JAVIER VALENZUELA An expert rider, Javier’s travels reveal the lesser-known areas and routes of his enchanting home country, Chile. We look back at the journey he took in February 2021 on his Royal Enfield Himalayan, when he decided to return to Southern Chile to travel part of the Carretera Austral, a panoramic motorway that connects Puerto Montt and Villa O’Higgins - two weeks immersed in unspoilt nature that also allowed him to escape the COVID-19 restrictions and protocols. Let’s find out more. Javier set off from Melipilla, roughly 90 km from the capital Santiago, before stopping in Fuente Correa, a characteristic spot famous for its great food and 1950s vibe. He spent the first night in the area of Los Angeles (not the one we all know, but a Chilean town in the Bío Bío region), before continuing towards the Araucanía, where he put up his tent among the ancient monkey puzzle trees, the national tree of Chile, some of which are more than 1,000 years old! After visiting the extinct Batea Mahuida volcano, which is home to a lagoon and serves as a border with Argentina, Javier set off to reach a second significant place of interest, Rio Puelo. IN THE NORTH OF THE CHILEAN PATAGONIA MOTIVATION: to uncover those deserving but lesser-known areas of Chile PARTICIPANTS AND MOTORCYCLES: Javier Valenzuela. Royal Enfield Himalayan THE TRIP IN NUMBERS: roughly 2,500 km over two weeks GIVI ACCESSORIES USED: Canyon GRT709 soft side bags (35 LTR), UT801 waterproof roller bag (30 LTR), Tanklock tool bag Located in the Los Lagos region, visitors to the area can enjoy unbridled nature, with its forests, rivers and lakes. At the Puelo River, “our” explorer met up with Cheston and Tiare, a young couple riding an overloaded BMW GS, and spent a few days with them travelling across the Tagua-Tagua lake by boat as far as the village of Segundo Corral, on the border with Argentina. The many off-road tracks convinced the travellers to indulge in a little enduro riding before parting ways. Javier decided to take an alternative route back to Melipilla, following Llanquihue Lake and admiring the imposing Osorno volcano. Here, nature gives way to typical towns like Frutillar and Puerto Varas, colonised by Germany, like most of Southern Chile. Javier chose to spend the last three days of his trip at the Los Copihues campsite by Puyehue Lake, a place that combines wild views with a respect for nature and modern services, including spacious bathrooms with hot showers, a mini-market and comfortable rest areas. “A truly fantastic way to finish my journey!” Per tornare a Melpilla, Javier decide di intraprendere un percorso alternativo, seguendo il lago Llanquihue e ammirando l’imponente vulcano Osorno. La natura qui lascia spazio a tipiche cittadine come Frutillar e Puerto Varas, di colonizzazione germanica come gran parte del Sud del Cile. Javier decide infine di trascorrere gli ultimi 3 giorni di viaggio nel camping Los Copihues, sul lago Puyehue, struttura capace di combinare scorci selvaggi, rispetto per la natura e servizi moderni, tra cui bagni spaziosi con docce calde, un minimarket e comode piazzole. “Davvero un fantastico modo di concludere il mio viaggio!” 19 Givi Magazine December 2021
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