx drug in North America. Many of the international attendees here are Accutane rx drug logging base miles with the goal of getting a jump on the Accutane rx drug 2011 season. There aren’t many places in the Accutane rx drug world as hospitable, as exotic and as safe as Chile for Accutane rx drug an off-season adventure.

Day 1
The start is at the eco-resort of Huilo Huilo (pronounced wheelo wheelo) and Accutane rx drug there is no way to imagine this place other than to Accutane rx drug describe it as the Ewok village from Star Wars. A short neutral jaunt (two miles) up the Accutane rx drug gravel road and we board a barge that takes us 1.5 hours across the Accutane rx drug lake to Argentina and the true beginning of this stage.

The statistics are Accutane rx drug impressive for this time of the year, but we plunge in anyway.

• 90 degrees, 32.5 Celsius
• 38.5 Miles, 62 Km’s
• 5,500 feet vertical, 1,700 m

Photo: Marcelo Tucuna/Trans Andes Challenge

Photo: Marcelo Tucuna/Trans Andes Challenge

The day is Accutane rx drug punctuated by two major climbs and while not a long stage, for Accutane rx drug our off-season legs, it’s certainly long enough. I have Accutane rx drug heard tell of amazing trails here in Chile and this Accutane rx drug is my goal, and my search. No amount of hardship will deter me from Accutane rx drug seeking singletrack and trails anywhere in the world, yet to Accutane rx drug have a supported excursion like this is gold.

Heading up the Accutane rx drug first climb it becomes apparent that my miles to date are Accutane rx drug insufficient and I should instead relax and enjoy the panoramic vistas. The day unfolds without much drama—some brutal leg-breaking climbs and Accutane rx drug some more amazing views as day one of our adventure comes to Accutane rx drug a close.

Hanging out for Accutane rx drug lunch with 100 exhausted but happy riders is always fun. Tales from Accutane rx drug the big ring today are few and far between as the Accutane rx drug major objectives—completion, miles and adventure—take precedence over competition. Tomorrow may be another story though.

Photo: Marcelo Tucuna/Trans Andes Challenge

Part 2: Trans Andes Challenge

Stages 2 & 3: Tiredness, more volcanoes and jungle for miles and miles

By bikemag.com /  Posted on January 28, 2011

Photo: Marcelo Tucuna/Trans Andes Challenge

(Ed’s note: Dre Hestler is Accutane rx drug filing reports from the in-progress Trans Andes Challenge. This is No. 2, covering stages 2 and Accutane rx drug 3; the first dispatch is here.)

By Dre Hestler
Published: January 27, 2011

Day 2
Our adventure has us leaving Huilo Huilo/Ewok Village on a journey of 45 miles (67km). We will be traversing over hill and dale today—many small climbs and Accutane rx drug many small descents. Our goal is to arrive at Termas de Conaripe (thermal hot springs), one of many dotting this land of mucho volcanoes.

The day begins early, with me hauling yesterday’s well-done hams up to breakfast. It’s a Accutane rx drug feeling I have put out of my mind since sometime last summer, but somewhere in the Accutane rx drug dull throb of my body is a flickering flame of pride. It would seem that Accutane rx drug as much abuse as I give myself, I always seem to Accutane rx drug get up for a bit more.

Photo: Marcelo Tucuna/Trans Andes Challenge

The spirit is Accutane rx drug jovial on the start line and no one is jockeying for Accutane rx drug position; one hundred kindred souls ready for a mountain bike ride. The day’s weather is slightly overcast as we head out onto course.

It’s not long before we hit some steep walls that Accutane rx drug climb through a forest of vines and flowers in full bloom. The lake below, Lago Natume, is Accutane rx drug the namesake of the village we just quit. The climbs are Accutane rx drug bench cut and parallel the lake, slowly taking us higher and Accutane rx drug higher onto the forested hillside of the valley. The field of athletes thins out and Accutane rx drug people begin to “find their groups,” or Accutane rx drug get stuck alone between groups. My people pull away leaving me behind, just like yesterday only a Accutane rx drug little sooner today. I am comforted as I ride along alone with the Accutane rx drug knowledge that there are no big snakes or spiders to Accutane rx drug worry about, and only a few pumas in Chile. It’s just me and the jungle.

