Adventure-Overland: Transafrica - Panamericana And Next?

[4x4tripping]

I will start the panamericana in the next days. This time without an specific time frame, or route plans. I will decide during the day - what I will do on the next day. I`m 40 now and always dreamed about an extended or big trip. There is no timeframe who looks perfect for something like that. In the early 20`s I had not enough money. Later the career don't called for an break. With 40 both doesn't looks better, to be honest. But sometimes we have to risk something.

Time is the most valuable what we have - why not risking something - to take time for ourself? We don't know if we are able to travel that way when we are retired. So I did quit my job and will start in the next days.

Here you can follow my journey:

http://adventure-overland.blogspot.com

Like on our transafrica - I will report in SMS Style over my two-way satellite-Messenger - till I have an Internet connection to upload larger text and pictures. I hope to write on a daily base - but when travelling extended and without an exact schedule, this may be hard to write that often.

For the Transafrica I was well prepared, had a tight schedule, a booked car shipping homewards - I love the freedom who comes with the new trip!

My funds are not very high, but for overlanding you (should) not need much money. No Hotels, not much restaurant food, wild camping - helps to save money.

I hope to meet up with some travelers from here, and with members on my way up. Give me a note, if you see that I will cross your area!!

4x4tripping

[JHL]

Good luck, bon voyage, keep us informed, especially about the performance of your Land Cruiser.

Cheers

Jeff

[firemac]

Best of luck. Will look forward to your reports.

Godspeed,

Jim

[4x4tripping]

Thank you for your comment and Feedback! Now I`m since some days in Ushuaia, and are waiting for the arrival of my container who hopefully contains my car

I did feel the limitations of the live as Packpacker, who have to book Tours or use the official Bus-Lines. I miss the travelling liberty we have as self driving overlanders, to stop where we want, to rest where we want, to light a fire an enjoying the nature....

Unfortunately not just the Hotels and Hostels are fully booked, also the rental cars aren't available. I`m happy that I was able to book an Hotel, bevor for the last Rooms was sold for over 2500 USD/Week - here is high season.

[4x4tripping]

There are some new updates in the Blog - here just some short notes.

It is very relaxed to have enough time during traveling. I was a full week in Ushuaia, did a lot of trips, but also some days where I just walk through the city and relax. But I still miss my car - and hope that he arrive soon.

I did meet many interesting people, and start to get a feeling for traveling alone.

The catch of the day (out of the aquarium for shure). These Kingcrabs are.... Very tasty!

The animals you will not miss, if you visit Ushuaia

an amazing szenery seen on an booked 4x4 trip

another perspective of Ushuaia

[4x4tripping]

There happens a lot in the meantime. I did have a nice time in Buenos Aires, a very nice city! I like the city from the beginning.

I did a lot what i should not do as a tourist - running around at night with my camera, visiting "no-go" areas, using my smartphone to find my way and so on.

And finally I was able to get my car out of the Port of Zarate.

Everything went fine so far, the car is here, and everything sees to work fine.

Now I don't need a Hotel, don't have to fight about to get my meat "medium-rare" - I can do it by myself.

You can find my diary and a lot of more pictures at http://adventure-overland.blogspot.com

[4x4tripping]

Now I`m on the road since a while, have travelled through parts of argenina and chile.

There is a lot to read and a lot of pictures in the blog: http://adventure-overland.blogspot.com

I`m still writing any day my diary.

[4x4tripping]

Now I`m on the road since a while, have travelled through parts of argenina and chile.

There is a lot to read and a lot of pictures in the blog: http://adventure-overland.blogspot.com

I`m still writing any day my diary.

[4x4tripping]

I don`t know where to start. There happens a lot in the meantime!

Let me show you some pictures as appetizer - at the bottom you will find the link to the daily diary and a lot of more pictures :-)

This pictures are a conclusion of my trip till Coyhaique

The daily diary and a lot more of pictures you will find here: http://adventure-overland.blogspot.com

I hope you enjoy :-)

4x4tripping

[4x4tripping]

And one time more some Pictures. Shoot them on my way to Puerto Montt (Argentina and Chile):

More Pictures, my daily travel diary and about people I meet - that you can find in the Blog:

http://adventure-overland.blogspot.com

4x4tripping

[4x4tripping]

In the meantime happens a lot :-)

I near drowned myself with the car, but some locals avoid that this happens.

Details as usual in the Blog: http://adventure-overland.blogspot.com

4x4tripping

[4x4tripping]

Here also a small Picture-Update, all from Argentina (Mendoza to Cafayate). At Mendoze there I had the first unplanned repairs (caused by my harsh driving behavior). At Argentina I also meet again Roadblocks, the way the locals try to get noticed by the gouverment.

Unbelievable that 6 Peoples could block a road since days, just allowing to cross that roadblock 3 times a day for 15 minutes. On both ends more than 20 cars are waiting. I guess without the two police guys - the mob would solve that "roadblock" very quickly...

