jamesd1972
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 2,922 
Club RR Member Number: 40
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Jan 18, 2018 17:35:42 GMT
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I'm off to Saintiago shortly for work and also need to head over to Mendoza and then Curico Opportunity presents to have a drive over the Andes and back. I can do it with a hire car if I request the paperwork (already requested) but I wonder if its a realistic option ? Route below as a thought.
Driving in Chile doesn't worry me too much, not as sure about Argentina - again any thoughts welcome
www.google.co.uk/maps/dir/Santiago,+Chile/Mendoza,+Capital+Department,+Mendoza+Province,+Argentina/Curico,+Chile/Santiago,+Santiago,+Chile/@-34.2842314,-72.3655209,7z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m31!4m30!1m5!1m1!1s0x9662d0069af23abb:0x879d59f409ed4897!2m2!1d-70.6504492!2d-33.4378305!1m10!1m1!1s0x967e093ec45179bf:0x205a78f6d20efa3a!2m2!1d-68.8458386!2d-32.8894587!3m4!1m2!1d-69.0369489!2d-34.9398406!3s0x967a2613e4873c0d:0x6a2e4f4a44a47bc5!1m5!1m1!1s0x966519c706a5d7d3:0xd0866d47d2259f4!2m2!1d-71.2528803!2d-34.9779853!1m5!1m1!1s0x9662d0069af23abb:0x879d59f409ed4897!2m2!1d-70.6504492!2d-33.4378305!3e0?dcr=0
Thanks in advance !
James |
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Jan 18, 2018 19:13:33 GMT
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Please document your adventures for those of us who never get the opportunity to travel in foreign parts.
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jamesd1972
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 2,922
Club RR Member Number: 40
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Jan 18, 2018 19:27:44 GMT
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Ooh - not much of a divert at all ! Wonder if I can stay there ?
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jamesd1972
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 2,922
Club RR Member Number: 40
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Jan 18, 2018 19:29:11 GMT
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Please document your adventures for those of us who never get the opportunity to travel in foreign parts. Will try - the cars out there are interestingly different for starters - work trip and will be busy but weekend off hence the road trip. Don't tell the boss.... |
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I'm off to Saintiago shortly for work Lucky lad. I enjoyed Santiago very much and would love to go back. Really friendly folk, but not a lot of English spoken, although luckily beer is an international language!  |
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thebaron
Europe
Over the river, heading out of town
Posts: 1,659
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Jan 21, 2018 21:27:07 GMT
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I have done this trip in a bus. Back in 2008 myself and a mate flew to Santiago, then went to Valparaiso and back to Buenos Aires (We were doing a Pacific to Atlantic thing) via Santiago, Mendoza and Cordoba.
The best way to travel are the sleeper buses but I was damned if I was going to pass Aconcagua at night and not see it so I found a more "quaint" service provider with one of those Iveco converted vans as they go during the day.
As we were the only foreigners the proprietors gave us the pick of the seats and I said up front beside the driver. This was obviously the funniest thing that they had ever heard.
What followed was undoubtedly the most exciting journey I've ever been on. The lane discipline was non existent, there was not a single barrier to be seen and sheer drops all round. The driver (chewing coca leaves incessantly in copious amounts to "stay awake") would gun the bus at the sheer drop on the outside of every bend in an attempt to get the thing up the massive gradient and then when the nose was just over the edge yank the wheel violently to get it around.
By the end my friend was so rattled he had partaken in as much of the coca leaves as the drive.
In short, it was fabulous and I'd love to drive it myself. If you are able to get your hands on something with some decent power that would be even better.
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jamesd1972
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 2,922
Club RR Member Number: 40
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Jan 21, 2018 22:27:25 GMT
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Hope the drops are a little more protected now !
