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Happy New Year!!! Slideshow

15:10
Careterra Austral

Coyhaique to Puyuhuapi

14:10
Off to work with a chainsaw and some bulls.From one barely pronoucably named town to the next, eh? Having said goodbyes to the Christmas crowd, I headed out into the rain and, climbing uphill out of Coyhaique, Brett wizzed by in a pickup truck he'd hitched a ride with. I pushed on. Endless rain and cloud obscured the mountian views but fortunately the...

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Article

Tips for getting started on your Big Ambition

17:02
I have been asked on a few ocassions how I managed to be able to take a year off to go cycling. I think the general priciples are probably the same for whatever big ambition you have. Here are a few things that I think we're helpful.Save money. Open a savings account (a tax free ISA is a good place to start). Most...

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Careterra Austral

HAPPY CHRISTMAS!!!!

18:04
Brett and I woke up at 5:30am, in the pouring rain, to get to the ferry port at Chile Chico in time. We waited, getting soggier, whilst everyone else got on the ferry but we were made to wait till last. Cycle prejudice is rife. Inside the ferry was crazily crowded so we squeezed ourselves in to a cafeteria to eat breakfast of...

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motivation

The Boatman

22:53
I'm really enjoying listening to The Levellers at the moment. Especially I like the lyrics from The Boatman.If I could choose the life I please Then I would be a boatman On the canals and the rivers free No hasty words are spoken My only law is the river breeze That takes me to the open seas If I could choose the life...

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books

Hygine and Food

15:40
I'm reading a James Michner book called Journey that I picked up in a hostal. Its the story of an expedition during the gold rush to the Klondike River in northern Canada in 1897. Some pertinent advice is to be found near the bottom of page 120."We must change our socks at least twice a week and wash the worn ones in soap...

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Careterra Austral

Cochrane to Chile Chico: Salchicha the dog

19:53
Rolled out of Cochrane and put in a shortish day to Puerto Bertrand. Rear tyre blewout and I had to bodge a fix with duct tape. There I met a dog that looked suprisingly similar to one I had seen in Cochrane. But I thought nothing of it. However, as I attempted to make chapatis and read my book the crazy little dog...

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Careterra Austral

Tortel to Cochrane

12:25
At Tortel I loaded up on supplies. This involved knocking politely on what looked just like someones house, only I had spied shelves of food through the window, and then asking in my finest spanish for oats, chocolate and one of each flavour of biscuits. To get bread I had to go to another house and knock on the window. The woman inside...

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Careterra Austral

Chalten to Caleta Tortel

17:55
I have been through quite a bit since I last posted but not come across a decent internet connection. Incredibly, it seems to be quite good in this tiny village, Caleta Tortel, in a seaside cove, made entirely of wooden houses with boardwalks and wooden staircases connecting them. extrodinary. Its been tough going getting here. From Chalten to Lago Desierto was a nice...

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Argentina

El Calafate to El Chalten

23:35
After listening to a folk band in the campsite bar, and sampling (yet more) litres of Quilmes, our trusty pedal-powered hero woke fairly late and drank several cups of coffee and ate lots of toast and alfajor (yummy chocolate/ducle leche things). He then spent what seemed like an eternity trying to reorganise his panniers to be a) more convienient for commonly used items...

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Article

10 Interesting South American Mountains

19:01
The Mighty Cerro Torre (as yet unclimbed by anyone from Finland)Another cheeky list post. With some peaks I´d like to climb or at least visit.1. Anconcagua - At 6962m this is the highest peak in South America. You really have to go with a guide, and at US$3000 I think I´ll have to pass this time.2. Mount Chimborazo - A volcano at 6268m...

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Argentina

Raphael and Bettina

02:26
Met a great cycling couple from Switzerland at the campsite. They have cycled from Ecuador and were kind enough to answer some of my daft questions. Here is a mini interview with them I recorded. Listen to find out a great tip to get more from your cycling tour and to find out how fast dogs run. Also I spent the day checking...

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Article

21 of the World´s Most Famous Walks

17:46
I´ve just finished a week trekking around Torres del Paine national Park in Chile. I had a fantastic time and its great to translate those photographs I had seen into actual memories. (This process is a bit like when I saw Chuck Berry play at Portsmouth Guildhall when I was 10 years old. It was my first gig and I went with my...

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Torres Time- 7:22:01

17:25
Argentina

Torres del Paine to El Calafate

00:38
Took a rest day at Hosteria des Torres campsite which consisted of reading, eating and composing hillarious poems. Then built giant bonfire to cook my pasta with peas and salami and warm my weary body.Yesterday I took to the road on my bike again and it feels good. There was a section of gravel road that was the worst yet but I had...

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BS

Rose Tinted Torres Del Paine

22:19
After eating like Lords, and drinking like fish, a group in the Refugio Chileno looked at an attractive guide book photograph of the Torres del Paine bathed in a pinkish light at sunrise. But how early must they wake to see this spectacle? Someone knowledgable of the sun was consulted, calculations were undertaken and at last a time was held aloft."Four thirty!!!" they...

