Ride & Rewild: Patagonia one pedal at a time
A 22-day solo bikepacking journey through the Carretera Austral. One woman, one bike, and one thousand wild kilometres — carrying the stories of Patagonia’s Ruta de los Parques into the world.
Ride & Rewild is a self-supported solo bikepacking expedition across the first half of Chile’s Ruta de los Parques — a 2,800 km conservation corridor connecting 17 national parks.
Starting at Caleta La Arena and ending in Coyhaique, the ride will cross rainforests, fjords, and glaciers.
It’s not just about endurance — it’s about listening to wild places, telling their stories, and reminding us that conservation is not a distant concept, but something we carry with us on every step and every pedal stroke.
What Guides This Journey
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Showcasing National Patrimony
The Ruta de los Parques is more than a road — it’s Chile’s living heritage. By pedaling through its forests, fjords, and mountains, I’ll share stories of biodiversity and conservation, spotlighting why this route is one of the most ambitious rewilding efforts on Earth.
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Personal Reconnection
After a decade abroad, I return to my homeland on two wheels. This ride is about roots, belonging, and listening to the land that shaped me. Through the rhythm of the trail, I’ll reconnect with Chile, my identity, and the stories that live within these wild places.
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Women Doing Brave Things Outdoors
Adventure isn’t reserved for the pros. By taking on this ride, I hope to show that courage lives in everyday explorers — and to inspire more women to step into wild spaces, ride gravel roads, and tell their own stories of resilience and discovery.
Why This Matters Beyond the Trail
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By riding through the Ruta de los Parques, this expedition draws attention to one of the world’s most ambitious rewilding projects. Patagonia’s ecosystems are under threat from mining, salmon farming, and deforestation. By sharing authentic stories from the trail, Ride & Rewild amplifies the importance of conservation tourism and responsible travel to safeguard biodiversity for future generations
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The Ruta de los Parques is not only nature — it is people. Ride & Rewild uplifts stories of Indigenous and rural communities who live alongside these landscapes and act as their stewards. By highlighting eco-tourism initiatives and local entrepreneurship, the journey supports conservation models that strengthen livelihoods, foster pride, and ensure that protection efforts are rooted in local values
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In a world that moves too fast, we often lose touch with the natural systems that sustain us. Ride & Rewild shows how slow, human-powered travel can deepen our connection to the environment — and inspire others to take their own actions, whether that means exploring their local trails or supporting global conservation movements
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Outdoor adventure has long been a male-dominated space. Ride & Rewild highlights women doing brave things — not as elite athletes, but as everyday explorers stepping into challenge and resilience. By sharing this story, the expedition encourages more women to claim space in cycling, conservation, and storytelling, showing that courage belongs to all of us
Meet Karin
I’m Karin — the human behind Chili Trails.
I grew up in Chile, chasing mountains and oceans, but spent the last decade wandering the world. I’ve run rivers from source to sea, picked up trash on trails with The Plastic Runner, and carried my backpack across remote places just to feel closer to the wild.
Now…I’m finally coming home!
Ride & Rewild is my way of reconnecting with Patagonia — the land that raised me, the forests that still smell like childhood, the mountains that have been whispering my name since I left.
This ride is not about being the fastest or the strongest. It’s about listening, pedaling slowly, and sharing stories that might spark something in you — to ride, to rewild, or simply to care more deeply for the places you love.
La Ruta de los Parques de la Patagonia
Stretching 2,800 kilometers through the southern spine of Chile, the Ruta de los Parques is more than a scenic route — it’s one of the boldest conservation projects on Earth. Linking 17 national parks and protecting over 11.8 million hectares of wild land, it is Patagonia’s beating heart.
This is where glaciers carve valleys, temperate rainforests drip with moss and mist, and fjords open into endless ocean. It’s a place where condors ride the wind for hours without a single wingbeat, where pumas slip silently through lenga forests, and where the endangered huemul deer still walks ancient paths.
The route was born from the vision of Doug and Kris Tompkins, who believed wild lands should be protected for everyone, forever. Today, through the work of Rewilding Chile, it stands as a living corridor of biodiversity — a model for how conservation can be scaled at a national level.
This expedition will cover the first half of the route, from Caleta La Arena to Coyhaique — a journey of rainforests, fjords, ferry crossings, gravel climbs, and five national parks, including Pumalín and Queulat.
Huge gracias to the amazing partners!
How to Follow the Ride
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Trail Notes
Expect raw reflections, sketches, and stories fresh from the gravel roads of Patagonia. These posts will be more “field notebook” — a place where I’ll unpack the moments too big for social media.
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Reels & Daily Stories
Short, punchy glimpses into the ride — think condors overhead, ferry crossings, gear in action, and the occasional pep talk from me mid-climb. This is where you’ll feel the pulse of the ride day by day.
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Expedition Dispatches
A slower space. Once a week I’ll send a round-up of trail highlights, lessons, and behind-the-scenes moments. If you want the bigger picture — and not just the daily grind — this is where it will land.
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Bilingual Moments
Most content will be in English to reach more people, but I’ll drop in short bilingual videos en español whenever I can. Because La Ruta de los Parques deserves to be spoken about in its mother tongue too.
Fuel the chaos? ☕
I’m out here riding bikes, chasing stories, and hoping granola counts as a meal.
If you’ve ever thought “she looks like she needs a coffee”… you’re probably right.
You can shout me a coffee here if you wanna support me. Muchas gracias! 💛
