After the record

Location:

Lapatia

Finishing such a huge ride has left us drained and exhilerant at the same time. But once we were signed off in Ushuaia, there was still an unofficial task to do. The road south, "Ruta 3" still continues for a further 25 kms out of Ushuaia, into Tierra del Fuego National Park and to Bahia Lapatia.

It is here that the Overland Motorcycle Mecca exists - the sign which states "Aqui finalisa Ruta 3" and gives the kms (as the crow flies!) to Alaska. Anyone who has ridden there bike from the very top to the very bottom (and many more who have only done part of the journey but got here on their bikes), take a photo by this sign.

And it was the same for us. Just a couple of hours aftering finishing the record and after a hot cup of coffee, we are at the sign, for a second time in our lives. Both times two-up on a BMW GS. But the circumstances could not be different. Our first time was on a 10 year old R80GS, having ridden for 6 months from Miami; our second on a 6 month old R1150GS Adventure, having ridden 35 days from Prudhoe Bay!

For us, this was the true finish. Ahead the ocean, behind the mountains and nowhere further to ride the bike, except back the way we came.

And so as well, it is not over. Both us and the bike have to get back to England and that is no mean feat. It is another 3,000 miles ride for us back to Santiago, Chile. From here the bike is air freighted to Madrid and we ride it back through Spain, France, catch the ferry to Dover and ride home.

Our journey back north takes us back through the Caraterra Austral and the Chilean Lake District, awesome riding so watch our progress back home here!