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Dog.O.Mobil on Tour

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South America 2024 and beyond

    Where do you find the Dog.O.Mobil at the moment?

    Pictures from previous tours

    Peru

    Condoroma

    Peru

    Uros Islands

    Chile

    Ruta 11

    Chile

    Dust road at the salar Atacama

    Argentinia

    Salinas Grandes de Jujuy

    Argentinia

    Laguna Blanca, Puna

    Chile / Argentinia

    Paso Agua Negra

    Chile

    Sunrise near Combarbala

    Chile

    Santiago skyline

    Chile

    Estero Nuevo Reino

    Chile - Volcano Osorno

    Chile - Isla Grande de Chiloé

    On X12

               Chile

    Puerto Grosse

               Chile

    Lago Gral Carrera

               Chile

    Lago Posadas

               Argentina

    Lago Belgrano

               Argentina

    El Calafate

               Argentinien

    Lago Amarga

               Chile

    Morning view

    Bahia el Bote

               Chile

    R255

               Chile

    Volcan Lanin

    Argentina

    Reserva La Payunia

    Argentina

    The Andes from RN 149

    Argentina

    Parque Provincial Ischigualasto

    Argentina

    Quebrada de los Cuervos

    Uruguay

    Cementerio Central

    Uruguay

    Patio de Escuelas Menores

    Salamanca, Spain

    Black Forrest

    Mt Feldberg

    Denmark

    Nyborg

    Norway

    Røssvatnet

    Lodingen

    Norway

    Norway

    Hinnoya

    One of many lakes

    Sweden

    Demark

    Øresundbron

    France

    Jura

    Vosges

    France

    Boshtova

    Albania

    Bulgaria

    Near Kasanlak

    Klisura Rijeke Pive

    Montenegro

    Wrocław

    Poland

    Greece

    near Arkadiko Chorio

    Senj

    Croatia

    Slovakia

    Štrbské Pleso

    Danube

    Romania

    Bosnia and Herzegovina

    near Kalinovik

    near Constanța

    Romania

    Poland

    near Poznań

    towards Berat

    Albania

    Andromonástēro

    Greece

    Maramureș

    Romania

    Impressions

    Peru

    When I look at the top destinations in Peru, the Rainbow Mountains, Vinicunca and Palcoyo are among the top 5 destinations. It was only by chance that I came across Pallay Punchu at Laguna Langui.

    I had already seen various cerros with many colors, but this idyll at 4,700 m inspired me. Probably also because I only came across 10 tourists in 2 days compared to the hundreds a day at the Rainbow Mountains and the whole thing is free.

    At Pallay Punchu - Layo Canas the alpaccas still graze freely along the road

    Peru

    The ride from Laguna Pomacanchi to Campi was spectacular. Before Acomayo I left Ruta 117 and drove the next hour on the steep slopes of the mountains. The road in Campi was tight and bumpi however thereafter was great. The views from my pitch were reward enough.

    The hike to Waqrapukara was too much for me. However the outlook during the hike was worth the 15 km on approx 4'000 m.a.s.l.

    Another example for a less touristy location in Peru, I saw 3 other hikers that day

    Peru

    Yesterday, more by chance than by design, I found myself on the Ruta 34 E with the Dog.O.Mobil on a pass that has no name but is 4'789 meters above sea level. If you are looking for it, its location on Google Maps is about here

    I couldn't really enjoy it much, as it rained, snowed and stormed all afternoon at over 4'500 m.a.s.l. What's more, the Ruta 34 E was the worst fucxxxx dust road in South America for me. I had never had so many potholes over 25 km before.

     

     

     

    Bolivia

    Puerto de Tiquina on Lake Titicaca is a ferry port where wooden ferries still bring everything from cars to trucks to the other side of the lake.

    It only takes about 15 minutes and costs less than €5. Many Europeans can't imagine such a thing 🥳

    Chile - Lago Chungará

    What can I say, after crossing the Paso Agua Negra at over 4'700 m.s.a.l without any problems, I had been looking for higher and higher pitches over the last few weeks.

    At Lago Chungará I cracked 4'500 m.a.s.l. It wasn't just the altitude, but also the fact that I drove up from Arica (sea level) with just one stop.

    The pitch was brilliant, the view unbeatable. Temperatures at night were below -5 Celsius and I had to leave the parking heater on all night for the first time. But I didn't feel too bad at that altitude.

    Chile - Lago Chungará

    My last stop in Chile was Lago Chungará at the border to Bolivia. There are so many volcanoes and mountains in the Parque Nacional Lauca that this national park is definitely my favourite in Chile.

