NOTE:
Do not underestimate this trip! It is only for the experienced touring cyclist. You should have a lot of experience in planning such a trip and in navigation. The road is partly in very bad condition and there is no water for long stretches!
The complete tour is in hights between 4000 - 4950m. Prior acclimatisation is important.
There are different maps for this region. But they are more or less useless for this trip. Best is, if you use a  route description and a sketch map sketch map. If you have a GPS, you can follow my waypoints (not really necessary).
During the season there are daily 10-20 Jeeps with tourists travelling along that route. They can help in case of an emergency.
There is no rescue organisation in Bolivia! If you cycle this route, you have to be fit and carefull. Illness or an accident can get you in serious trouble!
One of the main problems of this route, is the water. Water is available at the Campamentos at Laguna Blanca and Colorado, at the Campamento Corina and in Chiguana. I doubt, that you can drink the water of the different Lagunas, although I did not try it.
The longest disctance with no water is from Laguna Colorado to the Campamento Corina (100km, 3 days) or to Chiguana (160km, 3+days). I carried 18 liters of water for this part!
The road until Laguna Colorado is quite ok. After that, it gets sandy with washboard. I had to push the bike for totally 15km (can be very hard in deep sand). Daily stages of 30-50km are realistic.
For the strech from Laguna Blance to the Salar de Uyuni you should plan with at least 5-8 days.
During the season there is mostly a clear sky. Temperatures during the day are quite comfortable. I used to cycle in long windstopper cycling pants, shirt and gloves. In the afternoon there is often a strong wind (mostly comming from W or SW). At night the temperatures drop to -15°C, a good sleeping bag is important.
The best season is from august to october. Before that time, there is often snow blocking the road (can vary from year to year). In november the raining season starts.
- Do not underestimate the salar, although cycling is easy and there are many tourists
- There are some holes in the usually flat surface. Don't end up in one of this, while dreaming during the cycling...
- On the Isla Inkawasi (Pescado) you can get water and there is a restaurant
- After the Salar, do clean your bike from the salt! Once it dries, the salt gets are hard as stone!
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My cycle tours