The so called demostration was because the village want a cleaner for the school... I had to cross there twice, lucky me that may timing was optimal, otherwise I probably don`t had the necessary patience..

More Pictures and the daily based diary you will find at my Blog: http://adventure-overland.blogspot.com

4x4tripping

[4x4tripping]

To drive the officially closed road 40 from Payogasta to San Antonio, was not one of my best ideas.

To prepare the vanished roads at above 4000m heigh, to put big rocks in the rivers to build a passage you can cross... That was way too much for my condition at that height... Stupid to stay in waist-deep in icy water, who try to wash you away. But it brings me further...

Anway. Very important is to wear the right shoes for that conditions.

At the end I meet a passage which I was not able to cross, and had to return. Back to that roadblock from the morning.. Grrrrrrr...

But I made it on a less adventurous road to the Jungle and to the City Salta. Meet too some animals which I didn't want to meet often.

More pictures and my daily diary you can find here:

http://adventure-overland.blogspot.com

4x4tripping

[4x4tripping]

Play too hard ends usually in a higher repair bill... I was lucky to reach Salta and don't to had an breakdown on a closed Andean-Pass...

However, soon I could drive further.. A beautiful wild camp on a dam wall in the middle of the Jungle...

I`m trying to reach Chile since 3 days, don't have any food in my fridge, because I had hoped to reach the border on the evening, where they usually confiscate my meat and food...

I just try to reach the border of chile, but the landscape was to beautiful to just drive through!

At this evening I drove from 200m attitude to 4200m and finally reach the border at 4pm. But the border crew don't let me pass. The border to chile is close because of fog. I show them my Thermal-Camera and Monitor setup, that I don't had to care about fog or even smoke - but no chance.

I don`t know what was the problem, then the guys coming from Chile could pass the border without any problems.. So I had to Wildcamp with heavy headache, because of doing 4000m attitude within some hours..

More you find like usual at my Blog:

http://adventure-overland.blogspot.com

4x4tripping

[4x4tripping]

At the next day I found a beautiful dirttrack. After 10 miles i did meet a Police car - which I did query about my Route-plan. "You can try" - thats sounds again like a challenge. So I did follow the track.

 

 

 

Looks I should start to navigate not only with the offline satellite Images on my IPad. I have too offline track & terrainmaps which Shows sometimes a bit more about the route...

 

 

Also with near 300 hp I did miss some power after leaving 3500m height in the andes. These steep hills are easyer to climb with Speed, but I had to use 4lo - and sometimes i had to go back and to try another path - also with 2 difflocks & muddies.

 

Since hours i didnt see a house or Person - an absolutely beautiful area and track!!

 

 

 

Beautiful Colors who you can also see in Iceland.

 

 

From the geysers I would have expected a little more, the Hotpod facilities seemed a little unkempt - and the water was for me wimps definitely too cold. So off to the mountains - the track will ultimately lead somewhere.

 

At a junction, I chose the way further into the mountains - but after another 20km, I discovered that the other track lead deep into a valley - what attracted me magically. So let's turn around and return.

 

During a short Navigation break some offroaders did meet up. The Offroad Club from Calama. We had a nice Chat, but they told me that my track will have a dead end, and it will be hard to climb up again under this conditions as a single car.

 

 

To drive back the same route - Sound great to me - it was such a great ride!

 

More you will find at the blog as usual: Adventure-Overland

 

4x4tripping

[4x4tripping]

I never did finish the trip description in english - time during corona to complete!
---------------------------

I had lost a lot of time, had to be in 4 days in La Paz where my GF will arrive. And I had to head back - many miles more in front of me.

Had a lot of fun while pushing over dirttracks - having fun has mostly their own cost....

 

After 4 hours having a lot of fun, with pushing with speed over dirt - something broke: My engine hood get hood hangs crooked.

Later I recognize that that Part is broken:  Toyota Parts [I]53420-60050[/I] Hood Hinge Assembly

How easy will the replacement be in Bolivia? Hopefully I`m able to follow my plans with tight timeframe....

I got it welded at a small mechanic at the road side - and did drive again with a bit less speed in direction of bolivia.

Blogpost of the day in German with more pictures: PPP und die Panamericana

With doing more harder offroad stuff - and with speeding in dirt my repair bill starts to get more expensive:

These Parts wasnt available in Salta and my german mechanic has listed the repair parts till today - and my GF will try to bring them from Switzerland, if the parts will arrive quick enough.

53420-60050        Hood Hinge Assembly                43,24€

88710-6B580        Tube Assy, Air Conditioner         340,91€

88460-60400        CONDENSER ASSY                 499,15€

That is was can happen - if you have fun during offroad driving.

[+Steve]

This is a great thread. Would be great to see updates as you go along, we will follow.