I'm looking to spend as much time from Santiago-Ushuaia-Buenos Aires on the interesting bits. It would be nice to go all the way to Villa O'Higgins, but I am psychically (?) incapable of backtracking. Right now, south along ruta 7 and then east (around Cochrane) to the the 40, and down to Ushuaia. That leaves me with the coastal road north to B.A. (ugh!). Any suggestions for a scenic, non-backtracking route that does as much of these roads as possible (I could use the ferry, but, that's not riding!).
thans in advance
Matt

No way. From Villa O'Higgins you can pass to Argentina but without your bike. It's a secuence of ferries and treking I understand not rideable.

I guess I am asking where to turn East from ruta 7 towards the Argentine border, and then, after going down to Ushuaia, how to travel north towards BA without taking the same roads, and without staying on the Argentine coastal highway.

well, to answer my own questions (in no particular order).
Chaiten is passable - police will make sure you don't stay overnight (people in santiago said it was closed, but everyone in futaleufu and around told me otherwise)
there is ceniza from the border to a liitle past Futa - from a light dusting to places (off the road) and inch or two. I tried to keep the chain clean, but you can only do so much.
the best place to leave the carretara austral is just north of cochrane via paso roballo - very pretty.
for anyone in villa o'higgins this summer, here's something to check out: 6km north of villa o'higgins a road goes to the rio meyer border crossing (48km to chilean checkpoint), where I was told that the river *had been* 20-30 cm deep and rideable, but was now 70cm deep and unpassable, except on horse and maybe in a unimog, which the argentine border police have one of. there is also some sort of foot path which has a very narrow pasarela (supposedly some motorcycle took a dive last summer). as it was getting late, I declined to go from the checkpoint to the river (3km) or walk from the river to the argentine checkpoint (12km). soooo... maybe someone can check it out, maybe pay for an extra plank, or maybe donate to the argentine border guards' recreational fund...

But..., what about Argentinian side ? - Is it rideable ? And, do you know which point/town it goes to ? Tucu-Tucu or San Martin lake ?

Would this be the path mentioned here http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...la+o%27higgins if not no worries, if so, unlikely with m/c unless you meet the right border guard once you arrive (otherwise you have to turn and fight your way back to the start) :-0

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no, my maps showed a ripio road on the other side, and everyone said that the rio meyer was the only sticking point, that it was easily ride/driveable past the argentine checkpoint. It is not the ferry/hike combintion that crosses south of villa o'higgins. Between the darkening evening and my (aged) knees, I declined to hike out and investigate either the pasarela or the argentine border guards' attitudes, but maybe someone with more time can.