Located at an elevation of 4500 ft (1500 meters) Dalat, Vietnam, provides a much needed respite from the searing heat seen elsewhere in the country. It’s a land of rolling hills covered in towering pines, while hidden valleys reveal fields of artichokes and small rice-growing operations. It’s also one of the few spots in Vietnam (that we knew of) that offered the mountain bike geek an opportunity to enjoy some aerobic exercise, fresh air and a unique, locals perspective of the “vegetable capitol” of Vietnam.

Below are a couple mountain bike photos from our 3-hr tour with Phat Tire Ventures. We had two very friendly English-speaking guides accompany us, both of whom were quite impressed with our (or should I say Jeannine’s) ability to ride all the terrain.

Our guide, with water and food (lots of bananas) mountain Biking in Dalat, Vietnam

Phat Tire Ventures offers other mountain bike rides in and around Dalat, as well as in Hoi An, a town we visited later (photos coming soon) on the central coast of Vietnam.

Pine-covered hills felt almost like eastern Washington, not Vietnam

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It’s hard to believe that it’s been nearly 5 years since I embarked on, and survived (barely) my little bike adventure down in Patagonia, Chile. The route, a whole lot of kilometers from El Chalten, Argentina, to Puerto Montt, Chile, would eventually take me just under a month to complete (with 2 rest days.) It was to be an epic adventure.

(If you want to skip the story and just see the bike tour photos, click here)

From the moment I made those first pedal strokes leaving El Chalten, a small outpost located in the shadow of Mt Fitz Roy, I knew I was in for a challenge.

Leaving El Chalten, Argentina for somewhere further north

Below are some photos illustrating what I perceived, once I was done, to be one of the best bike tours in the world (I of course haven’t bike all over the world, not even a small percentage of it, but…that’s what I read on the internet.) I wouldn’t be at all surprised if in many many years, this route, named the Camino Austral, Carretera Austral, La Ruta Austral, is paved over. I encountered numerous sections that were indeed being prepped for pavement, which was actually brutal because golfball-sized rocks were scattered all over the road, making for, I can now admit, hell on wheels.

I encountered every type of weather imaginable, from the infamous Patagonia winds to searing temps. Truthfully I didn’t encounter all that much rain, relatively speaking. Matter of fact, I would later overhear many claiming it to be one of the warmest Februaries on record. I wasn’t complaining…

Unfortunately at the time, I wasn’t into adventure travel photography as much as I am now. All photos were taken with a Canon point and shoot. For my bike, I pieced together a beat up Specialized Stumpjumper mountain bike frame that didn’t fit me very well. Attached, was my trusty B.O.B trailer which, thankfully, was my closest friend and never let me down. (I did almost break Him on my second day bushwhacking from El Chalten, but we won’t bring that up.) Not sure how much weight I had in the trailer, but it never felt light, even on my last days near Puerto Montt. The road north was a constant, relentless up and down dirt road (with mind-altering sections of pavement) that meandered through remote homesteads and rural outposts.

When I reached Coyhaique, about halfway, I was elated. Why? Because I made it halfway. I started to put in some big days as the weather was beautiful. Thankfully this weather held as I rode through Parque National Queulat, a stunning kaleidoscope of deep, dense evergreen forest, massive nalcas plants, hanging glaciers and nearly zero visitors.

Parque National Queulat

In Chaiten, I ran into a problem though. It was end of the February, which meant their summer (and apparent ‘tourist’ season) was coming to an end (umm…how about over.) Nearly all campgrounds, parks, etc. were closed. This was great for me as the roads were nearly empty…of everything…people, cars…Unfortunately, upon arriving in Chaiten, I found out the ferry that was supposed to shuttle me across one of the many inlets south of Puerto Montt, was shut down for the season. Ooo…bad. I was bummed, because although I spent three days riding south from Puerto Montt upon my original arrival many many weeks ago, this meant I couldn’t ride all the way north to Puerto Montt. What’s a poor, starving cyclist to do? I was forced to hop an overnight barge back to Puerto Montt. In the end this turned out to be ok. After a day cleaning up in PTO Montt (which at this point almost felt like ‘home’) I enjoyed another 4-5 days cycling around the island of Chiloe, visiting the only place in the world where Humboldt and Magellanic penguins coexist and camping on the beach.

Cycling the Camino Austral was extremely challenging. Would I do it again? In a heartbeat. I would much prefer to bring a partner though. It’s get quite lonely in the middle of nowhere, somewhere in Patagonia.

View photos at SmugMug

View the entire Camino Austral Slide Show.

Certain photos are available as fine art prints. Or, you can download a digital copy of any image for only $1.25. Simply CLICK HERE to browse and click on the BUY link if you find an image you want to use as wallpaper, desktop background or even small prints!

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I’m not sure I could survive without my bike. From short rides along the shore of West Seattle, to epic month-long bike tours in Chile, I love to ride. Here are some photos I took along the way.

Fine Art Photography Prints are available, as are digital downloads. Contact me for further details. Click HERE for print pricing

View photos at SmugMug

Watch a slideshow of these and additional mountain bike & cycling tours photos HERE

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A friend of mine passed along a website for the Living Oceans Society, an environmental organization located on the pristine central coast of British Columbia and Vancouver Island. Recently the organization has been making a huge effort to educate the public and create awareness about the issue of oil tankers, oil rigs and (potential) oil spills located in this section of the British Columbia coast, an area of amazing biological diversity where the largest pod of northern orcas roam waters rich with salmon and snow-covered peaks climb from sea to sky.

I’ve been very fortunate to have explored this area, during a couple weeks of sea kayaking in Johnson Strait to a cycling adventure that took me to the remote coastal community of Bella Coola. Every time I visit this piece of the British Columbia coast, I’m amazed that such a stunning natural landscape receives relatively so little travelers. Of course this isn’t a bad thing while you’re there because you get to share thousands of acres of pristine wilderness with mostly just your friends. But if more of the general public isn’t made aware of some of the environmental issues that impact this area, than it’s going to be a difficult battle for organizations such as Living Oceans Society.

Take the time to look at the Living Oceans Society website or at least watch the video below. Oil spills are disastrous for these coastal communities as well as the millions of living organisms that reside in (and out of) these waters. Please consider the impact your lifestyle choices have on the environment; it’s quite possible the oil that now paints the sea black would have eventually ended up in your automobile.

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