The «Carretera Austral» in southern Chile has become a mythical road. With a length of 1,240 km, it accounts for more than a quarter of the country’s total length of 4,265 km from north to south, with a narrow width ranging from 15 to 350 km. This road provides access to the southernmost parts of the country (and the world, since Chile extends to Antarctica), which were inaccessible before its construction. To reach the villages in this region, it was necessary to travel by boat through the fjords or through Argentina. It was mainly for reasons of national sovereignty that the «Carretera Austral» was built during the Pinochet regime. Construction of Route 7 began in 1976 and it was opened to traffic in 1988. Sections have been added and others are still to come. The original route is now gradually being paved (from north to south), making it more practicable, but unfortunately losing some of its charm and wildness. Nevertheless, the Carretera Austral is still very popular with cyclists from all over the world. The scenery is extraordinary, and pedaling through the glaciers at the end of the Andes is a unique experience. For my part, I couldn’t resist the adventure, even though I was south of the route, in Punta Arenas, almost at the beginning of winter. After some hesitation, I took the risk of buying a bike and the equipment to ride all the way to Puerto Montt. This photo was taken from my tent on the morning of day 3. A trail of light on the grass at sunrise invited me to saddle up while the temperature was still bearable. Then the snow and ice came and I had to start looking for a local inn or house.