    Firstly, because the panorama at over 4'500 metres is hard to describe, but it is brilliant. Secondly, because the wildlife at this altitude has so much more to offer besides llamas, flamingos, pumas and vincunas.

    But if I'm honest, the altitude did get to me. I was glad to go to lower altitudes in Bolivia

    Atacama

    In the last 2 weeks I have seen one or two llamas, then groups and at the weekend herds. They can reach almost two meters in length, weigh up  to 190 kg

    I stayed with a breeder who had more than 200. The animals are so damn photogenic and the little ones are really cute.

    Argentinia

    I've been traveling through the Puna for days. I crossed passes up to 4'500 meters above sea level on the way and descended again in the evening to a maximum of 3'500 m.a.s.l.

    Worked well. When I was standing at the Cone de Arita yesterday, I told myself that I had to break the 4'000 m.a.s.l. barrier for a pitch. I slept last night at 4'055 m.a.s.l. I feel brilliant! However I have to say it was fresh this morning with 2.5 Celsius outside

    Argentina

    The Salar de Arizaro is a salt lake in the center of the Puna and lies at an altitude of 3,460 m.a.s.l. The ‘Cono de Arita’ is one of the sights of the Salar and one of my first goals for South America. Goal achieved!

    The last 20 kilometers to the Cone de Arita are some of the worst Ripio tracks I have driven to date. I crawled along the track at 10 to 20 km/h at 25 degrees

    Chile / Argentinia

    It's around 320 kilometers from Vicuña, CL to Jachal, AR, with the Paso Aqua Negra in between. No really steep sections, tarmac road, but from the Embalse La Laguna you drive on gravel. Not a really bad track, but it's enough. It goes over approx. 158 km from 616 m.a.s.l. to 4'753 m.a.s.l., so it goes up about 25 m per kilometer. It looks similar on the other side in Argentina. 

    I have to say that I was more excited about the journey up and down than the pass itself. Apart from a few signs, there's nothing there. 

    Buchupureo, Chile

    Without warning, this fog forms on the Pacific coast. The temperature quickly drops from over 25 degrees to well below 20 degrees.

    I found this phenomenon so interesting that I made a video with the drone. Unfortunately, the drone crashed after almost 25 minutes. I couldn't find it afterwards. The next morning, Marcus, Siegfried and I tried again. With success!

    Chile R801

    I drove for approx 1 hour on R-801 and it was one of the most spectacular valleys in Chile so far. But this tiny little bridge, or better what was left of it forced me to go back to Lonquimay. So I had twice the opportunity to enjoy the valley you could say, correct!

    The whole R-801 is a gravel road, however the last 20 min to the missing bridge was covered in a black powder, so fine that it got into the car through every crack. Guess what I did the day after 🥴

     

    Chile

    Arrived at Lago Llanquihue in the late afternoon after a hike in the Parque Nacional Alerce Andino. What a view of the Osorno Volcano! Should be doable for me!

    In the evening I looked at the weather forecast and I knew that it wouldn't be Osorno. Rain for the next few days. The next morning, the volcano was covered in clouds. It would be a different day and a different volcano!

    Chile

    If there's one thing I'll remember, it's the bad weather along the Carretera Austral. Below travel blog post didn't quite apply to me.

    Patagonia in the dry season (December to February). During these months the temperatures are very warm, averaging 20° C, and the amount of rainfall is much lower than in the rest of the year. This is the high season and best time to travel anywhere in Chile

    Chile

    What do you do when your mind says no, but you really want to see the glaciers from your pitch..... 2 hours later I was out again. 

    Thanks to Elisabeth and Carlheinz. Without help it would have taken much longer. 

     

    Chile

    After 2 weeks in Argentinian Patagonia, I crossed over to the Carretera Austral (R7) in Chile. The journey to Paso Roballos and the border station were definitely a highlight for me.

    Next stop Cochrane. Refuelling and shopping

    Argentina

    I am still not able to grasp the sheer distances in the Santa Cruz Province and as I call it the Estepa Province

    Hardly a journey between 2 must-see spots under 300 kilometers and mostly on tiringly straight roads. Only the wind forces you to stay alert

    Argentina

    Finally I have seen Fitz Roy. For me the most beautiful place in Patagonia. Even after a 19 km hike I felt so balanced and relaxed

    Argentina

    At 8:00 this morning I entered the NP Los Glaciars to visit the Perito Moreno Glacier.  Paid 45 € and 30 min later I was one of many others, that drove the only one road that gets you to the Mirador. The viewpoint is nicely arranged with pathes that gives you the opportunity to see the Glacier from all angles. 

    Chile

    New Year's Eve is like Valentine's Day 

    Some people party, others sit in front of the TV and I celebrate in Patagonia without fireworks and a TV

    Happy New Year!

