The South Lipez on a bicycle

The South Lipez region in Bolivia is known for its splendid sceneries at breathtakingly high altitudes. Given the appalling state of the sand tracks that run through it, a bike expedition in this region is not a small issue. We are now four courageous chaps taking up the challenge, as our friend Remi joined us for this mythical crossing...

Parcours cycliste 1989292 - powered by Bikemap 

Before telling you how it started, I have to explain how Rémi, a childhood friend, was able to join us in such an unexpected way. He was backpacking and met up with us in San Pedro de Atacama. While wandering in the street, we run into a fully equipped touring bike parked by a souvenir shop. The owner, who bought it from a French tourist, accepts to sell it for (almost) next to nothing: 300 CHF. This hand of fate enables us to cross together one of the most beautiful regions of our South American route.

Rémi joins the fine team

Our driver saves us from a day of ascent in the middle of the desert

In order to save us a 45km ascent that we already did in the other direction, we come to a deal with a Chilean driver, who loads our bikes in his pickup truck. We start riding again at the foot of the impressive Licancabur volcano that culminates at 5900m. We won't encounter asphalt for the next 600km.

The imposing "Licancabur" volcano, at 5900m, and its freshly fallen white cap

The Bolivian customs are in a small house in a bad shape, at the foot of the snow-capped volcano. Inside, a huge poster with a naked pinup. The customs procedures are pretty simple and we continue our downhill ride towards the Laguna Blanca.

The Bolivian customs at Hito Cajon

The '"Into the Wild" bus and its new occupants

We arrive to the refuge located by the Laguna Blanca. The Reserva Nacional de Fauna Andina Eduardo Avaroa starts here. We eat a Lama soup (we'll have to get used to it, it's the only meat available) and pasta before sleeping in comfy stone beds. We are the only guests in the refuge, attended by Sarah a very kind  manager. She is trying to cure a dying baby vicuña that she took in. At her request and despite our warnings, Martin accepts to help her with a Dolipran (painkiller). The animal won't survive until the next morning...

Sarah our host, in a good company

Rémi on his second day of ripio (dirt/stone track)

Laguna Blanca

On our first day, we start by cycling along the Laguna Blanca, before arriving at the Laguna Verde. The latter contains all sorts of rare minerals, like arsenic. Akira, who can't resist tasting the water, pretends not to feel any after-effects.

Séb at Laguna verde

Peleton in tight formation

We cycle into Rooland, a Dutch cyclist who is about to finish the North-South crossing. He gives us some information about the road he has covered. At the end of the afternoon, a pitch dark sky awaits us at the pass.

Mhhh, looks quite dark at the pass...

Séb and Martin arriving to the pass

The pass and what awaits us

Still, we are at 4600m, and the rumble of the thunder that gets closer and closer is not really reassuring. We arrive dry at the pass. But from the top, 30km of "descent" (in fact, a flat muddy road) separates us from Polques, famous for its hot springs coming out from the ground at 38ºC. We finally get caught in snow, hail and rain before arriving completely frozen and wet in Polques.

My bicycle gets its first snowflakes

"Mamita", a sweet short and energetic old lady (she starts her day at 4am with a warm bath), allows us to sleep on the floor in her restaurant. Given that abundant snowfalls are expected, we decide to spend one day with "Mamita" and her family, in order to rest in the hot springs.

"Mamita" at the front of her restaurant (she really insisted to get a copy of this picture)

Polques has two faces. Between 4pm and 7am, it is a hamlet with two houses, facing a superb lagoon with thousands of birds, at the foot of mountains culminating at more than 6000m. It is a hot water basin where one can sprawl while observing the nature, without a sound. However, the other face of Polques, during the day, is a never-ending parade of four-wheel drive cars unloading impressive streams of tourists. All of them wanting to eat, go to the bathrooms and bath in this natural basin. The contrast is startling.

Akira sprawling in the hot springs of Polques

87 tourists sprawling in the hot springs of Polques

View from "Mamita's" restaurant: it snowed quite a bit, we did well not to leave

After this well-deserved break, we attack the ascent of the highest pass ever climbed by our corps of expedition: Sol de Mañana (4950m). The sand and the mud make the ascent difficult, we finally arrive at the top around 1pm. Beneath the pass, a powerful geyser spits its steam with a deafening noise, giving the impression that the whole ground is shaking. At the pass, we eat a soup and a dry sausage before drinking a little mate, thus establishing a new altitude record for this activity that I cherish.

New altitude record!

