LLEGO a la FRONTERA y se ACERCA el ÚLTIMO GRAN BERENJENAL/ PROBLEMA (S25/E58) MUNDO en MOTO SINEWAN

LLEGO a la FRONTERA y se ACERCA el ÚLTIMO GRAN BERENJENAL/ PROBLEMA (S25/E58) MUNDO en MOTO SINEWAN

“Caution: dangerous curves ahead. 20 km.” Last few kilometers on the Carretera Austral, in the most remote part of Chilean Patagonia. Phew! Yes, it’s rough, huh? Slippery, a bit broken. Loose rocks, loose stones, and uphill. Specifically, there are 127 km left to Villa O’Higgins. Isn’t this beautiful? Uh, I’m going to take a break to admire the scenery. Phew! The last town before crossing back into Argentina. If all goes well, today is the last day traveling the Carretera Austral, but it’s not the last day traveling through Chile. If all goes well, because there are many things, many variables that will affect what happens in the coming days. And to cross that border, I’m going to face the last big challenge before Tierra del Fuego: the Mayer Pass. Farallón Bridge. What a treacherous road, right? About 30 km through no man’s land with a very tricky river to cross, the Carrera. We’re reaching the end of the road. Its waters come from the Andean snowmelt , and the current is usually powerful and the riverbed deep. We’ve arrived. And “to top it all off,” “Welcome to Puerto Yungay!” Great! I have a somewhat crazy idea that could complicate everything. The World on a Motorcycle with Charly Sinewan, Season 25, “Troubles are coming.” Chapter 58. Let’s take advantage of the fact that we don’t have anyone to give a ride to. Exactly. Am I driving now? Yes, yes. Axiometer. Uh-huh. That indicates the degree of tilt of the tiller to port or starboard. This is just like a car. Look, if you put it straight, it will center itself a little more. You have to look that way, and you have to turn this. So, if I turn to the right…? It’s just like a car. It’s just like a car. And the white arrow is going to be set to zero. That’s the minimum it’s going to drop. I’m piloting. Yes, yes, you’re piloting now. Look. Wow, I’ve always wanted to do this! Always watching the degrees you’re going to drop so you can turn back. Now I’m at zero, so we’re going straight. No. Now you can give it 2 degrees of tiller to starboard. Two degrees? Yes. Turn and it’s going to start dropping. But if you see you’re dropping too close to the boat, it’ll turn you back. Now, if you want, you can go to the other side. Turn that way. Should I go that way? Yes, we’re going all the way along the shore. Because that’s where we’re supposed to go, if this is like a road. I’m like a little kid. I’m running this whole thing. You don’t know what you’re doing, I mean, you can’t give a kid such a big toy. But like every captain, you have to put this on. Oh, I have to put on the… Yes, we’re just going to take the name off it. It says Regional Captain, and we’re going to take your picture here. I’m a captain! No joke. How many years have you been doing this? Thirty-one years. Thirty-one. Thirty-one years. Of my thirty-one years, I’ve been a sailor for sixteen. I’ve worked here in Antarctica, in Ushuaia, and all along the coast of Chile. And where do you live? In Valparaíso, in the Fifth Region here in Chile. In Valparaíso? Yes, I’m from Valparaíso. How many days a week do you work? 30 days. 30 days here in the area and 30 days at home. Oh, 30 and 30. Yes. And the 30 days you’re here, where…? I sleep here… Inside the ship? Yes, yes, I have a cook, I have everything here on board. No joke, huh. Turn over that way, right? No. Are we doing great there? Great. And I just got my son an officer too. Oh yeah? And right now he has one exam left and he’ll reach my rank of captain. Oh, how wonderful. Because we taught him that discipline was the most important thing , and above all, consistency. And humility above all. One hundred percent. Humility above all goes a long way. We’re going to cut him off over there. He’s cutting you off too because he wanted to go along the shore. And we’re messing around, huh? Yeah, but he should go over there, not over here. We’re doing fine. And why is he doing that? Because he’ll be closer… Oh, because he must be with a tourist just like you. Well, I’m better off being a tourist. Okay, so now I’m going to reset, right? I mean, I’m going to go over there a bit, right? What’s the right-hand side in navigation? Starboard. To starboard. 7.4 knots. And we’re on heading 100. These are the two courses we always sail like this. If you plot it straight ahead, over there you have 1 and over there you have… I mean, 298 over there and 112 over there. It’s like you’re seeing it here. How many jet skis have you passed? Thirty-seven motorcycles have passed through here. I mean, in the summer, this is a… And that many Brazilians, Argentinians… And they all cross the Mayer Pass in their trucks? Most will cross at the Mayer Pass; it’s very beautiful. The thing is, in the summer there’s a lot of snowmelt. You have to see how deep it is. Now is a good time because… It hasn’t rained, it hasn’t rained much. You know the bad thing? The water is freezing cold. You have to start falling now. Ah, I’m getting distracted and forgetting my work. One of the things you can’t forget here is what we’re doing. I’m doing well, right? Yes, perfect. That’s