     

    Chile

     

    I wish you a Merry Christmas 

    from the shores of the Pacific Ocean

    north of Punta Arenas

    Chile

    After almost a week of rain and strong winds, I can once again enjoy a cup of coffee in front of the Dog.O.Mobil with a view of Tierra Del Fuego.

    It's only 13 Celsius, but it feels so good. Afterwards I make myself a campfire to round off the Saturday in style

    Chile

    Last spring, I wanted to know how many kilometers I would cover on this tour. Furkot had planned around 32,000 kilometers from Montevideo to Cartagena in Colombia. The distance to Tierra del Fuego was to be around 5,500 kilometers and the direct route (along the RN3) around 3,000 kilometers.

    Up to the border in Monte Aymond it was finally 7,600 km. All the small detours to avoid traveling on the RN40 added up to 2,000 km.

    Argentina

    In Rio Gallegos, at the wreck, the driver's door was almost torn off. It was windy, but the gusts of wind were fierce. The door wouldn't close, warped, and a hinge was broken. Drove 25 km with the broken door to the next workshop

    A VW workshop repaired it. They just laughed about the rookie error.... But they were so helpful

    Argentina

    Drove from Puerto San Julián to Rio Gallegos and only saw 1 city next to the RN3. 2 junctions and the rest was Estepa, wasteland. Nothing on the left, nothing on the right. Only exits to Estancias which I couldn´t see

    A little bit like in a Mad Max movie

    Argentina

    Once upon a time, there was a proud drone owner who wanted to make beautiful videos of flamingos. But there was a flamingo that didn't know right from left. The drone is now R.I.P on Mar Chiquita

    Uruguay

    A comparsa parades very slowly down the street in Palermo. A comparsa group of candombe drummers and dancers

    Uruguay

    I have just received the picture from the agent. Friday 25th 18:00 local time. The Dog.O.Mobil is in the harbor and with a bit of luck I'll be able to take delivery of it on Monday

    Uruguay

    On Oct 23rd the Grande Francia arrived in the harbor of Montevideo around 11:00 in the evening. Now everything just has to be in and on the Dog.O.Mobil🤪. Over 9 month of preparation finally goes into action.

    Germany

    On Sept 9th I handed over the Sprinter in Hamburg with the support of Overlander Shipping Hamburg. The whole process took less than 45 minutes. Expected arrival in Montevideo is Oct 7th. As shit happens, the Dog.O.Mobil will be on a later vessel and only arrive on the Oct 19th

    Previous posts

    21 April 2025

    What can I say, I was afraid of entering Bolivia. When I arrived at the FRONTERA TAMBO QUEMADO, I was amazed. Directly at the border, there was a complex for entering Chile and a few meters further on, on the other side, the same for entering Bolivia.

    13 April 2025

    Paso Jamas is the northernmost road border crossing between Argentina and Chile. It connects the R27 (Chile) and RN52 (Argentina) and the cities of Purmamarca in Argentina with San Pedro de Atacama in Chile.

    03 April 2025

    Salta was my first major city since Santiago and the first thing I noticed was that the city was surrounded by greenery. It was drizzling, but that didn't bother me because I had a few things to do

    18 February 2025

    It took only about 45 minutes from Chacao to Puerto Montt. Had paid 3 € for the highway, like in France or Italy. What can I say, it took me another 45 minutes to reach my parking lot near the Intendencia Regional de Los Lagos building.

    27 February 2025

    There are several active volcanoes to the east of Temuco, such as Villarrica (2'840 m.a.s.l.) in the southeast and Llaima (3'125 m.a.s.l.) in Conguillo National Park. I wanted to go a little further northwest to Lonquimay. 

    08 March 2025

    When I picked up Marcus, the country became denser and denser the closer I got to Santiago. As I had time, I drove overland and not on the motorway. I found an interesting pass near Santiago, the Cuesta Lo Prado - Pudahuel .

    17 March 2025

    After dropping Marcus off at the airport, I travelled north on the Panamericana Norte (Ruta 5) towards the Pacific. I had decided against Valparaiso and Viña del Mar as I had had enough of cities for the time being.

    25 March 2025

    After crossing the border at Las Flores, I wanted to end the day at Lago Cuesta del Viento and post a few pictures. I was proud of myself. My first pass over 4'000 m.a.s.l. As the name suggests, the lake is known for its wind and kite surfers.

    08 February 2025

    After a 4-hour ferry ride, I arrived in Quellón in fine weather. I did not only arrive in Quellón I also entered the Región de Los Lagos. After Región de Aysén del General Carlos Ibáñez del Campo and Región de Magallanes y de la Antártica Chilena, this was my 3rd province.

