Russ
I did try to get up a bit of pace but it didn't seem to help!

I managed to swap some bolts around to sort the screen but the headlight protector is buggered.
I was very happy to have an easy day to Potosi. The tarmac is nearly to Uyuni. About 20 kms of road works and then very good empty road. And pretty views than Tup to Uyu.

Getting up the Potosi hill is a good test of the clutch!

cheers
Delb

Hey duder, been following your ride a bit--bravo. We are about to head towards Santa Cruz from Sucre via Padilla/Vallegrande, then north possibly to the Missions Circuit (anybody have some info on it?). I glean that it is pretty tough driving from Trinidad to Rurre. Do you think it would be equally difficult now that we are in the dry season? Any advice?

Also, how did the road from Rurre to La Paz pan out for you two? We are also hoping to do that road as well, provided that it won't be too hard for 2-up on a loaded klr...

If anyone else would like to chime in that would be swell.

The road from Trinidad to Rurre is only difficult if it is wet. If it is dry then it will be hard packed dirt. The issue is that the dirt does not contain stones/gravel so when wet it becomes very slippery. And it only takes one day or night of rain to make it so.
From Rurre to La Paz the road has a stone base so not so slippery. The biggest safety concern on this stretch of road is that once you pass Yucumo you are expected to swap sides a few times and it is NOT sign posted. The rule is, traffic heading toward La Paz hugs the mountainside. Traffic heading into the jungle (ie toward Rurrenabaque) holds cliff side(the drop).

It is a great stretch of road and a fantastic part of Bolivia. Don't miss it if you think you can do it.

Cory is bang on!

Hi there
just came the road from Uyuni to Chile, now it's all closed because of snowstorm!
Okay, here are the details (we're riding 2 Transalp, not the best for dirt, and after 20'000km on this trip with some dirt, still not the most experienced riders either)

- Sucre-Potosi: 3hrs, nice curvy road, all paved

- Potosi-Uyuni: all paved until the last 20km, these are under construction for over 3months now, but the dirt road is in okay condition

- uyuni: stay at Hostal Maryth /Marith?, 3 blocks south of the Mainplaza, we paid 60 Bol each for a matrimonial, 10 extra for the bikes, then you can get free towls and toilet paper, hehe, nice tv and american breakfast included. It's pretty cold at night, so we slept in sleepingbags on the bed -

- salar de uyuni: 20km north, in cachani, is the entrance to the salar, bad dirt road, washboard-style, but once on the salar, feel free to get lose!! Pay attention to the few holes where even cars can break into the salt water, we road with a compas straight 20kms west, camped on the salar and it was just a surreal experience, no sound, no nothing, just the plain white , the sky and yourself; bring nails to tag your tent...

- uyuni-villa mar (ca.150km): we have 3 maps for that region and none is any good. ask the locals, but the best advice you get is from the tour guides, in uyuni alone there are 70 tour operators cruising the area daily! Uyuni -San Cristobal: great fast dirt, have lunch at the mercado, people are most friendly there! Last option for gas!!
San Cristobal-Alota, nice road, don't miss the intersecion to Villa Mar, 1km out of Alota there is a damadged yellow sign saying Sancrato (or something); on the way the the road gets pretty bad, some water crossings with rocks and tiny bridges, if crazy, take the bridge, we almost dropped the bikes twice! They're building bridges, i think, the concret thing is there already, but no one working... Bolivia. We camped on the way, 20km before Villa Mar, freezing cold!! But you can make a fire with roots and dry bushes. There is basic accomodation in Villa Mar, we sould have done that

- Villa Mar-Laguna Colorada (ca.110km): The road gets very bad, sand, washboard etc. There are often alternative roads, just follow the best one in the correct direction and ask the tour guides when passing. Right before the Laguna Colorada there you enter the parc, they want 150 Bol each. Ride around the Laguna for Logging, very basic, but warmer then outside. 30 Bol each, 15 extra for a hot shower, food just for the tours, basic shop, nothing nice anyway. (if you have veggies left which you can't bring into Chile, don't give them to the guys of the hospedaje, they won't thank you, high on coca anyway) :confused1:

