EP2 | Lost in Patagonia | Solo Bikepacking Patagonia2Alaska

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INTRO
After crossing the Strait of Magellan, I started cycling north from Punta Arenas and I reached the Torres del Paine National Park, an incredible natural beauty on this planet. I also share a part of my journey with Facundo and Santiago, 2 argentinian guys. Together we fought against the wind to reach El Calafate, where Perito Moreno glacier is.

Fighting against the wind (and losing) made me realize how small my goals and ambitions are with respect to the power of nature.

And that the only true battle is with myself. I have nothing to demonstrate and I don’t have to cycle every kilometer. I have to spend my time and energy in the battles that have a meaning to me

If you liked the video, subscribe to the channel and jump on the back of my bike to join me for the next adventures Beyond this Planet.

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ABOUT
I am Giacomo, a 27-years-old aerospace engineer from Italy. I am not an athlete, nor a photographer. I am just a sensitive solo cyclist and enthusiast explorer, curious about discovering different cultures and keen on travelling into wild nature.

On January 12th 2024 I started solo bikepacking from Ushuaia, Patagonia to Prudhoe Bay, Alaska for 2 years.

In 2021, before starting to work, I went solo bikepacking through the wildest parts of Iceland for 50 days. That is how my passion for bikepacking started. In 2022 I spent 3 months in Nepal. In these months I had been trekking and cycling through very remote areas which often remain untouched by tourists.In 2023 I went solo bikepacking the wild and vast Mongolian Steppe for 25 days.

Solo Bikepacking Mongolia https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDRs9jGclN4

MY STORY | Why Solo Cycling Patagonia to Alaska? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fO__EUga_9U&t=5s

#bikepacking #cycletouring #cicloviaggio #cicloturismo

So I woke up at 3 now it’s 4:30   to get inside Torres Del Paine after crossing the straight of Magellan from Porvenir to Punta Arenas I start cycling North and in these

Almost 700 km I pass through Puerto Natales and then I go towards the park of Torres Del Paine I  cross the whole park of Torres Del Paine and then in from Chile I cross back into Argentina and I  finally reach El Calafate where Perito Moreno Glacier is

As we get out of yeah Punta Arenas we just  arrived here with the ferry I’m saying we   because I’m with Santiago and Facundo we met in Rio Grande then we met again on the ferry and now   we exhanged the money we got some food

I found this  very nice place nearby as you see this is the the carabineros the police station and then  we cook a very nice pasta in this abandoned house and yes unfortunately we had to  break spaghetti to fit them in the pot

And with this very cold weather we really enjoy  having a very warm meal at the end of the day so this will be our home for tonight this beautiful place we are really exhausted we are so exhausted  and we don’t know why that’s the problem

After these two days with Facundo and Santiago they  decided that they want to have a rest day so   I say goodbye and I don’t know if I will meet  them again and I just start cycling again on my own these are long cycling days

Everyday waking up at 5 am to start cycling at 6:30 every day trying to cover as much distance as possible before 11am when the winds start hitting really hard every day I’m really exhausted and I  have to do stretching to recover to cycle one more day

And today I’m just going towards Torres Del Paine the way from Puerto natales to  Torres de Pine is brutal after cycling   for 50 km against the wind I’m just back  on the ripio, on dirt roads that are really steep

At the end of the day I meet this guy  that ask me to film him while he is skateboarding and he also gives me very important recommendations on where to pitch the  tent before getting into the park so I woke up at 3 now it’s 4:30 to get inside Torres Del Paine

Without paying but also because especially  I would like to see the the sunrise from there and after this very long day  at 2 p.m. I found an amazing   shelter right in front of the Torres and I  just spend it there without any internet coonection

when I arrive to  Cerro Castillo I meet Jose the manager   of this mini.market that has been managing for 30 years how old are you? I’m 67 years old how long have you been working here in  this place? I’ve been working for 30 years with the same uh owner

What do you like  the most about your job? what I like the most about my job is like talking with  the people and exchanging thoughts with them having discussions having discussions Alaska? yes I’m going to Alaska probably will take me around 2 years and when did you start?

I started almost 2 weeks ago now I’m working on some renovation I would like to put the alarm some cameras to see the customers can I ask you what has been an  event, a moment that really changed your life that change your perspective also over life

And that after that you felt that something has changed it’s very personal but I don’t know  how you feel when I was really young about 18 years old I stopped working a mine, a coal mine and uh that was a really tough and heavy job and yeah probably something that changed my life

Was when I had the opportunity of yeah of opening this opening this mini market and  working with the people this really changed my life guess so who I I see again Santiago  and Facundo incredible we just met in the middle of nowhere in this amazing “galpòn”

This amazing stall where we going to spend the night do you think we’re  going to be able to make it to El Calafate vamos a pedalear! there are 100  left to reach calafat that is the place where perito Moreno Glacier is

And to be honest  I feel that my legs are a little bit tired after 5 days of pushing and the last part  before reaching in Calafate is known for having really strong and adverse winds

So I mean it will be hard today but uh we’ll push and we’ll put everything I  have because also I’m finishing in the food I can tell you today there is no other  option then success today we go to El Calafate

Of course the wind killed us and uh after  2 hours in which we just did 12 km we were exhausted how do you feel Facundo are  you all right? yeah I mean this wind is just terrible

We found a shelter  and we after a few hours we also found a private transport to bring us until El Calafate and this for me has been really a humbling  experience that really made me understand how small are my dreams my expectations my goals against the strength and the power of nature

And also if I did my best I at the beginning  really felt like a failure but uh after thinking about it I really realized that uh in the  end this is my journey and that I don’t have to cycle every kilometer or to demonstrate  something to anybody

The only battle the only true battle is with myself with my limits with  my fears and that’s the only thing that truly matters