Most Inspirational Moment
So many. We had a great all male small group who bonded incredibly well over wine, empanadas and cycling chat, sharing our expereinces of previous Exodus holidays (we all agreed this one was the best). The hotels were more or less all excellent apart from one and the cycling was incredible. Knowing you could cycle with confidence at altitude was a moment for me!
Thoughts on Group Leader
Alejandro and Belen are a dream team. It's not a job for Alejandro it's a way of life. He is a teacher, a friend, a guide, a mechanic, a raconteur, a historian and an excellent barbecuer. He's has been guiding for years all over the world and he knows his stuff but more importantly wants to be there and get to know you. The long days checking bikes and sorting logistics of restaurants, hotels and finger mishaps did not at any stage lessen his enthusiasm of energy to focus on giving us the best expereince possible. Belen was on her first tour and she was incredible, enthusiastic, helpful and very organised. We called them our cycling parents!
Advice for Potential Travellers
Don't overpack-you will spend most of your time cycling. the high altitude takes a few days to get used to so don't get disheartened if you have zero energy on day 1 your body does adapt. Prepare to have fun cycling by getting fit before you arrive, the distances are not that long but there are hills and a few gravel days so you should be confident on a bike and have the stamina to deal with it. There's lots of red wine and steak if you want it but the food is varied with a lot of traditional stews and empanadas. Take some bags of sweets to share (chocolate eclairs as the Argentinians appear to be mad for Dulche de Leche ). Also we spent three days before the trip in Santiago de Chile based in Provincia (lots of do and see from hills to history) and three days after the trip in Buenos Aires based in Palermo (very arty, bohemian and safe) which just gave us a much greater love of the region.