This track was identified and mapped via high-resolution satellite imagery.
Bahía Blanca to San Martín de los Andes via Choele Choel
Across the dry northern edge of Patagonia, from the port of Bahía Blanca along the Río Negro valley to Choele Choel, over the steppe to Piedra del Águila above the Limay river, and up into the Andean lakes at San Martín de los Andes. In January 1952 Guevara and Granado rode this way on La Poderosa II: Ernesto spent several days in hospital in Choele Choel with a fever, and the pair crashed more than once on the gravel and in the wind before reaching San Martín de los Andes on 31 January.
Trail Map
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Trail Profile
General Instructions
About 923 km one way; allow two days. Long stretches of steppe have few towns, so fill up whenever you can, especially between Choele Choel and Piedra del Águila. Strong west winds blow across the road for much of the year, which matters on a motorcycle. Best from October to April.
Weather check
Sampling Micro-Climate...
-38.7197, -62.2722
Slide to preview conditions across the entire route • Point: -38.7197, -62.2722 @ 24m
Quick Stats
Highlights
- Break the ride in the Río Negro valley orchards around Choele Choel
- Look down on the Limay river and its reservoirs from Piedra del Águila
- Watch the first Andean peaks rise out of the steppe beyond Junín de los Andes
- End on the lakeshore at San Martín de los Andes, on Lago Lácar
Field Radio Protocol
VHF-UHF Communication
Propagation Telemetry
Ridge Line
92%Gorge Floor
18%Sector Relay: Sector Alpha Relay• 12-18 KM Range
Regulatory Compliance
VHF/UHF frequencies are for monitoring and emergency coordination only. Transmitting on these bands may require an Amateur Radio License or regional government permits. Check local telecommunications laws before operation.
Technical Analysis
Total Ascent
+2067 m
Total Descent
-1432 m
Ruggedness Index
Terrain Roughness Index
Vertical displacement per km. Typical range: 0 (Smooth) to 100+ (Extreme Mountain).
3.8
Tortuosity Index
Route Curviness Index
Ratio of actual path to straight line. Typical range: 1.0 (Direct) to 3.0+ (Switchbacks).
1.16
Gradient Distribution
Surface & Hydrology
Surface Spectrum Analysis
Includes only technical water fords where the vehicle actively enters a stream or riverbed. Permanent bridges are excluded from this count.
Difficulty Analysis
Difficulty is determined by a technical multi-vector analysis of elevation profile, surface quality, and topographic intensity.
Bounding Box (WGS84)
Point Spacing: 273.8 m • Engine: TrailX Precision GPX ANALYTICS v1.0.0
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Plan this trip
Before you go: Bahía Blanca to San Martín de los Andes via Choele Choel
Best time to go
Oct–Apr
October to April is the best time for Patagonia and the Andes, with mild weather and long days. Winter, from June to August, brings snow to the mountains, but it is a good time for riding around Córdoba and Buenos Aires.
More like this
- Other moderate trails →
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