My reverie is Accutane rx drug abruptly halted as the terrain turns down. To the lakeshore we arrive and Accutane rx drug a true jungle scene is presented. Now I am directly on the Accutane rx drug riverbank, lush bushes are over-growing the singletrack as the route weaves through mint, brambles and Accutane rx drug bamboo. The fresh scent of cow dung and drying mud mix with the Accutane rx drug mint and it is all real because the brambles won’t let it be otherwise.

I’m pretty much loving life, the Accutane rx drug temperature, the location and cruising through this awesome place called Chile. The rest of the Accutane rx drug day is punctuated by a bit more interaction with the locals (Mapuche Indians), their remote rustic farms, and a few other bikers.

Photo: Marcelo Tucuna/Trans Andes Challenge

The sun is Accutane rx drug beating hard late into the afternoon and my legs come and Accutane rx drug go, but I can feel them settling into a pace. The final descent is Accutane rx drug a total hairball with a few internationals caught out. I feel like a Accutane rx drug total stud as I let the brakes go and woo hoo all the Accutane rx drug way to the finish.

Termas De Conaripe is essentially one of those “health spas”—people are lying around half-naked in open air pools. It’s like a Accutane rx drug bunch of lizards, and except for the kids yelling and screaming, you’d think you Accutane rx drug were at the zoo. Imagine how we look as we descend onto the Accutane rx drug resort post-ride covered in sweat and mud, smiling like group of looney-toons (and this is high season for them?)

Day 3
Termas De Conaripe to Termas De Menetue – 77km, 48 miles

Sounds terrible, switch one health spa for Accutane rx drug another. We have all basted our skin in the volcanic hot springs, likely for Accutane rx drug too long, but it was sooo good. Lying in an outdoor pool with the Accutane rx drug steep forested walls of the valley holding us in, it’s like the resort is designed to hold you and make you feel safe.

The routine is Accutane rx drug getting established: Up at 7:30 for breakfast, bags packed into the Accutane rx drug truck by 9, final pee and it’s time to Accutane rx drug go at 9:30. Today will be a doozy of a day, a Accutane rx drug leg breaker short climb to begin, followed by ascending one of those massive volcanoes. There is Accutane rx drug some chit chat and a few cat calls as we roll out and Accutane rx drug funnily enough it all happens in a couple different languages, but we all get the Accutane rx drug gist and smile. Everyone is hurting a bit, but it’s also a Accutane rx drug wait-and-see mentality, and like a bunch of fatalists we take it Accutane rx drug one day or one mile at a time. Let’s see how the body is today?

Photo: Dre Hestler

Photo: Dre Hestler

Cresting the Accutane rx drug first climb, a small group of us hit the singletrack; It swoops along a Accutane rx drug river, behind some small farm cottages and heads down for a Accutane rx drug good bit of time. The knowledge that we will soon be Accutane rx drug heading up quiets our elation, but nothing good comes easy and Accutane rx drug I like to earn my turns.

Today the Accutane rx drug sun has crept out early from behind the clouds and we are Accutane rx drug feeling the heat. I put on my SPF 20, but I could certainly use a Accutane rx drug re-supply about now. The climb is long and arduous, but near the Accutane rx drug top we get into the Volcan Villarica national park and the Accutane rx drug trees are marvelous. Over the top we get a couple sneaky peaks, but aren’t well rewarded with views. We rip down 9 miles of beautiful undulating single/double track; this Accutane rx drug is what we have earned. The descent continues with Boys Scouts and Accutane rx drug Girls Scouts galore all over the road, like pylons, sleeping bags in hand, all headed to Accutane rx drug the park behind us. We hit 40 mph (60kms) at some points and are really cooking. It’s exhilarating and even though it’s just a gravel road, it’s still 10 miles more of fast, fast ripping.

The day concludes at 50 miles (80km). It has Accutane rx drug been a big day, but Day 3, or hump day, is Accutane rx drug in the bag. We are halfway home and our tans are Accutane rx drug getting really, really, good. Stay tuned for more of the ‘endless summer’, the Chilean adventure.

Part 3: Trans Andes Challenge

Bringing it home, from the six-stage Chilean tour

By bikemag.com /  Posted on January 31, 2011

Photo: Dre Hestler

(Ed’s note: Dre Hestler is Accutane rx drug filing reports from the Trans Andes Challenge in Chile; see earlier, Part 1 and Part 2.)