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Chile

Puerto Natales to Torres del Paine

00:49
Thanks everyone for the birthday messages. I had a lovely time at a mountain Refuggio quaffing wine, spining yarns, eating cottage pie with egg and cheese and sleeping like a log in my tent despite 70mph winds. The next morning I poked my head out of the flap at sunrise to see a reddish glow on the torres before going back to sleep...

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Argentina

Punta Arenas to Puerto Natales

17:18
A few miles out of Punta Arenas I crossed paths with Dave (note the machete) who has cycled here from Seatle and is nearly at the end of his journey.Yesterday was the day of things breaking. This began in the morning when my plastic spork decided it would rather be a uselessly small fork and spoon instead. Then the button on my trousers...

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Article

10 gadgets for bike travel

22:10
There are a few gizmos that make life a bit easier for a bicycle traveller so I thought I would share my top ten1. Thermometer: I picked this up this morning in Punta Arenas. How else am I going to brag about the extreme cold I endured in the Andes and the brain melting heat in the tropics. Also, should give me a...

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Argentina

Rio Grande to Punta Arenas

02:16
Phil and JoyceThe northern half of Tierra del Fuego is flat and windy. I headed out of Rio Grande and put in a longish day to reach San Sebastian, which is the border with Chile. Went through fine and then passed a sign reading "Fin de Pavmiento". From there on it was a case of eyes down and look at gravel. But there...

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Argentina

Ushuaia to Rio Grande

22:47
My lazing about in Buenos Aires is behind me now and the adventure has begun!!!Arrived in Ushuaia and put the bike together and headed off into town to buy food and fuel. There is a sign saying "Ushuaia: fin del monde principio del todo". Then I wound on up into the mountains in, shall we say, not too bad weather. It sleeted a...

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cycling

Ben's cycle manual

20:25
My brother sent me a poem he has written and its too good to hoard just for myself. Apparently, the UK police have just canned publishing a 93 page cycle manual for police officers . He thought he could do better and with less words.Ben’s Cycling Manual by Ben aged 37(Brackets not to be read)Verse 1 – how to ridePush pedals, Steer true,...

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Argentina

El Raton

16:38
Ok so I asked Roberto to teach me a song in Spanish and he´s started me off on this song called "El Raton" -the mouse. I practised it a few times and he told me, "Don´t be timid and sing like a man". The "hechale semila.." bit is very fast and dificult but I love the "chacucha cucucuchacucha"!Chords are Am C7 B7 E7Mi...

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Argentina

Carlos, Tango and the Bandoneon

15:51
Met up with Carlos Viggiano today. This guy is a bandoneon teacher and I asked him questions about Tango and the bandoneon. In fact I recorded a 20 minute interview with him in Spanish. Quite daunting stuff but I think it will be easier next time. In the audio clip he is playing Decarisimo by Astor Piazzolla. He told me some interesting things...

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Argentina

First recordings and face stuffing

15:02
Last night I stayed up drinking with the guys in the hostal. I think it was really beneficial for my Spanish and its great to chat to interesting people too. One Columbian guy got his guitar out and played a couple of songs. I´d like to learn a song in Spanish as an ice breaker for when you get passed a guitar. I...

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Argentina

A few more days in Buenos Aires

21:59
I´ve decided to stay here a few days longer to rest up the foot some more (its heaps better though), and soak up a bit more sunshine before heading to Ushuaia. I´ve not been too active the last couple of days but I did try mate for the first time. Mate is the national drink of Argentina. Its a kind of tea but...

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Argentina

Day Two

20:11
Pretty cool day today. Went out to the Boca area where there are some attractive multi coloured buildings. Then caught a bunch of street musicians on the main tourist drag. They did a pretty cool rendition of "Minor Swing". Then had a few beers in Plaza Dorrego and watched people dancing the Tango. ...

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Argentina

Day One: Buenos Aires

22:57
Despite all the horror stories I have read, flying with a bike seemed to go fairly smoothly. The box has a few knocks and I havn´t opened it yet, but its a hardy bike it´ll be ok. Not really decided the best way to get to Tierra del Fuego. Bus or plane.Buenos Aires is a lovely city with many tree lined streets with...

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INTERVIEWS

Mark Rodgers aka CAHM

19:24
My friend Mark Rodgers has just released an EP which he's put up on a website www.cahm.co.uk. I thought it was rather good. Here's a few questions I put to him.Where does the name CAHM come from?Originally when I first got round to writing songs I was working different factory/crappy jobs and spent time working in a hospital as grounds/porter. All of these...

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CHEAPSKATE

Sewing Tips

15:20
I spent the morning on Tuesday at the sewing machine transforming an old duvet cover into a bunch of draw string bags. Also I made these roll up things, one for the kitchen (wooden spoon, spork, fag lighter, herbs and spices etc) and one for glue, sewing kit, repair stuff etc. Having a few bags to pack things into means you can compress...

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INTERVIEWS

William Sichel

10:16
I asked Richie Cunningham if he could think of anyone else I could have a go at interviewing and he suggested William Sichel. William's ultra running achievements are incredible. He is currently unbeaten in all events longer than 48 hours and holds six ultra distance records at World, British and Scottish level. I read on your website that you live on the Isle...

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