I’m looking for a companion to cycle in South America with in 2023. I’m retired and enjoy wild camping with occasional guest houses. I prefer off road riding and I’m very flexible with time. I turned 60 last year and I have so many places i want to see. Please join me!
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I'm also aiming to tour in South America in 2023. We're in quite different situations but maybe our paths will cross. I turned 40 last year and am a writer. Also, while I've often done wild camping with occasional guest houses I'm aiming to do more hotels in South America. Feel free to let me know of any ideas!
Hi Melanie,
From my six months tour of SA, after riding down from California, I felt lucky to find a road. Even then, if in the rain forest, I encountered some of the most difficult riding I have ever experienced. Add some elevation, anytime over 4000 meters and even a small rock tossing my wheel had me performing some deep breathes for oxygen. Make it 5000 meters, and cycling becomes wicked challenging. (Much easier walking with a pack, than pedalling.)
As SA is a diverse and large area, where do you imagine your off-road adventure?
Happy trails, Peter
Hello Peter,
I would like to go to Peru, Argentina and Chile for starters but I’m always open to suggestions. I enjoy remote, off road riding and do understand that the altitude is a huge factor in certain areas of South America. Staying put for a bit to acclimate always helps.
I rode the GDMBR last summer and the highest pass was around 3,600 meters.
Where did you ride in South America? Are you interested in returning?
Cheers!
meilani
Those will be three wonderful places to ride. As for joining, 2023 seems like an eternity away for me. Actually, just finished riding 6000 miles this past summer through winter in the US and touch of Mexico.
Yet, if you wish to consider me as a prospective riding partner, might be best to chat on occasion to see if our mojos vibrate on any similar level. Cycling is physically demanding. Being tired, it is best if riders get along well.
Oh, I have little issue topping out over any pass in the Sierra Nevada or Rocky Mountains. The Andes, a whole new game. Basically, I had a continuous headache when over 4300 meters. This is the alto plano of Bolivia, great salt flats. During my travels, on two passes, I was above 4800 meters (15800 ft) for a day or more. 5000 m four times in all.
I loved the experience, but on two of my 5000 m passes, I rode llama paths. Just saying, it was tough. Plan appropriately.
Drop me a email via WS if you wish to explore compatibility. Firstly, I rarely know where I will stop at end of day. I like to smell the flowers and speak with the locals. Wild camping, cooking food, laughing with the headwinds and rain: I might have ridden in 65 countries, on five continents, and some insane number of miles. Cannot let the details bring me down. Never look too far ahead. Never hold onto problems too much or too long.
Happy trails
Hello Meilani,
I am 66 and semi-retired. I have a lot of experience biking but not much off road. But willing to learn. I am interested in your trip to S America. I used to do high altitude climbing and because of that I spent some time in Ecuador and Peru. I cannot speak Spanish but I found it was not a hindrance.
Do you have time frame and approximate itinerary? Or just get on a plane and wing it on arrival?
Hi John,
I have found a companion for South America from this post but I’m all for you joining us for a portion or more. We plan to cycle for a year or more starting in Colombia and headed to Ushuaia. I hope to do as much off road riding as possible.
Cheers!
Meilani
Hi,
I am 63 on job and interested to do the SA cycling with you. I am flexible in all issue.
Cheers
RF
Hello Reza,
Thanks for your interest. I have found a companion from this Warmshowers post but I am open to you joining us. We will be leaving for Colombia February 2023 and heading south to Ushuaia. We both are set up for off road riding and hope to ride the trans Ecuador route. Our plan is to cycle for a year or more in SA.
Cheers!
Meilani
Hi Reza,
I´ll start in Juli 2023 to cycle from Cartagena de Indias to Ushuaia - or as far as I get until January 2024.
If you are interested in joining (partly) please let me know.
I´m quite flexible in terms of routing but need to cycle Salar de Uyuni because I´m impressed from the area since my last vist 30 years ago. Let me know if this somehow matches with your ideas.
Regards
Martin