From Chile Chico to Cochrane
This motorcycle trip will take us from Chile Chico to Cochrane, Chile.
The distance is approximately 180km.
Most of the journey will be on gravel roads.
I’m leaving Chile Chico
After I set off, the road was paved for about six minutes, but then it turned into an unpaved road.
The road surface is bumpy
And then, on a bumpy slope, the rear brakes locked up.
Of course, I slipped and fell.
Luckily, there are a lot of bikers on this road, so they helped me right my bike and release the brake pads.
This is the dreaded slope.
And I started again.
I’ll go over dirt roads and bumpy pavement.
There are some scenic spots along the way
However, the road was unpaved and steep, and visibility was poor, and oncoming vehicles could come at high speeds, so I had to be careful at all times.
I had been riding for about two hours when I noticed something wrong with the chain, so I stopped and checked.
The chain is stretched
I removed the cover to check if there was anything wrong with the front sprocket, and found that the metal part of the chain guide had broken off and was missing.
I adjusted the chain.
I tightened it about 7mm, putting the chain in the red zone.
Fortunately, I have a chain, but the rear driven sprocket is probably worn out too, so I’ll have to buy one.
And I don’t have a chain cutter.
I’m a little worried because there won’t be a repair shop for a while and I’ll be in a series of rural towns where I can’t get a sprocket.
I remember my chain stretching on my way from Trinidad to Artigas, Uruguay, and then the rear sprocket falling apart about 800km from there.
This means I’m not sure if I can ride the remaining 1,000km.
It’s about 230km from Cochrane to Villa O’Higgins.
I’ll then return to Cochrane, adding another 230km, for a total of 460km.
It’s about 115km from there to Puerto Rio Tranquilo.
And it’s about 215km to Coyhaique, where Taller is located.
The total distance is about 800km.
Maybe I’ll make it somehow.
I’ll just keep going.
It took me 2 hours and 45 minutes from when I left Chile Chico, but it actually took about 3 hours and 30 minutes, and I finally arrived in Puerto Guadal, a town 100km away.
After that, I continued to go up and down steep slopes,
I struggled with the dust from the cars.
And I finally saw the paved road
From there, it’s about a 10-minute ride to Cochrane.
The paved roads are great.
And finally I arrived at Almas Square
My trip time was about 4 hours and 30 minutes, but due to some issues, it actually took me about 6 hours and 30 minutes.
The scenery on this trip was among the best I’ve seen in the past, but the road conditions were rough and I wasn’t able to fully enjoy it.
This route would be perfect if it were paved and I wasn’t carrying any luggage.
I’m concerned about the condition of my chain and sprockets, so I’ll check them out.
Date of trip: January 5, 2026