it. I can work on this now. We’re almost there, and we have to stay close to the edge. Should I…? Keep heading that way because it’s falling, if you notice, it’s falling slightly. There was a moment when, without your order or instruction, I, on my own, decided to edge a little more to port. That’s perfect. That means he already has some driving experience and knows that if he goes straight, something will hit something. Should I hold or…? We’re three cables away from arriving. The captain is going to ask the helmsman to hand over the controls. Well, in this case, it’s the other way around; you, the captain, are going to hand them over to the helmsman. I’m going to give them to the helmsman so that, well, so that he can acquire a little bit of… Uh-huh. I’m going to ask him… I’ll leave you… But because I want to, uh… Yes, no, it’s fine, it’s fine. No, no. Okay, guys. Thank you. We’ll edge up now. See you around. Have a good trip and a safe return. I’m giving you back your jacket. Yes, because with the cold weather there, it won’t be much use to him. And above all, I don’t want to give you the rank. No, no, no, not at all. This jacket doesn’t determine the range, the person does. Okay, let’s continue on our way. It’s 5 pm. We have, in principle, two hours. “Mount O’Higgins 99 km.” Here we go. All gravel, and even though it’s only 100 km, it’s estimated to take two hours. That means I should arrive around 7 pm, which would still be daylight, and hopefully not too cold because it’s 10 degrees Celsius. Last 100 km of the Carretera Austral , and two hours of daylight left. Wow, isn’t everything beautiful? It’s incredible. There isn’t a single bad kilometer on the Carretera Austral. It’s all spectacular. It’s true that it’s so spectacular you get used to it. That said, it’s the last 100 km of the Carretera Austral, meaning we must have covered about 1100 km. I’m also having good luck, not only with the weather—I mean, the cold and the rain, which I’m handling quite well— but also with the wind, the famous Patagonian wind. It’s clear there’s a time of year when it’s worse, but even so, I think I’m having pretty good luck. Well, I think it’s time to hit the gas, don’t you? Let’s go for it. The good thing is, well, you can’t relax 100%, but… In principle, no one should be coming the other way now because the last ferry leaves at 5 pm, meaning it’s already gone, so theoretically no one should be coming, but risking your life on that bet isn’t worth it either. I mean, I’m going to keep to the right and be careful. I’m not saying anything else because it’s just, “How beautiful!” —so beautiful, what a biker tribute, right? There’s no gravel, it’s hard-packed dirt. Sometimes there’s a little bit, but very little. It’s rained and it’s a little worrying at times, but nothing alarming, I mean, it grips quite well. I’ve been playing psychologist-helmet for I don’t know how long now. Going crazy. The road is incredible, really, perfect for riding, I mean. Come on! Slow down a bit! Excited. It’s turned into an ice rink. You have to be careful. Wow, what a beautiful bridge, isn’t it? How lovely, isn’t it? This spectacular bridge crosses the famous Mayer River , which gives its name to the pass between Chile and Argentina, and which, I’m afraid, we’re going to be talking about a lot in the coming days. Wow, that’s beautiful. Incredible. Well, now these are really the last few kilometers of the Carretera Austral. There must be about 20 or less left, maybe 10 or 5, I don’t know. Look, “Paso Mayer. Villa O’Higgins.” The day after tomorrow, probably, I’m going to go that way, which is Paso Mayer, but it’s not the Carretera Austral anymore because the Carretera Austral is this one, which has, well, I’ll tell you right now… Villa O’Higgins, 7, right? 7 km. What do you think, guys? According to my odometer, I’ve done 1365, so I’ve done 170 more, something like that. Anyway. Well, let’s get going, shall we? To be completely precise, the Carretera Austral doesn’t end in Villa O’Higgins because it continues a few more kilometers to a mountain pass, but we’ll find that out later. Now we’ve arrived in Villa O’Higgins, the end of the Carretera Austral. What a beautiful sign, isn’t it? Well, here we are. “Pioneers,” “Cabin,” “Restaurant.” Okay, I’m going somewhere. Mayer Pass, I think it’s called. What a place, right? So, so, so, so in the middle of nowhere. “Restaurant. Steaks.” I’m hungry. What a town, right? What a place, right? It’s like the Wild West, isn’t it? Well, there’s nobody here. So far, it’s been a really good choice to come at this time of year. There’s nobody here. It’s incredible how much accommodation there is. This must be super touristy in the summer. I love this town, though. Charly! Alejandro! How are you?! Good. And you? How did you get here? Good, actually. Really good. Far away? Well, yes, it depends on how you look at it. Yes. You know? The truth is, those of you who live here live very far from everything, you know. I tell people, we live here… It’s not that far from the world, but it’s isolated. That ferry, if you wanted to leave now, you can’t get off. Of course, you can’t until tomorrow. Absolutely. And there’s no airport here? Yes. Yes, but look, the mountain is covered