Video & Photo Story: An Adventure in Patagonia with a Bike & a Beetle

Apr 25, 2020
by Rodrigo Kaspary  

Biking along the landscapes of Patagonia is a dream for a lot of people, as a South American, I'm fortunate to visit such an amazing place, driving by myself with my car...

My name is Rodrigo Kaspary, I'm a Brazilian mountain biker, photographer and I'm also starting to make some videos. Last summer I went to the Andes mountains, in Argentina and Chile to brave the wind, the cold, the heat, the dust, the rain and all those things that sometimes run our patience out, even more, if you're driving an old car. Well, the idea is to have fun, isn't it?

I drove around 6,000 kilometers, from South Region of Brazil through The Andes in Patagonia, with my 1974 air-cooled beetle, which was also my home during the journey.

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My home for a month.

Driving alone through those scenarios was such an amazing thing. Being on empty roads in the countryside provided me with the opportunity to lose a sense of time. Sometimes, I had to stop and wait for the heavy traffic to pass by.

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Also, it was hard to get some fuel in those solitary places. It was easier to find abandoned petrol stations than a working one. However, in Patagonia, every little thing has its own beauty, even a non-working petrol station.

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As you may guess, the car always need attention! Who doesn't like to repair something with wires and pliers sometimes?

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With all that freedom, I found myself seeking shelter against the wind at some "estancias" or abandoned buildings which I still wonder about its owners...

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Or also, camped in the open and wild nature

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Outside my "home" the wind flew while I was driving slowly through the bumping roads, which allowed me to appreciate my surroundings.

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While crossing The Andes, I went to ride some mountains in Chile.

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However, with such a freezing wind and rain outside, I had to be patient and wait for a whole day inside the car.

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As it is said, after the rain, the sun will shine again! So, I could ride my bike around those mountains and volcanos, at 2800 meters above sea level.

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On some occasions, I could leave the beetle behind, set up my tent and wake up with such amazing views.

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And just have fun again!

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Then, I rode until I reached the lake level, at the end of this line!

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This was a little bit of my summer trip, which I feel lucky to have had it before the hard times we are getting through... If you liked it, I kindly ask you to subscribe to my Youtube channel, so you could not only stay tuned to more of those weird adventures but also help me with this project from the early beginning!

If you want to see more photos of this and other adventures, you can follow me on Instagram:


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Thank You!




Author Info:
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Member since May 10, 2011
2 articles
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26 Comments
  • 14 0
 What an amazing adventures! And what a place on Earth!! Also very nice pictures, video and reading. Thanks for sharing! One question: did you rent the Beetle or is it your? Wink
  • 2 0
 I second this. Great content! Patagonia is epic and this does it fair justice.
  • 1 0
 This is my car! Smile
  • 9 0
 epic adventure, we need more content like this
  • 5 0
 Brilliant! I can imagine this was an amazing trip. I would love to do something similar but in an old Land Rover Defender, I've got to learn a bit more about fixing cars first though!
  • 6 0
 What a fabulous experience! The landscapes are colossal. Thanks for sharing that!
  • 6 0
 Amazing photos and adventure!
  • 3 0
 In almost all footage we could hear the howling wind which sums up Patagonia pretty well .... aside magnificant landscape and friendly people ! Thanks for sharing
  • 2 0
 This was an awesome feature, great photography and an epic adventure! You should submit the Beetle and your bike to Pistons&Pivots on NSMB, I bet they'd love to feature it!
  • 1 0
 @switchback249 Thanks for the advise! I will do it! Big Grin
  • 4 0
 Well done - an epic road trip!
  • 4 0
 Cool photos and Beetle and trip. Thanks
  • 4 0
 Wow, this looks incredible! good job with the camera, truly!
  • 2 0
 These abandoned premises are only inhabitated during pasture time, they are called pirkas I gues. Love your picks.
Did you drive through Neuquen in Argentina?
  • 2 0
 @GiantSpecializedEddie Si, yo siempre paso por alii quando voy a Patagonia!
  • 2 0
 Excellent! Old VWs will always have a place in South America (and people who can still make parts). Great story of an air-cooled human!!
  • 1 0
 @endlessblockades cheers Big Grin
  • 2 0
 Did something similar with these guys from bike and paddle patagonia awesome places to go.
I strongly recommend to shortlist it.

www.paddlepatagonia.com
  • 2 0
 I recently got back from a trip down here, and I can confirm, it is astounding. I would love to do some riding here one day.
  • 4 0
 Looks so fun! Congrats!
  • 4 0
 Bug life!
  • 4 0
 Beautiful!!
  • 2 0
 Photo stories are so much better than videos!
  • 3 0
 This was great!
  • 3 0
 amazing!!
  • 1 0
 @brunobrazildh ye boyyyyyyyyyyyyy







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