Ushuaia, 17th November 2017
Phil
I arrived in Ushuaia yesterday, at about 1.30 pm. Elated, and emotional.
I had no idea what it would feel like. In fact I had not even considered what it would feel like, until yesterday morning. I had stayed in Rio Grande, a couple of hundred kilometres up the coast, and I kept finding reasons to delay my departure. Crossing the remaining strip of Tierra del Fuego with Argentine flags fluttering in the gentle gale (everything is relative!) I enjoyed the solitude – for now I am riding solo. The reality of being almost there, a goal I had not contemplated for maybe a year or so, made me need to shake my head and take a few big breaths. This is crazy. Then a range of mountains, bleak and streaked with snow: this is what the end of the world should look like. Forbidding. A barrier, beyond which lies… what? And then, coming down the far side: fuck, this is it. And round a bend, before I was ready, there it was. Ushuaia, its limit clearly announced by the twin pillars of the city gate.
This blog has been about what we have done and where we have been, rather than a record of feelings and emotions. So it will suffice to say here that it was a couple of minutes before I could get off the bike, and I realised my cheeks were damp.
If I go back a bit – say five years – we get to the germ of an idea. A thought that there were more things I wanted to do in life than the day job would allow. A long ride – the longest route connecting two points on a single land mass that it is possible to do. A fantasy really, but one that began to take shape and became an aspiration, then a plan. The plan only started to be real a couple of years ago, and solidified into something approaching reality when firstly Ian, and then Tom surprised me with the alacrity with which they were prepared to drop everything to come along too. We had a team, and with it any doubts I had about my own commitment evaporated. We planned extensively; maybe focusing on less relevant things at times, and probably ignoring some of the bigger aspects that in hindsight should have been obvious. And now, having arrived at the stated end point (although not quite at the end of our respective rides), this for me feels like the culmination of a process stretching back years. I’m not sure I ever discussed this, even with the other Nuts.
I mentioned that I finished the journey riding alone. I can only therefore write this from my own perspective; I sincerely hope that Tom, Ian and Mark have a similar sense of satisfaction when they arrive in a day or two. I apologise to any readers who are family and friends of the other Nuts – I know they will be sharing their stories and thoughts.
One of the inevitable consequences of being at the end of the world is that I am also at the end of the reach of the internet. Loading photos has been (almost) impossible, so this will be a short post only. The observations I had planned on the southern ice fields, the Perito Moreno glacier and the Torres del Paine, and the ironically named Tierra del Fuego (anything but fiery – it is bitterly cold and inhospitable. The name refers to the fires of the native Indians that Magellan could see from his ships) can wait.
From here, we have all decided to take a ferry up the Chilean west coast to Puerto Montt. This happens to be just a few days ride back up to Santiago and Tom, Mark and Ian have decided to return home as soon as possible from there. I intend to stick to the original plan and fly my bike home from Buenos Aires in mid-December. The primary goal may have been attained, but the ride is not over!
This song has stayed with me for a few weeks, since Tom Petty died. It seems appropriate now.
It was a beautiful day, the sun beat down
I had the radio on, I was drivin’
Trees flew by, me and Del were singin’ little Runaway
I was flyin’
Yeah runnin’ down a dream
That never would come to me
Workin’ on a mystery, goin’ wherever it leads
Runnin’ down a dream
I felt so good like anything was possible
I hit cruise control and rubbed my eyes
The last three days the rain was unstoppable
It was always cold, no sunshine
Yeah runnin’ down a dream
That never would come to me
Workin’ on a mystery, goin’ wherever it leads
Runnin’ down a dream
I rolled on as the sky grew dark
I put the pedal down to make some time
There’s something good waitin’ down this road
I’m pickin’ up whatever’s mine
Yeah runnin’ down a dream
That never would come to me
Workin’ on a mystery, goin’ wherever it leads
Runnin’ down a dream
Compositores: Jeff Lynne / Michael Campbell / Tom Petty
Letra de Runnin’ Down a Dream © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc
Phil! Awesome achievement. Looking forward to seeing you soon. Keep safe.
Loads of love, Sue
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Outstanding achievement and blog. Mike (Mark’s neighbour)
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Thank you!
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Brilliant. How epic. Maybe a new career as an adventure tours guide.
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It all started with you and me just hopping across the channel – was that about 37 or 38 years ago?
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Did think, its meant to be 6 months on a bike, so where to for the last month?
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Ah, that remains to be seen! I’ve been considering some plans today, rather than going out to play in the snow. Somewhere warmer to start with I think!
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Phil, extraordinary stuff. Have been amazed, stunned, amused and in awe over the last few months. Look forward to sharing a beer soon. Mark
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Thanks – it’s good to know you have kept an eye on us! But share a beer? I think we could splash out and have one each 🙂
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Well done Phil, I just ‘google mapped’ where you are. It’s about as south as south can be. Extraordinary. Great ride and experience no doubt.
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Hi all, this is Mark Fiander, one of the loosenuts. I can’t seem to publish this post on our blog at the moment, so am adding it as a comment, sadly without the wonderful pictures Tom and Ian have taken. It’s title would have been ‘not the end of the world’. I hope you find it interesting.