- Laguna Colorada-San Pedro de Atacama (ca 160km): The road is very challenging, it was also freezing cold and started to snow somewhere halfway to Laguna Verde. There is a very nice Saltflat with a hot terma, but we didn't stop as we wanted to reach Chile badly. Some sand, a few washboard sections, we just rode in 1rst and 2nd gear. The bikes had problems with the oxygen so we couldn't go faster anyway. The following depended on the weather conditions: The wind was tricky, too. At Laguna Verde there is a slightly better hospedaje, people were stuck there (and sent back to Sucre!) because the Pass was closed. The guardaparque adviced us not to ride any further but it was snowing, nothing frozen yet, so we rode on.
Some real deep snow until the bol.border, where they told us to turn and get the stamp for the bikes at the Aduana in Achapata (or something, there is a sign on some point after the salt lake saying 5kms east). Well, after some discussion they asked for 15 Bol. and the topic was solved. I guess you can get this stamp also in Uyuni, but I'm not sure. Or pay, or wait till the price drops, or go back to get that dam stamp.
After that the road got even worse, we broke into holes in the middle of the street several times, due to the snow covering them. After 5km we reached the paved road from Paso Jama (that took us more than 1hr), where the busses usually ride to Argentina. Road frozen, and steep down. But ridable - - 40km to San Pedro where we were greated by sun and a pissed police officer, because, of course, the border is closed so it was his day off.

Because it's winter now, noboday can tell when the borders open again, they have no snow machines or anything to clear the way - I hope you get better weather if you ride that road! The officials don't give a sh** about that, didn't even ask us about the conditions, they say if you ride, it's your risk, so they don't even show interest on how it looks up there---

It's not easy, but if you get sun, enough cloths, fuel, cash and food, some wine for the nights and good humour, it's definitly worth it!


Good luck, suerte!
.katharina.

I wish I would have read this thread a few weeks ago I would have joined you from Sucre to SC. I'm guessing that you've already completed the route, so have I. For the benefit of others, the road out of Sucre is paved asphalt until Aiquiles. It then turns to hard dirt and gravel. It then turns to loose sand until Saipina. About 5-10 km before you reach Saipina they are working on the road from 8:00-12:00 and 14:00-18:00. If you arrive at the construction at 16:00 you have to wait until they clear out at 18:00. For about 10 km past Saipina it is dirt and loose sand. Thereafter it turns to asphalt until Santa Cruz.

So be prepared to make this a two day journey with a stop in Saipina. There is an inexpensive hotel in Saipina and a gas station.

I actually returned from SC to Sucre and road the same route. There were two small motorcycles waiting at the constuction area. They convinced the dirt digging machine to pick them up and place them on the other side of the construction. I would not have believed it unless I saw it happen. They road on. I and my DR650 had to wait until the construction was cleared at 18:00. I would have liked to have tried the lift, but my bike wouldn't fit.

Enjoy!

__________________
Troy
www.theadventurebegins.tv

Just a heads up, looks like they are closing the road for longer hours nowadays than what was posted in prior comments.

There are several Trancas (closures) between Santa Barbara and Yacumo. Signs say they are closed from 06:00hs to 16:00hs. It seems they don´t work on weekends. Roads are in decent conditions, but be prepared for major dust inhalation.

Cheers

Hi,
we are two germans who want to make the lagoontour in Oct. this year with two BMW F650GS. We want to stay in that area for about one week up to 10 days. Where can we get drinkingwater on that area between SpdA and Uyuni? How high was your gasoline consumption of the bike. Was it much higher than under normal conditions?

Samby

Hola!

Anyone here did the roads between Samaipata - La PAz and Villa Montes to Paraguay recently??

THX!!!

Sunny greetings from Santiago Werner+Claudia

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Just traveling
www.horizonsunlimited.com/tstories/longwayhome