Fire & Ice MTB · Patagonia

For entry into and to stay in Argentina, you will generally require a passport with 6 months of validity after the end of your stay. No visa is required for a short-term stay in Argentina for the purposes of visiting or tourism.

This tour is led by an experienced English-speaking guide.

There are no compulsory vaccinations for Argentina. The tropical institutes recommend vaccinations against tetanus, and diphtheria (possibly hepatitis B, hepatitis A, typhoid, rabies, measles, yellow fever). If travelling from Argentina to a third country, the yellow fever vaccination may be required.

As some vaccinations have to be given several times, you should plan as much time as possible before you travel. We recommend visiting your GP or a tropical medicine specialist at least two months before your trip for more detailed advice.

We reserve the right to make changes to the itinerary due to organizational necessities and accommodation availability.

MTB level 2

This trip includes active daily tours with mountainous stages ranging from 22-43 mi./35-70 km and trails on the single trail scale up to S1. The fitter you are, the more you will enjoy the trip. We recommend that you create a sensible weekly training program to gradually increase your stamina and off-road MTB skills. Please also take time to go out on longer rides in hilly terrain to ensure that you are physically fit enough to participate in this trip. Of course, biking is the best way to prepare for this trip but running, squash, and swimming are also good for developing aerobic fitness and endurance.

Patagonia’s mountain bike terrain is varied and has a number of steep climbs and long descents that require a good level of fitness. The landscape is very diverse and offers a lot of biking variety: single trails and long descents, gravel roads and volcanic trails, lake scenery, and rainforest.

The route we follow is at a relatively low altitude, so you should not need to worry about problems such as altitude sickness. Nevertheless, please do stay aware and listen to your body. Daytime temperatures during the summer season in the southern hemisphere typically average 18 - 20 C°. November to April is the dry season in northern Patagonia. However, in the Lake District rainfall can occur at any time of the year.

On this tour, a support vehicle is available to transport the majority of the luggage. On request, the support vehicle can also accommodate group members who wish to take a break from biking.

To ensure that you are well prepared for your bike tour with Islandhopping and know what technical difficult level to expect, we have created a classification for all single trails that could be ridden on our tours. The difficulty levels included in our classification coincide with the Single Trail Scale which can be found here

Blue (easy, S0 – S1): small obstacles such as small roots, small stones, some erosion, gradients of up to 40 %, loose surfaces, tight corners but no hairpins, obstacles can be rolled over. Skilful braking and weight shift required, riding while standing.

Red (medium, S2): loose surfaces, larger stones and roots, steps and shallow stairs, gradients of up to 70 %, light hairpins. Constant readiness to brake, shift of centre weight to overcome obstacles, accurate braking, consistent body tension required.

Black (heavy, S3 – S5): blocked single trails, many large boulders, and roots, smooth/slippery surfaces, loose scree slopes, large steps/drops, extremely steep gradients of over 70 %, tight hairpins. Expert level of bike control/handling required.

Helmets are mandatory on our bike tours. We advise you to bring your own, well fitted, helmet with you as our rental helmet numbers are limited (reservation required). Furthermore, we recommend bikers carry arm and leg protectors during the bike tours.

The daily catered meals are listed in the tour itinerary above. Vegetarian meals can be accommodated for during the trip, albeit with a more limited choice. Other dietary requirements and intolerances cannot be accommodated for on this tour due to organisational reasons.