The starting point is Pucón, in the Araucanía region in Chilean Patagonia, a city easily accessible from Araucanía airport (Temuco). This year the Base Camp will be Hotel Enjoy Pucón by Specialized, with restaurant and a unique local experience. The challenge is to cross Chile in 130 hours, from November 23 to 28, 2025, in Gravel / Bikepacking mode, through one of the most challenging routes at the end of the world, covering 8,00 kilometers of history among the Baqueano peoples. You will explore the Andes mountain range in various different climbs, accumulating more than 12,000 meters of ascent.
The terrain is mixed with 70% gravel and 30% paved roads. You can take part with a Gravel bike or a mountain bike (MTB), but the fastest will win. Below you can see our recommended setup, a Gravel bike with 40c or more tyres and Apidura Bikepacking equipment.
Based on this event's terrain, difficulty and riding style.
At 800 km with 12000 m of elevation gain, Across Andes Volcano is roughly the distance of 19 marathons back to back, with climbing that adds up to more than 1.4 times the height of Mount Everest.
A Gravel Bike is the right tool for Across Andes Volcano. Set it up with 45-50mm Tubeless rubber and gear it low — a 38-40T (1x) chainring and 10-51T cassette will keep you spinning on the steeper sections.
We rate Across Andes Volcano as Advanced overall. Riders should be ready for rough, technical terrain for a good stretch of the route, steadily rolling, with a healthy amount of climbing elevation gain, and mild and generally comfortable conditions.
Across Andes Volcano runs on November 22, 2026, placing it firmly in the spring riding season, when weather can still be unpredictable, so a flexible kit is worth packing.
Across Andes Volcano's route is gravel. Plan your tire choice around 45-50mm Tubeless for the best combination of speed and comfort.