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15st February 2002 -
21.56 GMT
Adventures in Chile & Bolivia
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Licancabur and Laguna Verde.
Easy to reach from San Pedro to Atacama, entering "illegaly"
Bolivia.
Btw: nobody will notice ;-)
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Prefix
After
some days it was clear, that I couldn't make my trip like
it was planed; the "invierno boliviano" had been
late and heavy this year and there was still a lot of water,
mud and snow splattered over the Altiplano.
The
track from Guallatire to Colchane was impassable due to mud
and floodings, the Salar de Uyuni was under one foot of water
and the Volcanoes Ollague, Aucanquilcha and Miño still under
snow.
Also
see: Chile 99 - How it was
planed
Getting
started
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Date
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From
- To
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Daily
Km
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Total
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0
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27-03-1999
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LIS-MAD
19:50 - 21:55, MAD-SCL 23:40 - 8:30
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1
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28-03-1999
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Arrival
SCL 8:30, Bus Antofagasta
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2
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29-03-1999
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Bus
Antofagasta - Arica
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I
arrived at time at Lisbon Airport and what would have the
potential for a nightmare began. On the monitors I saw my
flight to Madrid cancelled, and this was confirmed by the
girls at the check-inn. At the information desk of Iberia
I got the information, that the pilots were on strike this
afternoon, but luckily they arranged another flight to Madrid.
In compensation in Madrid my ticket to Santiago was upgraded
to Business Class.
At
SCL-Airport I got me a taxi to the central bus station and
several hours later I was on my way to Antofagasta, where
I arrived on the next afternoon. I left bike and equipment
at the bus station and already made my shopping for the next
day. In the afternoon I took the bus to Arica, arrived early
in the morning.
Now,
after 36 hours of travelling in plane and bus it was time
to built at the bike.
And
then I finally hit the road...
Arica
- Putre - Guallatire - Arica
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3
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30-03-1999
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Arica
- Poconchile - C1
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62,4
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62,4
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4
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31-03-1999
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C1
- Maillku
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40,5
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102,9
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5
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01-04-1999
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Maillku
- Putre
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44,3
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147,2
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6
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02-04-1999
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Putre
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16,2
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163,4
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7
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03-04-1999
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Putre
- Las Cuevas - Lauca Channel - C2
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42,5
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205,9
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8
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04-04-1999
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C2
- Guallatire
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41,1
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247,0
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9
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05-04-1999
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Guallatire
- Lauca Channel - Zapahuira - C3
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47,8
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294,8
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10
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06-04-1999
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C3
- Arica, Bus Pozo Almonte
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101,5
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396,3
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As
expected the first 50 km were pretty easy, strong wind pushes
the way up, but then after Poconchile begins the real work,
3 really heavy turns brings one up to 1500 m.
On
the afternoon of the next day I reached Pueblo Maillku, stopped
for a mate de coca and stayed there for the night, despite
our friendship they charged me damn heavy.
Without
problems I made it on the next day to Putre, stayed there
for one more day to acclimatise, get some information about
the track conditions on the altiplano and finally to lay a
deposit for the next day. I probably gained no big advantage
to carry up 6 litres of Coke for 7 kilometres, but it gave
a little expedition sensation.
Profile Arica - Guallatire
The
next morning was the first serious day, Putre as starting
point has already 3500 m and the weather was overcastted.
Further up it was getting deeply grey and when I reached the
Parkranger hut at Las Cuevas, I could see the rain clouds
in the distance, with some thunder in the air. But there was
no looking back, soon I reached the dirt track to Guallatire.
As I changed the direction I had now a beautiful wind from
the back and the track was first class too. Just in time I
reached the Lauca channel, where I made Camp C2.
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After
defeating some foxes the next morning I set out, soon
it was overcastted again and the the track was getting
wetter. Then came the first river, which was still
knee-deep so I had to dismount the bike and carry my
stuff piece by piece to the other side. It became
tricky, dark clouds moved in once more and around midday
it started to rain, first very softly, but then stronger.
Shortly after I met a jeep from the Carabineiros I they
told me very clearly, that there was absolutely no chance
to continue after Guallatire. As if this wouldn't have
been enough, the rain turned into snow. Totally soaked
wet I reached in the afternoon Guallatire, the policemen
already expected me and offered me a place to sleep
and a warm dinner.
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I
thought about it forth and back, but there was no choice:
I had to abandon the idea of going to Colchane along
the Chilean border. The next morning I got a ride back
with the police to Lauca Channel and crossing the Portuzuelo
Chapiquiña I reached Zapahuira in the afternoon.
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Profile Canal
Lauca - Portezuelo - Zapahuira
Part 2 
- I
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