Thanks for the reply
James
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jamesd1972
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 2,922
Club RR Member Number: 40
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jamesd1972
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 2,922
Club RR Member Number: 40
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jamesd1972
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 2,922
Club RR Member Number: 40
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jamesd1972
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 2,922
Club RR Member Number: 40
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Feb 19, 2018 20:48:09 GMT
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So will start to add some Videos ! I downloaded Sygic as a Sat Nav App which had maps for Chile and Argentina and discovered that it has an inbuilt Dashcam function - result! So the footage is a bit stilted but on an individual frame pretty good definition. This is my route give or take www.google.co.uk/maps/dir/Santiago,+Santiago+Metropolitan+Region,+Chile/Mendoza,+Capital+Department,+Mendoza+Province,+Argentina/San+Rafael,+Mendoza+Province,+Argentina/Embalse+Valle+Grande,+Mendoza+Province,+Argentina/El+Nihuil,+Mendoza+Province,+Argentina/Talca,+Chile/Santa+Cruz,+Chile/Talca,+Chile/Santiago,+Chile/@-34.2842332,-72.2408711,7z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m56!4m55!1m5!1m1!1s0x9662d0069af23abb:0x879d59f409ed4897!2m2!1d-70.6504492!2d-33.4378305!1m5!1m1!1s0x967e093ec45179bf:0x205a78f6d20efa3a!2m2!1d-68.8458386!2d-32.8894587!1m5!1m1!1s0x967907fdb13d06a7:0xe0fb2796d473309d!2m2!1d-68.3390622!2d-34.6128922!1m5!1m1!1s0x967997ffd41ddf21:0xf41e33788c9c7f5b!2m2!1d-68.5202434!2d-34.8479765!1m5!1m1!1s0x9679ed264c8e362f:0xbc515ccc6a31777b!2m2!1d-68.6725891!2d-35.0287764!1m5!1m1!1s0x9665c6a2ac07d07d:0x265657feafdac8b8!2m2!1d-71.6484804!2d-35.4232444!1m5!1m1!1s0x96646552ea01e159:0x2372334f5c872a8c!2m2!1d-71.3592116!2d-34.6324213!1m5!1m1!1s0x9665c6a2ac07d07d:0x265657feafdac8b8!2m2!1d-71.6484804!2d-35.4232444!1m5!1m1!1s0x9662d0069af23abb:0x879d59f409ed4897!2m2!1d-70.6504492!2d-33.4378305!3e0?dcr=0 First video, north of Santiago |
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jamesd1972
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 2,922
Club RR Member Number: 40
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Feb 19, 2018 21:14:57 GMT
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That seems to have worked so I'll add a few more ! So after arriving Wednesday in Chile, flying back to Mendoza and back for work I picked up the car ready to get somewhere for work on Friday before being free for the weekend. I'd booked an SUV thing having met the roads in some places before and knowing that I'm usually able to get comfy in something like this important on a long journey. Anyway I was presented with the keys to this  Nothing too fancy but it proved very comfortable, the 2.0 petrol engine could be rowed along and it too dirt tracks in its stride so a happy match. I'd been over once before and heard such great things about driving over the Andes that I organized the hire car paperwork to be able to take a Chilean car to Argentina and back. This was a tiny bit painful but you won't get over the border without about 28 rubber stamps on the right paperwork (might not have been this many just felt like it !). So Day one was heading towards the border ready to stay at a B&B ready to cross on Saturday Morning. I had fun getting lost, really lost. My fault not getting the right address on the Sat-Nav. While lost I had some fun on some twisty mountain roads: At the end of the video you will see why I turned round as I was at a point of no return... |
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jamesd1972
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 2,922
Club RR Member Number: 40
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Feb 19, 2018 21:37:14 GMT
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So Saturday Morning headed off to the border, pretty much gaining height all the way, some nice smooth roads, just try not to fall off...
Interesting bit near the top of the Chile bit - the 4 wheel drive did help maintain progress here - no wheel spin...
Think I was very lucky to have a pretty clear run at it all as well.
Massive queue from Argentina into Chile- lower Taxes make it a popular place to buy things and it was also a holiday weekend.
No the absolutely most interesting clips - but they give a glimpse into the roads and views which are stunning.
I've got loads more if you can bear it let me know.
Also can I move where the thread is ? Might be better in a different place now I come to think about it ?
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jamesd1972
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 2,922
Club RR Member Number: 40
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Feb 23, 2018 17:16:02 GMT
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jamesd1972
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 2,922
Club RR Member Number: 40
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Feb 23, 2018 17:18:06 GMT
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Last Edit: Feb 23, 2018 17:19:14 GMT by jamesd1972
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jamesd1972
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 2,922
Club RR Member Number: 40
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Feb 23, 2018 17:23:23 GMT
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I'd kill to see city roads that empty! |
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