Darien gap
 

Has anyone crossed the Darien gap within the last year? I need to get across with a DR 650 in early Dec and can't find any recent info. The Stahlratte is unavailable, (they're going to Cuba), Wildcard is full, Ferry Express isn't running anymore. Any thoughts? I'm leaving in the next few days from Seattle and am trying to secure a spot on anything crossing the gap after Dec. 5th.
Thanks.

Once you get in Panama go to Colone and look for captain Pedro who runs banana boat name = Dori Gil= and for 300 US is going to cost you to transport motorcycle to Turbo,Columbia and you can take Cuna Indian's boat ride to same city for additional 100 US with stop over at Obaldia and Capurgana for immigration stamp...
I did it last year and head a blast...:thumbup1:
Hope this my help.

safe ride ................. kawazoki

Darien Gap
 

Kawazoki,
Thanks, I may have to find Capt Pedro.

Short Legs,
I'm watching this thread as I'm planning a spring ride to the South continent in March.

Do you have any other info on the gap crossing? Like you, I'm running into dead ends on the Hubb and web.
Mr Jones.

There's a few ways to cross the gap with a bike, fly, Banana boat or put your bike on board a sailboat for a few days, kick back and relax:


Stahlratte

I tried to get on the Doris Gal about 2 weeks after Zoki and he was not running to Feb. not sure if that's usual but I went with a container share through Tea Kalmbach. They put 2 bikes and 2 cars in each container and it was cheop. Not as cheap as Doris gal though

Costs, TIP, Insurance and Time Out Panama Into Colombia
 

VicMitch:

Interesting option, a shared container. Couple of quick questions, please:

1) How much was "cheap" for one motorcycle in the shared container?

2) How much downtime in Colon (a most "unlovely" city from my 1997 experience) spent waiting to fill container, stamp out and get "out stamp, aka "cancel Panama TIP" for your motorcycle?

3) Where did you clear Customs in Colombia and secure TIP and how many days spent to do so?

4) Cost of "fixer," aka handler, in town where you Stamped "in" for Colombia Immigration for yourself?

5) Cost of "fixer" aka handler, in town where you cleared Customs and secured your TIP for Colombia?

6) How many days in Colombia waiting to empty container, clear Customs (get TIP) and secure third party insurance?

You can PM me if you do not wish to share any of the above publicly. I'm doing a bit of journalistic research, so can treat your response as Confidential if you so wish.

TIA for your timely response.

I strongly recommend against driving to Colon. That is just begging to get mugged. There is a reason why Lonely Planet says, "Do not go to Colon, you will get mugged."

I took a 40 ft cargo boat on the the procedure recommended above in 2007 when I was 22 and it was almost a complete disaster.

1. Bike almost got dropped into the ocean twice.
2. Boat got stuck on a sandbar dangerously close to land.
3. Engine broke down at sea.
4. Bilge pump broke and there was 3 ft of water on deck.
5. Pig was tied up next to bike and kicked bike whole time.
6. Oil pressure sensor was bumped and broken on dock.
7. Bike had to be offloaded at sea with 3 ft waves into a 10 ft boat.
8. The dock workers will try and extort you for money multiple times.
9. Bike has to be loaded and offloaded onto for 4 boats of varying size without ramps. Must be lifted.
10. Turbo is the drug port of entry for Colombia and Colon is the drug port of entry for Panama.
11. Once you finally make it to Colombia and factor in the replacement cost of parts broken on your bike, bribes paid, food, time, the $1200 price will seem cheap.
12. The Captain's you will be boating with are Smugglers. Most of them only smuggle goods, but do not be surprised if there are drugs.
13. The docks in Sapzurro and Capurgina are not protected by a harbor. It is likely that there will be no dock when you get there. The dock was wiped out for my trip.
14. First mate got us stuck on a sandbar dangerously close to land.

There are a few things in life that are worth paying a high price for, and "Darien Gap" travel is definitely one of those things. Pay the $1200 price that the established sailboat captains is Portobello charge to take you across. You can find the recommended Portobello sailboat captain's contact info on here. Email them in advance so you can get their schedule and reserve a spot.

There was a guy on advrider. I think his name was "Cruthas," and he took a cargo boat on the west side of Panama to Colombia. I warned him not to, but he did anyway and ended up with pretty much the same experience as me.

I consider myself to be pretty adventurous. I have rode remote parts of the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos.

I took the banana boat option.

Money ran out. Lived on sardines and coconuts. The bike got all scratched up. Four different boats. Mid-ocean transfers in the rain. My girlfriend cracked her head and needed stitches. A Colombian man named his newborn after me. Partial deafness. Hiding in the cargo hold. Took two weeks.

It was awesome.