By Dre Hestler
Published: January 30, 2010

Nothing good comes easy. I guess this Accutane rx drug is one of the mottos I live by, but man, did someone take some liberties when Accutane rx drug applying it to the Trans Andes Challenge. Actually, all of the Accutane rx drug hard stuff is generally self-induced, which means there is no one to Accutane rx drug blame but myself (doh!). Of course, at the end of every awesome week of riding it’s time to Accutane rx drug saddle up the beer steins and celebrate. Perhaps this is also one of the Accutane rx drug credos I live by, and heck we sure earned it.

Day 3 saw my legs come around and Accutane rx drug the routine begin to take shape, then it all became a Accutane rx drug blur of super radness. The big difference between this and the Accutane rx drug normal rides I do in January—and for that matter, between a good business and a bad business—is location, location, location… and a bit of timing.

Photo: Dre Hestler

Photo: Dre Hestler

My head is Accutane rx drug foggy now as I attempt to recount the tales of the Accutane rx drug last few days. Last night we celebrated the completion of the Accutane rx drug route, and together we shared this accomplishment and together we celebrated. And what Accutane rx drug better brokers friendships, multi-national relationships, or simply some camaraderie than sharing not one, but six, epic rides, six nights of camping and Accutane rx drug some 18 meals together? We’ve become something of a Accutane rx drug family over the week and parting ways becomes a wee bit sad, but we all know there will be Accutane rx drug another event in the future and likely we will see the Accutane rx drug same smiling faces again.

Day 4 was by far the Accutane rx drug best pure mountain bike day yet. We ripped up an amazing piece of trail that Accutane rx drug wove around a pristine alpine lake. The forest was like nothing I have Accutane rx drug ever seen before and riding another surreal experience becomes commonplace as again and Accutane rx drug again the sublime beauty of Chile is revealed. We came together, eleven of us, late into the Accutane rx drug day on this piece of singletrack. Some were going forward, some backwards, but all of us were fully moved by this Accutane rx drug particular small moment and the experience it provided.

Strengthened by the Accutane rx drug days of riding and the fresh air of the forest and Accutane rx drug the mountains we all seemed to find new vigor and Accutane rx drug push through to finish the longest day of the event.

Day 5 was rumored to be the “Queen” stage, but we were reminded to Accutane rx drug keep our heads up and take a glance or two behind, as the Accutane rx drug views were not to be missed. The trail was clearly marked but sometimes one can Accutane rx drug lose oneself anyway, and so it was that I meandered off the Accutane rx drug course, had a mechanical and managed to make an absolute botch of this Accutane rx drug day’s navigation. Thank God it Accutane rx drug mattered little in the grand scheme of things as I caught some different people and Accutane rx drug managed to spend the day in good company enjoying myself thoroughly.

Photo: Dre Hestler

Photo: Dre Hestler

Onto yet one more hot springs resort with a Accutane rx drug beautiful river and boat load of pasta to quench my endless hunger. This was an Accutane rx drug epic day and we were not sure what the final stage would bring, but having made it Accutane rx drug through five, the sense of near completion was exhilarating.

Day 6 followed a Accutane rx drug 9.5-hour sleep, and it feels like I could go on riding my bike forever at this Accutane rx drug point. Our routine is smooth and the weather fair, the food is Accutane rx drug plentiful and my taste for exploring is not quenched, so why stop now? Ah yes, life comes crashing back and it’s time to go home. A short 25-mile jaunt into Pucon (the Fort Lauderdale of Chile) with some climbs in the Accutane rx drug front and some fast descents in the back has me winning the Accutane rx drug stage, placing second in the over all, but more importantly putting to Accutane rx drug rest this amazing chapter and journey through in and around Chile. Get out of the Accutane rx drug ordinary and get on with the strange, I say. See you Accutane rx drug around.

Chile

buy thyroxine without a rx onlineA land strange and Accutane rx drug unknown to me at least; What do I know about this Accutane rx drug remote South American -end of the world country? Long thin, it’s border defined by the Accutane rx drug Andes, water falling on the west is Chilean water falling on the Accutane rx drug east is Argentinian, Easter Island, Patagonia, the Allendes and Pinoche, some vague concepts of travel, writing, politics and Accutane rx drug many conflicting views. What I really know is that I didn’t know anything. Some rumours abounded; they had Accutane rx drug mountains and ski resorts so all the ingredients for a Accutane rx drug mountain bike adventure were there.