in glaciers and the conditions are incredibly complex. Difficult, right? But is there a small plane ready in case of an emergency? They come from Coyhaique. So, there isn’t one here? If something happens to you now, it has to come first. Say our two Our Fathers, as I say. Well, no, it’s not going to happen. Good morning from Villa O’Higgins. Here begins something I’ve been planning for 10 years. Villa O’Higgins is the last town on the Carretera Austral , and for me, that would be reason enough to try to get here, because any remote place is already a source of interest. But, besides, you can only get here by ferry, as I did yesterday, by small plane , or by land from Argentina through one of the most complicated border crossings for a motorcycle, the Paso Mayer. It is a very well-known river in the world of adventurers. I’ve known about it for 10 years, ever since I saw a video that many people in Spain saw , called “The Ring Road,” by some Spaniards who crossed it on motorcycles. They’re practically the only ones who’ve documented it, at least with a large motorcycle, and they did it at the exact moment when the water wasn’t too high. They were able to cross with the help of a guide on horseback who led the way because it’s a very difficult river to cross. And from then until today, 10 years ago, I always dreamed that one day I would cross it. I haven’t done it today, but tomorrow or the day after, I’m going to try. The person who knows the most about this crossing is Alejandro. Good morning, Alejandro. Hello, Charly. A few years ago, he bought this impressive German military truck for the sole purpose of crossing with motorcycles because to cross the no-man’s-land between Chile and Argentina, you absolutely have to cross the Carrera River. It’s a tributary of the Mayer River, and its depth and flow increase with the snowmelt, making it almost impossible for motorcycles for most of the year. Alejandro owns the Paso Mayer Inn. Alejandro and Catherine own the Paso Mayer Inn, one of the best accommodations in Villa O’Higgins , and certainly with the best restaurant. He also owns the Paso Mayer company and is the person who knows the most about crossing the Mayer Pass. I’m going to set up camp here for a couple of days before attempting the crossing, which, although I could do with the Unimog, I’ve been thinking for years about a way to cross it on my own. Alejandro has—what’s it called? —a Unimog? A Unimog that we brought from Europe to Patagonia with the goal of fulfilling our dream of crossing the Mayer Pass. So, we said, well, complex problems require complex solutions. And faced with that, we decided to help all the motorcyclists who are crossing and want to fulfill their dream of crossing with our famous Unimog, which , as Charly says, this river is low in winter and then rises again in October, as we approach summer, due to the snowmelt. So, as the river rises, it gets more complicated , and that’s when the Unimog comes into play. We often cross with 1 to 1.5 meters of water. And always, as I say, ensuring the adventure and everyone’s safety. You’re probably watching this video in spring, but we’re just finishing winter. So, it’s a good time because the thaw hasn’t started yet, right? Exactly. The downsides: the water is colder than… But anyway, before taking the risk, I’m going with Alejandro to inspect it. And one thing you have to understand is that I’m not going to cross alone. Not with Alejandro. Alejandro won’t be there; he’ll be ready to come and rescue us because there will be two of us, if something happens, but we’re going to cross alone. And who am I going to cross with? Well, we’ll see tomorrow. But before I embark on such a complicated crossing, Alejandro is taking me to explain where we should cross and, above all, where we shouldn’t. Your family founded Villa O’Higgins. Look, my grandparents arrived around 1950. Villa O’Higgins was founded in 1966, on September 20th . 1966? Yes, they’re very new towns. I always tell everyone that the Carretera Austral (Southern Highway) only connected to Villa O’Higgins in November of 1999. Before that, there was no road. We were an island, connected to the rest of Chile only by small planes. So, the Carretera Austral ends 7 km south of Villa O’Higgins. And this wouldn’t be the Carretera Austral anymore, but the Carretera Austral is planned to continue… It’s planned to run along the channels between the Southern Patagonian Ice Field and the Pacific Ocean. Ultimately, it will reach Magallanes, Puerto Natales. Did you live here? Yes. I was born here… And what did you do for a living until the highway arrived? This area has always been marked by the border and geopolitical issues with Argentina. So, did the state provide any financial support for people to live here, or was there livestock farming, or…? No, livestock farming was minimal. Basically, what the state did—well, since it’s a municipality— the state generated a lot of employment, the school… There are a lot of police officers here because it’s a border area, so all that state activity generated a microeconomy that allowed people to make a living. Once the Carretera Austral (Southern Highway) was connected, nobody thought it would generate tourism , and nobody