Crossing the Darien
 

The Darien Gap is arguably one of the last frontiers. In keeping with the HUBB's positive can do attitude and contributions to "way arounds" I post the following.

I have often dreamed of creating some methodology for man and motorcycle to cross the Darien Gap solo, with only local assistance. I have begun a research project and found this very interesting YouTube video entitled
Off the Grid - Darien Gap Adventure
https://youtu.be/aQcISaUCu0I
If these energetic and skilled men can cross the Gap, perhaps some of us with our bikes...might one day be following in their tracks.

Volunteers needed. pm xfiltrate

Eat, Drink and do the impossible whenever possible.

I disagree about it being the last frontier. There is plenty of other frontier riding out there like the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos or the BAM railroad soviet road in Russia. There are 200 mile stretches where you will not see a power pole on the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos.

I enjoyed the biking video that you posted but at the same time I realize that it is a completely glamorized version of that trip. I do not believe those guys rode the whole thing or even half of it for that matter. There bikes look a little clean to me. lol

Hiking the Darien Gap seems kind of like taking a pleasure cruise around the coasts of Somalia. When/ if you get back you can tell your friends about how cool you are, but if/ when something happens to you, you are going to look like an idiot for not having common sense.

I did a 5 mile hike through the jungle in the Darien to get from Sapzurro to Capurgina. Hiking through a miniscule part of the Darien changed my views about how possible it would be, or how wise it would be to try and hike, bike, or ride through there. It is hard to describe, it is one of those things that when you experience it in person it will probably influence your opinion. There is a good reason why the bad guys choose to hang out there. It is highly inaccessible and dangerous.
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Here is the motorcycle blog of a guy who more recently did the cargo boat option from Colon to Puerto Obaldia, then Capurgina to Turbo. He is a great writer and describes the trip very well:

https://asphaltandbeyond.com/2017/01...eap-isnt-easy/

He does a good job of describing how as soon as you hand a Smuggler Captain your money he starts treating you like dirt. The lies and false promises start as soon as you hand him your money. lol


Loading the bike onto the boat:
"Unfortunately there was a large surge in the ocean causing the boat to rise, taking half the bike with it. It quickly knocked me off balance and onto the cement next to the barrier. As soon as I hit the ground I immediately combat rolled away as the bike came tumbling down on top of me. I didn’t see it fall, but the noise was so loud. The only thing louder than my bike hitting the ground was me yelling ‘F$%K’. I had a lot of discontent brewing up over the past 5 days and this finally did it for me."

False Promises:
"On day 10 I was finally told that, without a doubt, we will be to the border of Colombia. I had secretly hoped that the boat was going all the way to Cartegena, but I knew I would get left in a border town and have to take another boat in. Originally they were supposed to take me to Capurgana, the first town in Colombia, but on the morning of day 11 I found us stopped at a small town two hours north of Capurgana. With the boat anchored at sea, the Captain and I took a small skiff to the shore. It became known that this was where I needed to go through customs and immigration for exiting Panama. It was a small cement shack along the coast with two military officials in it. They asked a few questions and eventually stamped my passport. They explained that I needed to go to the aduana inside the town, but the Spanish was so quick that I really had no idea and hoped the captain would guide me there."

Loading the bike onto another boat:
"I was out of money for hiring help to load the bike into the skiff. The whole time at the pier I had been friendly and made a few friends which were willing to help me load the bike. Loading the bike into this skiff was difficult due to the different seat platforms within it. I did as much work as I could to help from inside the boat as we lowered it in. 1-2-3, lift…. Immediately I was on my back with a loss of vision. The boat floorboard slipped out from underneath me and sent my head slamming into the bench with the bike falling onto me. As smoothly as I could, I stood up and tried to shake it off. I wanted to vomit. It was clearly a concussion, but I was too embarrassed and focused on getting the bike in the boat, which we did so in a few moments."

Darien crossing cargo plane
 

We crossed our 2 bikes from Panama to Colombia with Girag. It was pretty simple , we called to reserve a spot, then we dropped the bikes at their warehouse, and boarded our plane to Bogota. 2 days later we picked up our motorcycles in Bogota. It was a bit costly ($1000 per bike)however the bikes arrived in Bogota unscratched.

Crossing the Darien Gap
 

First, and foremost, it can be done, by motorcycle.

Yes, to the less adventurous or skilled riders it is easier to transport the motorcycle around from Panama to Colombia, however......and technically.....the Darien Gap has been crossed before on a motorcycle, and will continue to be crossed by motorcycles in the present and future. Timing has a lot to do with it, as to water levels, and finding higher grounds.

Also helps if you pay $ 20 USD to the local guides that lead you through there on their little 100cc trail bikes. :mchappy:

Darin
 

On amazon video, titled 20000 miles on a horse , they go thru the Darin south to north.