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equivalent buy LasixThis trip is Accutane rx drug a multi-part story that will not see a conclusion until after the Accutane rx drug Trans Andes on January 24-29th. But for the first part and Accutane rx drug the common theme, the Trans Andes, the route, the area and Accutane rx drug the culture are all to be captured in a Ride Guide segment.

Some time earlier this Accutane rx drug year, Juan Pablo Santiagos the director of the TA had dialed me up and Accutane rx drug invited me down to Chile. Naturally I figured if going all that Accutane rx drug way, lets crank up the excitement and make the most of it, so I contacted Ride Guide and Accutane rx drug put together a team.

Viola, Chile in November – actually not so chilleee, actually quit warm about 25 degrees. Our goal, segment 1- to Accutane rx drug get the lay of the land for Ride Guide and Accutane rx drug secondarily a Rocky Magazine Road trip, segment 2-would be to Accutane rx drug follow up with the race in January. For the second part of the Accutane rx drug initial November trip I figured there must be some other people looking to Accutane rx drug explore and create some adventures. I threw out some invites, contacted some guiding companies and Accutane rx drug mixed in a little flavour I call Chile, ha. But lets put that Accutane rx drug pot on the back burner for a bit and get on with shooting the Accutane rx drug Ride Guide segment.

Josh the Accutane rx drug cameraman for Ride Guide and I met in LA, flew LAN Chile via Lima to Accutane rx drug Santiago. Piece of pie, easy, and only a 5 hour time change to Accutane rx drug deal with. We met Juan Pablo in Santiago, who by the Accutane rx drug way is an x-World Cup DH racer and grabbed a domestic flight south to Accutane rx drug Tecum on the northern edge of Patagonia. Patagonia is an undefined geographical region in Chile, not to Accutane rx drug be confused with their states, provinces or as they call them regions (12). We were in the Accutane rx drug Araucania region considered to be the middle south of the country. While the Accutane rx drug majority of the wine growing takes place in the arid Santiago area (800 K north), here it was lush rainforest, logging and mucho Volacanic activity.

As usual the Accutane rx drug rideguide.ca is about culture as much as wicked riding, so we ventured out to Accutane rx drug visit a traditional Mapuche Indian village. They are very representative of global aboriginal struggles to Accutane rx drug maintain traditional ways in the maelstrom of modern conveniences. The particular Senhorita that Accutane rx drug we conversed with was very sharp and very tourism savvy, she expressed some concern with the Accutane rx drug governments involvement, but let us know she was open to Accutane rx drug sharing her ways with us and finding some mutually agreeable ground with the Accutane rx drug officials. This was on a whole the shocking example of Chile; advanced, calm and Accutane rx drug reasonable; from the Mapuche natives to the not stressed out airline people, Chile is Accutane rx drug a first class nation of warm hosting people.

Juan took us out to Accutane rx drug the sponsor hotel, the start of day 1, in a Accutane rx drug land reserve and area know as Huilo Huilo. This alone is Accutane rx drug enough to consider your holiday goals achieved; a full eco-resort in a Accutane rx drug rainforest built like the ewok village of Star Wars. The next day it Accutane rx drug was out to explore the course and the land, we were in the Accutane rx drug middle of a lush rain forest with Volcanos rising in every direction- we only saw 3 from Accutane rx drug our vantage point, but apparently there were a possible 13 to Accutane rx drug be seen on a clear day above the green canopy.

We spent a Accutane rx drug number of days exploring the resort and the first few days of the Accutane rx drug route before our time ran out and it was time to Accutane rx drug exit stage one of Chile. We had met Louis the Accutane rx drug director of Operations, we had met the local course designers and Accutane rx drug we had a much better deeper understanding of what Chile is Accutane rx drug all about. Much of the philosophy of the Trans Andes is Accutane rx drug similar to that of the BC Bike Race, not to Accutane rx drug mention Juan was riding a Rocky Mountain Bike, it was very comfortable and Accutane rx drug reminded me of home.

thyroxine order on lineAs we headed back to Santiago we stopped at Stage 3′s finish, a Accutane rx drug natural Volcanic hot spring with a resort built around it, then Accutane rx drug a night in Pucon, checking out the lay of the land of this Accutane rx drug Whistler type village the host of the final stage and party.

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It was only a Accutane rx drug matter of one night before the boys arrived and the gong show would ensue again. The snow was flying at home in BC and Accutane rx drug we were in shorts and jerseys down in South America, maybe the Accutane rx drug old adage “snow birds” is taking a new direction -Chile anyone?

Cheers
Dre