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A five-day bikepacking expedition across a stunningly diverse landscape in the north of Argentina.
Calchaquí Valleys, Salta, Argentina
Fall Season (April), 5-24°C, no rain
Total distance: 527 km
Total ascent: 6.350 m
Elevation: 1.150 – 3.350 m
Off to a great start
Just like any trip, it begins with planning; and if bikepacking is involved, there is plenty to do before getting on a plane with your bike. So when the five of us met at Buenos Aires Jorge Newbery Airport on a Friday afternoon we just wanted to put all the hard work and week behind to start off the adventure on the right foot: we landed in Salta’s international airport at night and went straight to tasting some local empanadas and wine.
The next day, after a morning preamble of setting up bikes and solving last-minute mechanic issues including a stop at the nearest bike shop, we traversed the small-city traffic chaos: bumpy streets filled with cracks and patches and ruled by an unyielding stream of cars and motorbikes. When we finally rode out of town, we could start enjoying the quiet of the road. We headed south, indulging our weighty bikes in the lively rhythm of rolling on a paved surface: a gentle warm-up for the rougher paths to come. We rode on a continuous false flat for 130 km before the spectacle began.
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![cyclists on tarmac with bikepacking bags](https://abraproject.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/DSC04024-1-683x1024.jpg)
Crossing strikingly contrasted landscapes
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Our everyday rituals
![five cyclist during a bike trip](https://abraproject.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/NOA-2023-Ivan-Digital-0048-WEB.jpg)
Once on the bike, our everyday rituals went on:
- Taking arm and leg warmers off after a 40 min ride, as mornings are cold but as soon as the sun is out, temperature rises.
- Applying sunscreen as sun exposure increases with altitude.
- Eating every 45 minutes to keep the legs strong.
- Drinking enough water as hydration is critical at high altitude.
- Stopping for a lunch bite and a cold soda.
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Meeting the locals
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- The young girls who rushed out of their isolated homes to wave hi to us, as soon as they heard our wheels rolling.
- The immutable old man who was sleeping in a chair on the front porch of his mud-brick house, with the radio on.
- The farmworker who was herding cattle in our direction, occupying the whole extent of the dirt road.
- The family who served the most delicious homemade deep-fried empanadas in a remote town.
- The teenager who asked us to vote on an IG and FB competition to help her class win a graduation trip.
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Pulling out all the stops
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![bikepacking cyclist with landscape at the background](https://abraproject.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/DSC04283-683x1024.jpg)
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Photos by Iván Vañek (@ivandigital) and Sebastián Di Tomaso (@lavidadeseba).
Interested in this adventure?
if you enjoyed…. please read more about the trip in the link below.