Cycling along the Utcubamba river in North Peru today, my bicycle and I achieved a little milestone on this journey. We completed 10,000 km out of 25,000 km from Ushuaia to Alaska. It was hot today but the sun was behind the clouds, so I took a little break along the road and tried to recollect the memories from this trip through the Americas which began about 11 months ago in Ushuaia, Argentina–the southernmost city in the world.
The memories of cycling in the windy Patagonia, stunning Careterra Austral and busy Ruta 5 road in Chile, scenic lake district of Argentina, the mars-like Atacama desert, the wild and cold Laguna Route in Bolivian Altiplano, and of course, the mountainous great divide route of Peru. Every memory was crystal clear.
Here are some stats from the first 10,000 km of this journey on a Stevens Bikes P18 bicycle:
Total distance: 10,061 km
Total days: 318
Total rides: 169
Total time: 829 hours 06 minutes
Avg distance / day: 60 km
Total elevation gain: 113,662 m
Countries: Argentina (1000 km), Chile (4600 km), Bolivia (1300 km), Peru (3100 km)
Journey completed: 40%
Distance left to Alaska: 15,000 km
Weight loss: 13 kg (from 78kg to 65kg)
Total tyre punctures: 4