Mark
Ushuaia -20th November
Well, there we are then. Ushuaia. It’s not quite the end of the world – you can go a few km further on the R3, as Tom has done, and there are a couple of other small roads going a bit further south, but it will do for me. Tom, Ian and I got here on Saturday afternoon, in a blizzard and a biting gale force wind, as the forecast had predicted, and while they spoilt the view for the last 50km or so and made our obligatory photo session at the entrance to Ushuaia a little shorter than intended and somewhat more chaotic, it nonetheless felt entirely appropriate to arrive at the bottom of the world in such conditions. We mucked around for a few minutes, had a hug which involved hugging Ian whilst he remained on his bike (either worried that it would fall over in the mud or maybe he was frozen to the seat) and then agreed that we should go straight to the hotel to warm up. It had been a long 420km ride and we were all tired and cold but very happy. My partner, Tilly, commented later that evening that I looked very pleased with myself in a photo I sent her. She was right.
Since we became a team of three, about a week ago, we have had a fantastic few days and seen undoubtedly the best sights of the trip. The glacier at Perito Moreno, Mount Fitzroy and the wonderful Torres del Paine being the standouts. The riding conditions have got steadily more challenging as we have headed further south with an increasing wind meaning the bikes are being ridden at a crazy angle. We have all commented how weird it looks when we are behind each other.
Our evening in El Chalten, a pleasant little town in a spectacular location, very popular with walkers and climbers, was perhaps the most fun so far. We found a fabulous wine bar, serving decent food as well and pushed the boat out. Get a bottle of Linda Flor malbec if you can. We would have had two but they only had one left so we had something else nice as well but I can’t remember the name!
We are staying here in Ushuaia a few days leaving on Wednesday morning. It’s a bleak place and not at all what I expected. It doesn’t feel rough and tough enough to be a fitting place to end a trip like this. Intriguingly, although we have seen a few heading in both directions on our way down we haven’t seen any other northern European bikers since we got here. We will ride back to Puerto Natales, spending, I think, three nights there with the intention of taking a boat trip that Ian has recommended to see even more of this spectacular place. We will then catch the weekly ferry to Puerto Montt on the 28th, as was originally discussed at the beginning of November. We will then ride to Santiago and fly home from there. Tom and I leave on the 6th for Heathrow and Ian on the 7th for Dublin. Phil, having caught the ferry a week earlier is then riding to Buenos Aires from where his bike will fly home while he flies up to Rio and home from there.
So that’s it. This is my last blog post. Thanks to all who’ve read it and left comments. It has been a remarkable experience and has left me with many memories and an intention to return. Thanks to my teammates and of course to my wonderful partner, Tilly.
FIN
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Fantastic Mark, you got there on my birthday.! Hope to hear more when you are home.
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Have a wonderful last few days…
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Congrats Mark and the Nuts. How many miles in all? I expect you have just got over the saddle sores!
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What an achievement!!! Well done to you all for riding and living the life of the hells angels for so long and so far away from home. The sceanery is spectacular🤩!
Hope the finale is everything you wished for and we look forward to seeing you on your return, in one piece❗️🙏😘
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Thank you. Hells Angels? Ahem… Not quite!
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Well done, guys – what an amazing achievement and fantastic team work!
Tilly
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Great work Mark – safe trip home!
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Well done Mark and the Loosenuts. I look forward to catching up with you on your return. What a fantastic experience.
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Hi Mark! I have been totally enthralled by the Loosenuts’ adventures – the pictures have been incredible and the stories behind them just wonderful. What an incredible experience. Am v much looking forward to seeing you again in Dec but am definitely going to miss the escapism! Safe journey home. Px
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Well done Mark,and team! What an incredible adventure and achievement.
Can’t wait to hear more about your travels when we see you at Blackheath. Guess it will take time to readjust to daily life here…but at least you have plenty of photos (and blogs!) to keep the memories alive.
Safe journey home. M&J xxx
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Amazing Mark!!! keep safe and enjoy that amazing place. Nuño was there many years ago and he remember it and perito moreno. besos Lola y los nuños!!
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Wow! What an achievement. You seem to have done the last half of the continent in quick time. Have you managed to speak Welsh to the natives yet? Looking forward to seeing you and Tilly at Blackheath. Have a good trip home.
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Just tracked the route of the Puerto Natales – Puerto Montt ferry. Wow, looks awesome. To quote the Navimag website….”For slow travelers and backpackers who want to enjoy the romanticism of traveling in a vessel from the 70’s worthy of the the memorable filmed voyages of Jacques Cousteau, and who wish to live the adventure at the end of the world including inclement weather, the disconnection and relaxation that only a remote area can offer, no phone signal, while contemplating the majestic beauty of the Patagonian fjords in southern Chile, some of them untouched areas.”
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Well done Mark and the rest of the gang. It’s an incredible achievement. Really looking forward to seeing you soon love an hugs Harriet x
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A huge thank you to everyone who’s posted a comment. It’s lovely to know you have been following us. Mark
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Thank you for keeping us all posted on progress and for describing events, sights and experiences so vividly. Bon retour. Looking forward to catching up at the RP match on 23 Dec, if not before. Best wishes, Tom
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Looks awesome. And look forward to hearing all the tales on your return. Chris x
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Well done to all the team!! Great achievement!
Iain
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