4-Xtremes – Part 72: Expedition to Tierra del Fuego’s Atlantic coast

Series: 4-Xtremes – The World Tour

Rusting giant.

Andrea and Mike’s long journey north begins with a very short leg to the Atlantic coast – to a very special "lost place".

On the road north – and straight into the winter of the southern hemisphere.


At the "end of the world" we have already experienced the first snow, and autumn has now begun on Tierra del Fuego. We start heading northeast and as we cross the Paso Garibaldi, colourful trees brighten up the pass road on the left before the snow-covered peaks.

Sunshine and low winds are forecast for the next few days. A single-lane, well-maintained dirt road branches off the main road and leads to the Atlantic. It passes by a number of farms – estancias – as well as over some small bridges. The first bridge has a 21 tonne weight restriction. Once again, we are relieved to know that our Axor weighs only 12 tonnes.


The "Desdemona" was beached in Tierra del Fuego during an emergency. And as a result the captain saved the lives of his crew.
The "Desdemona" was beached in Tierra del Fuego during an emergency. And as a result the captain saved the lives of his crew.
The "Desdemona" was beached in Tierra del Fuego during an emergency. And as a result the captain saved the lives of his crew.
The "Desdemona" was beached in Tierra del Fuego during an emergency. And as a result the captain saved the lives of his crew.
The "Desdemona" was beached in Tierra del Fuego during an emergency. And as a result the captain saved the lives of his crew.
The "Desdemona" was beached in Tierra del Fuego during an emergency. And as a result the captain saved the lives of his crew.
The "Desdemona" was beached in Tierra del Fuego during an emergency. And as a result the captain saved the lives of his crew.
The "Desdemona" was beached in Tierra del Fuego during an emergency. And as a result the captain saved the lives of his crew.

Circling to our destination.

Our destination is Cabo San Pablo: a long bay where the "Desdemona" found her final resting place, one of these very special "lost places" that we love to visit. We find a wind-sheltered spot, but over the last few metres we have to circle around. For the first time in a long time, the Axor had to squash itself up to get around the bend.

The "Desdemona" is a Hamburg freighter that was sold to Argentina in 1962. In 1985, the captain deliberately beached the leaking ship in a storm, saving the lives of the 20 sailors on board. At low tide, we walk to the wreck on the beach. The water is so low that we can climb into the ship's bow. Since the "Desdemona" is beached on its side, it is a strange feeling to climb up its rusted ladders.



Explore the wreck, clear the deck.

After this scrambling, the bay turns out to be the perfect place to clear the deck. Do the laundry, tidy up, check out the Axor – and enjoy the warmth. A curious fox even stops by. We remain quiet so that the little rascal bravely approaches to just a few metres.

As lonely as it is here, we are certainly not alone. One of the houses on the bay even has a small restaurant serving fresh empanadas with the fish they've caught.


Time flies, the nights are getting noticeably colder, and since the weather forecast is predicting more snow and rain, we start off again. Off to the north!


4-Xtremes – The World Tour.

An unparalleled journey.

Andrea and Mike Kammermann have been on tour in their Axor for three years. "4-Xtremes – The World Tour" is the motto of the journey that the two Swiss nationals embarked on in mid-2020 and which they share with the RoadStars community. Keep up to date and don't miss out on any of the stunning destinations visited by the adventurous pair.

You can find the current parts from the “4-Xtremes – The World Tour” series here.

You can find the route of the trip before the crossing to South America here.

 


Photos: 4-Xtremes

21 comments