thought it would generate such important productive activity for this area. So… I mean, the Carretera Austral changed their lives. Yes. And, well, the Carretera Austral marked a before and after in the lives of this community. Even so, we’re far away. Yes, that’s very important. We’re 13, 15 hours from Coyhaique, but before that, we were much farther away. I always acknowledge the military’s role in the workforce, which was the army. I always think the army marked a turning point here because so many soldiers died. They suffered many deaths along the way. I believe the sacrifice was significant. We’re talking about at least 15 to 20 soldiers dying during the road’s construction because it was an area no one knew. Therefore, we must acknowledge the army because no private company wanted to venture here due to the high costs and the unfamiliar terrain. So, the Chilean State, as a matter of policy, implemented the road’s construction, but basically through the army, and that allowed these towns to be connected to the rest of Chile. Well, here we are, guys. “Chilean Police, Río Mayer Station” “Border Crossing” Incredible. Well, it took us 30 minutes to get all the paperwork done. I’ll show you the road from the police station to the Carrera River on my motorcycle tomorrow, but right now the important thing is to see the crossing and where Alejandro tells me we should try. Ten years after seeing this, I’m here. This is the Mayer River crossing, but this is the Carrera River because the Mayer is a little further downstream. Now we have to figure out how to cross it. The danger of this river isn’t just the depth, which can cause water to get into the engine. I cross the river, literally, from those trees to here. This is my area. It’s downstream, right? But anyway, look. The worst part is that even though it’s low, the current is very strong and can push a motorcycle as heavy as mine and carry you downstream. We go in there, we go to that tree over there , and we go upstream and come out right there. What happens is that where it widens, it loses some force. Here the current slows down a bit. So the option you have… We can cross here, huh. Do you think so? Yes, because we have trees there. We can tie up there. This doesn’t pull you in, right? Walking? Here it does. It pulls you in walking? Yes, here it does. And the option you have is to make the same track I make. You enter the river here, cross with a bit of current behind you to that tree over there. Yes. You’ll go along the bank, you’ll get there, and you’ll come out right here in front because you’re going upstream. But is it very deep there? At the bottom over there? There are deep pools there. But don’t go in there. Come out here, go in there, turn towards that islet because that islet is shallow , and from there you go to the bank and come out right there in front. So, not come out that way? No, no, no, no, no. Come out that way? Upstream. Is it deep there? It’s deep. So, we’d have to pull ourselves up from the tree all the way there? Exactly. The river seems to be in a relatively good state to cross by motorcycle. I see it as impossible alone, but with another person, and with the system I have in mind, it could work. But it could also be a disaster because the only way to get out of here if something happens is to send a satellite message to Alejandro and have him come and pick us up. Well, I’ve been thinking about tomorrow’s crossing for years , and not just tomorrow’s, although yes, especially tomorrow’s, but also about crossing complicated rivers. And I always had an idea that my mother and grandmother would call a “casquero” (a slang term for a tin can): “Carlitos, do you have any tin can ideas?” I never knew where that expression came from, but “tin can ideas” meant inventions, inventions that I don’t know if they’ll be successful. I’m going to cut a can. It’s a lot of fun because these kinds of things develop the imagination. As if that weren’t enough, I’m going to put a clamp on it. I’m so excited, really. I don’t think water’s getting in there, not even if you’re crazy. Well, thanks, Posada Mayer. I’ve been here two or three days preparing for today’s big day. So, for anyone who wants to cross the Mayer Pass on a motorcycle, the best thing to do is call Alejandro and have him take you across. He can fit I don’t know how many motorcycles, seven, eight, I don’t know exactly. But if you want to cross it on your own, whether on a motorcycle or in a 4×4, I always recommend calling Alejandro first because he’s the only one who always knows the condition of the pass, the water level, and the river changes. Every year there are new holes, potholes, cars have sunk because there was a hole. That’s why we went yesterday to do the inspection. I wanted to cross this pass alone. I’ve been thinking about it for 10 years, ever since I saw the video of the ring road , and ever since then I’ve always had this crazy idea of ​​how to cross a river on a motorcycle. And well, if all goes well, we’ll see it tomorrow morning, I think. So, the plan is this: I’ve filled up with gas, I’ve got water, I’ve got plenty of food, it’s 10 am, I have two hours to get to the border , and I’ll cross it and get to the river. There I’m going to