Chile Dec 2013

I would be inclined to get a bus at least part of the way down - it's a bit of a dull ride straight down the Pan American highway.

You can get off a different points along the way - I took a bus to around Chillan, and then rode from there, including through the Chilean & Argentinian Lake District. That was pretty nice, and I'd recommend riding through the Lake District. Hop back and forth between Argentina and Chile as required.

You could also ride over to Mendoza if you felt up to it.

I rode down Ruta 5 south from Santiago and it isn't very interesting. If you spend three or four days riding down throug this region you might appreciate the scenery in the south all the more though. I don't know anything about alternative minor routes. Ruta 5 has a good shoulder and isn't very busy most of the way. It can take time to find a comfortable spot for free camping. When you get to the south you will see a big contrast to this.

Thanks folks
It would seem a bus ride part way and then a meander through the Lake District area is a good way to arrive at Puerto Montt.

The best bits of the Lake District in Chile are mostly (but not quite all) on border crossings to Argentina; the western ends of the lakes mostly stick out into fairly uninteresting flat farmland. The Argentinean lake district is really nice. The Termas de Palguin/Conaripe track is one of the best roads in the Chile Lake District fun if you don't mind a very lumpy track. You'll spot a couple of other roads that go through the mountains rather than the flatlands. Also within Chile, there's some very good riding in the Araucania, the area just north of the lake district, for example the road through the Conguillío NP, and also the road around the eastern end of the park through Icalma. There also looks to be some nice riding just a little north of there. It all depends how much time you have - I filled about 3 weeks meandering through the Araucania and Lake District on both sides of the border before getting to Puerto Montt.

Hello iviehoff
Good stuff!
I will research the the places you mention.
My timetable is flexible - the intention being to set off on the Carretera Austral from Puerto Montt in January when the ferries are running. I arrive Santiago 13 Dec - so have time to pick off the 'choicest bits' en route to PM.

to set off on the Carretera Austral from Puerto Montt in January when the ferries are running

I think recently they decided to make it an all year operation. This describes itself as "temporada normal" ie normal season, there would be extra services in high summer. http://www.navierapuelche.cl/h_horno.html

Hello iviehoff
Thanks again for the info.
I did not realise the ferry operated the 'extended' service' - other than January and the 'high season'.
It looks as if I have more options than I thought. My main plan is to take the Carretera Austral to Villa O'Higgins and then make a decision on where to go after that. I have 3 months in total and fly out of Santiago mid March. This should give me time to pootle about a bit without excessive haste!

Some thoughts. In some cases there are alternative routes which are both worth doing, and there is some possibility of doing both if one rides both north and south, though if riding only one way, then you have to choose.

As well as the Hornopiren route which is clearly to be favoured, the route through Futaleufu, Trevelin, Alerces nat pk, El Bolson to Bariloche is very nice.

Between Coihaique and Cochrane you can either go down the main road, but I think the alternative via Puerto Ibanez, ferry over the lake, and along the S lake shore is nicer (having travelled both).

If you aren't simply going to turn around in Villa O Higgins, then you'll take the hiker's ferries and end up at El Chalten in Arg. One option is to turn left and head N on the Arg side. This is described as an unforgettable ride, but it is the kind of unforgettable experience not everyone desires (terrible winds, great flat nothingness, worryingly long gaps between water and food sources, poor road - though there is an occasional tourist bus along the road that has been known to rescue cyclists who've had enough of it.)

Plainly you have the luxury choice of taking a boat north from Puerto Natales, and I think there is an option to go only half way on some of the sailings and disembark at Puerto Chacabuco. I think it is worth cycling to Torres del Paine Nat Pk - there's a circuit you can do - even if you don't intend to go hiking. I enjoyed cycling to Tierra del Fuego - it you take the ferry from Punta Arenas to Porvenir you will suffer less from the wind. I was able to take a bus back from Ushuaia to P Arenas, though buses may be less kind about bikes than previously these days. A very adventurous alternative is to try to get across to Puerto Williams, from where there is a rather infrequent ferry back to Punta Areans, or a plane failing that. I also flew out from P Arenas to the Falklands for a couple of weeks, but then I like seabirds.

iviehoff
This is excellent stuff!
Thanks for all the info - I will look in to all the permutations you mention.
It would be very nice to get some walking in also ( I favour touring in walking boots /shoes, so intend to be ready for a ramble off the bike).
I'm a first time visitor to South America so it will all be a new experience for me.