The steam coming out from the geyser Sol de Mañana, seen from the pass, 4950m

While we are enjoying our lunch break, the sky dangerously darkens. Thunderstorms get closer all around us: we won't avoid them. We just have enough time to gear up before it starts hailing. We then start riding under the rain/ice storm, hearing thunder all around us, which is highly non-reassuring at such altitudes. After an epic fight of half an hour against wind, mud and precipitation, we get out of the storm and the sky is blue again.

Akira is not far from gettiong drenched

February 2113: the nuclear winter has been lasting for more than ten years.

We carry on with a nice downhill ride to Laguna Colorada and finish the day by a dozen of kilometers on a very bad track. The passing 4WDs create small waves on the track that make it highly unpleasant to ride.

On the next day, the road is again in an appalling condition. At several spots, it is impossible to pedal and we have to push our bikes. We picnic in the front of Arbol de Piedra, a huge stone carved by sandy winds.

Front cover of the "Les 3 Suisses" (with the French) catalog, in the front of Arbol de Piedra

Not always easy to follow the right track...

Martin and Séb giving everything to get out of the sand

In the evening, we find shelter in the Hotel del Desierto, that carries well its name as it is located above a vast sandy plateau. The rooms are way too expensive: 160 USD for four. Fortunately, the manager offers us to stay in the dormitory for 4WD drivers who accompany tourists, for 12 dollars per night (which still is too expensive for the drivers, who sleep in their car).

Hotel del Desierto, a magical panorama at 4500m

Leaving the Hotel del Desierto, we get lost as tracks of 4WDs go in every possible direction before disappearing. We find ourselves riding in a stream bed and decide to follow it.

The small train bound for Uyuni is on the tracks (in fact deep ruts made by 4WDs)

The few road signs are crushed by the wind, one has to play puzzle in order to find the correct road

The road and the stream unite... but we don't know where they go.

Desert rabbit (Vizcacha), barely affraid by our presence

Finally, we arrive to a track in the middle of a plain without knowing our location. Truth to be told, precise maps of the region don't exist. We spot a vehicle driving at full speed on the other side of the plain, raising dust clouds. Akira and Martin then start a crazy run to try to intercept it. The driver spots Akira's orange jersey and changes its course. We are indeed on the correct road. At the end of the afternoon, we ride along several splendid lagoons with the climax at the Laguna Hedionda, that hosts dozen of thousands of pink flamingos, it is really impressive.

Downhill ride to Laguna Ramaditas

Final descent to the Laguna Hedionda

There is a hotel where we planned to sleep. First, the manager shows me the rates: 115 dollars for a twin room. I make it clear that this is well beyond our budget. I ask her if they have a dormitory or cheaper rooms. "No, it's all what we've got". After whispering a few minutes with her colleague: "In fact, yes, there are rooms for 10 dollars per person".

Laguna Hedionda in the late afternoon

Laguna Hedionda and its thousands of pink flamingos

Cool lamas gathering on the beach

We start the following day with a ascent in the sand with a gradient of more than 10%, pushing us to the limits. The tracks are once again very bad, but we keep ourselves motivated as we know that 20km later, there is a stabilized track used by the international transit to Chile. The last kilometers of track are indeed much better. We arrive in Villa Alota by the end of the day, with the impression that the most difficult part is behind us.

A true wall, at a gradient of more than 10%

Martin about to finish the last ascent of the day

Akira riding uphill

The road is finally better, let's celebrate!

The ultimate two days are easier as the road is in an incomparably better condition, especially thanks to the gigantic open-pit mine in San Cristobal, the biggest in the country. The arrival in Uyuni gives us a pretty sad sight: for 5 km, we ride along a gigantic garbage dump that extend as far as the eye can see. This is quite shocking as Uyuni is just a small village.

In the background, Bolivia's largest open-pit mine (extracting zinc, lead and silver)

Difficult ultimate day: straight on sand, very hot, with quite a lot of traffic

Mud fight just before Uyuni

Uyuni is the base camp for all tourists going to the South Lipez and the Uyuni salt flat. The place is packed with an impressive number of Japanese and Israelis. We will spend a few days here, in order to update our blog, straighten Martin's wheel (that didn't like the Bolivian tracks), rest and prepare the road to come.

A craftsman straightens Martin's bent rim (that didn't like Bolivian tracks)

Sunset on the Uyuni salt flat (partially flooded during the rainy season)

We will soon hit the road to Oruro and La Paz. We look forward to discovering Bolivia more in details. The chosen road, much less touristy, is a perfect opportunity to do so.