meet up with a fellow motorcycle traveler who’s coming in the opposite direction, from south to north. I don’t know him personally, but we’ve known each other online for years. So that’s the plan. We’re going to help each other cross with our two bikes. I’ve already been carrying a lot of gear these past few days, and now it’s excessive because I’m carrying food, water, and extra stuff. Let’s go! We’ll take it one step at a time. The first thing is to get to the Carabineros station, which closes at noon, leaving Chile and entering no man’s land. From Villa O’Higgins to the Carabineros station, it’s 46 km on a gravel road without much difficulty. Once I’ve done the paperwork at the Carabineros station, I’m going to face about 10 km of pretty challenging off-road terrain to reach the Carrera River, where I’ll meet up with another motorcycle traveler. If I manage to get the motorcycle across, I have another 15 km through no man’s land, also tricky, until I reach the Argentine Gendarmerie and enter the country. But let’s take it one step at a time. “Mayer Pass 37” Come on! It’s going to open, it’s going to open, it’s going to open, it’s going to open! It would be incredible to have a good day, huh? For all of us who want to travel the entire Carretera Austral, this pass is vital to avoid having to take a 650 km detour through the Roballos Pass and then having to backtrack another 250 km along the Austral. That is, this pass saves you about 900 km. But if you don’t do it with the Unimog, it can cause you a real headache. And we’re in huemul territory, which is a very beautiful species of deer that I was able to see up close and film yesterday. Well, the last Chilean inhabitants in these lands. Look how they’re looking at me, challenging. Ah, now they’re scared stiff, huh? Did you hear the Termignoni? For those who don’t know, the Termignoni is my exhaust pipe, which sounds really nice, actually. How are we doing? 7°C. And it’s…look, look, look, look, look, look, look. I think the river is right under that clear blue. I was…I don’t think I’m lucky. No, no, no, no, no, no. This is extremely dangerous. You can’t see the drop, but there’s a little dip there. So, if you get distracted, like I am now, and you go to the right and you’re already on the drop, you’re screwed. If a truck comes from the opposite direction and doesn’t move aside, which is typical in this area, and it goes right in there, you’re screwed. How beautiful. Wow! How spectacular, huh. This is the Mayer River, but the one we’re going to cross isn’t the Mayer, it’s the Carrera. The Mayer River is much muddier, you can’t see the bottom, it’s much more dangerous , and the Carrera River flows right into the Mayer , and the Carrera is clear, as you saw yesterday, you can see the depth perfectly. Well, if it’s very high, you can’t see very well, and that’s where the danger comes in because there can be holes, and if a motorcycle gets stuck there with only two of you, without support, we might not get it out, to be honest. Bad news: Wind, 6 degrees. It’s dropped again. Isn’t that beautiful down there in the distance? The mountains, the snow there, half-splitting, half-not-splitting. Well, and here I think we’ve reached the Carabineros (Chilean police), so let’s cross our fingers that they don’t give us any trouble. Some gray hair always helps. Look, I think they slept there in that shelter the day before. Now, the last few kilometers in Chile. It doesn’t usually happen to me, but I have a little nervous tingle. “Carabineros of Chile. Río Mayer Police Station, border crossing.” Oh, we’re not the only ones. I arrive at the Carabineros station and see a 4×4 with Brazilian license plates waiting to cross , which will be important in the story that awaits us. Good morning. Good morning. How are you? How’s it going? Good. And you? Good, good. Where are you from? Where am I from? Spain. Spain? Yes. To cross this border, you have to request a credential. A free and simple process done online, but it takes a few hours. An hour later , the Brazilians didn’t know and are waiting for theirs to arrive, so I go first. Thank you, Chile, thank you, Carabineros. Oh, how nice, good people, huh. We’re finally at Paso Mayer, in no man’s land , and in what is undoubtedly the last big mess before Tierra del Fuego. Thank you, Chile. We’ll see each other again. Let’s go. Bye. Thank you. And from this moment on, maximum concentration because the road has many traps. We have to follow these tracks. The bike is completely untamable in these circumstances, with a lot of extra weight: water, food, the usual 70 kg , and a few more due to the various gadgets I’m carrying to try and cross the river. Come on! Good! I know exactly where I have to go, and straying from the track Alejandro made could end with the bike stuck in mud or submerged in the river. I’m going to strictly follow yesterday’s route so as not to ruin it, because these rivers, which seem harmless, can be quite dangerous. It would take me a long time to get it out. And I remind you that, if everything has gone well, a fellow motorcycle traveler is waiting for me on the other side of the Carrera River. Whatever happens, we’ll see each other on Thursday at this same time. To be continued

Últimos kilómetros en la Carretera Austral hasta llegar a Villa O´Higgins, último pueblo de la Patagonia chilena y puerta de acceso AL PASO MAYER, un paso fronterizo entre Chile y Argentina que supone el último Gran Berenjenal antes de llegar a Tierra del Fuego.
Se vienen días de aventura como hacía bastante que no tenía en el viaje, y recordad que publicamos JUEVES y DOMINGOS hasta llegar al destino final.
Gracias por vuestra compañía

Charly

Posada Mayer: https://www.instagram.com/pasomayer

RALLY SINEWAN (Canal secundario): https://www.youtube.com/@rallysinewan

Ver todas las temporadas: https://www.youtube.com/@charlysinewan/playlists?view=50&sort=dd&shelf_id=2

Si quieres saber más cosas sobre mi equipamiento, o sobre mi, pincha aquí: https://www.sinewan.com/pages/faq

Apóyame en https://www.patreon.com/charlysinewan

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/charlysinewan/

Todo mi equipamiento: https://bit.ly/3FelBz9

Esta es mi moto: https://www.ducati.com/es/es/motocicletas/desertx/desertx-937

Mi casco: https://nexx-helmets.com/es/cascos/x-wed2-carbon/zero-pro/negro

Estas son las maletas que uso: https://moskomoto.com/

Mi dron: https://www.dji.com/mx/air-3s?site=brandsite&from=landing_page

Comprar “EL mundo en moto con Charly Sinewan”, el libro:
– España: https://amzn.to/2r9rQkK
– Audiolibro: https://amzn.to/3fqag5h
– USA: https://www.amazon.com/Carlos-Garc%C3%ADa-Portal/dp/8408210785/

Comprar merch:
https://www.sinewan.com/collections/all