    30 January 2025

    After the Paso Roballos, I was hoping for a good Chilean road. Too bad. The road through the Patagonia National Park (Chile) is pretty battered.

    26 January 2025

    In Puerto Río Tranquil I turned off onto the X728. Pitches were a dime a dozen and the North Patagonian Ice Field was my backdrop.

    17 February 2025

    After I had crossed the border in Cerro Castillio on 1.1.25 in the morning at 9.30 a.m. in 40 minutes. The Chileans had checked my van on entering Chile, but no Argentinian wanted to look at it.

    01 January 2025

    On 20 December, I took the Dog.O.Mobil in the direction of Mont Aymond. After I refueled the van I left Rio Gallegos towards the Border

    19 December 2024

    As we travelled on from El Bolsón, I knew that El Bolsón was/is the hippie capital of Argentina. As in Germany, it dated back to the 60s and 70s. I certainly didn't notice much of it. 

    16 December 2024

    Ute and Stefan had checked the whole thing out in advance and Darwin Expediciones had gathered enough people to drive to Isla Pingüino. 

    08 December 2024

    On the weekend north of Lago Ñorquinco, I tackled all sorts of things. Saturday was just perfect in the sunshine to carry out repairs, clean the van and take a dip in the Rio Remeco.

    07 December 2024

    After the disappointment of buying wine, we headed south on the RN40. We travelled via Tunuyan and San Carlos on the RN40 to Pareditas.

    01 December 2024

    I was having breakfast at the El Mangrullo campsite in Mendoza when I realized that I hadn't made any notes over the last few days. 

    01 December 2024

    When you see the usual posts on Instagram, YT or Pinterest, you think Argentina consists of the Andes and Patagonia. Together with the Hyggies, I made my way to the mountains

    01 December 2024

    The Parque Provincial Ischigualasto was the first national park in which we planned to do a guided tour with our own cars.

    01 December 2024

    I hadn't found much about Uruguay beforehand, and hadn't actually done much searching. The few things I did find didn't send me into raptures. I would have done Montevideo in 3 days if I hadn't had to pick up the van.

    29 October 2024

    Montevideo has around 1.3 million inhabitants and is the capital of Uruguay. The city was founded by Spain in 1724, where the Ciudad Vieja stands today.

    01 January 2025

    The Dog.O.Mobil is on the vessel and I am waiting for the flight to Buenos Aires. Preparation completed ✅

    28 January 2024

    The Dog.O.Mobil scratches the 3.5to mark on every tour and I tried to figure out what makes it so heavy. I found the YT video from bergbrise-camping EVERY SECOND MOTORHOME OVERLOADED? informative and rejected the idea of increasing the load to 4to. It was more of a coincidence that I noticed that my Ikea kitchen is significantly heavier than I thought. So I saw potential here

    10 March 2024

    As usual I have a plan and their is reality. My plan was to explore Norway from South to North and go back south in Sweden. To reduce costs we decided to go with the Dog.O.Mobil to Copenhagen on the road, cross the Öresundbron (bridge) and explore Sweden first. I have to say... Like many other in 2023

    12 August 2023

    I use Komoot for 3 years now. In case I am too lazy to plan my own tour , I am going to use a Komoot recommendation.

    12 August 2023

    I don't live far from the Jura, but I haven't seen much. It was Kevin Mercier's blog "Kevmrc" that persuaded me to spend a few days in the Jura

    12 August 2023

    February at the Swiss border had been sunny and actually much too warm. Since I had assumed that things would continue like this, I had considered the trip to the Vosges.

    07 January 2025

    My journey to travel with a van started a few years ago with an off-road training and the idea of driving down the Pan Americana from Alaska to Patagonia. It was the  book and blog of Dan Grec who in one go inspired and scared me away.

    10 February 2024

    2 weeks before the end of the sabbatical, my sister-in-law asked me "Did it bring you what you were looking for?" After about 17'500 km and my last hike to the Puy de Sancy, I started thinking about it on the way home

    09 October 2022

    Once again I'm sitting here and don't know what to write about the wonderful Pyrenees. I can't get a song about mountains, valleys and lakes out of my head, and it took me a while to find it -> "Mountains and Valleys" from Bender & Schillinger

    13 September 2022

    This morning I started in Font Romeu in France, or better said the ski resort. It was fresh at 9:00 <only 15 degrees>. My planned path should lead me past the Spain enclave of Llívia to Andorra.

    10 October 2022

    The Ardeche valley was beautiful, but hot and crowded. I couldn't bring myself to look for a parking space in the valley itself. I prefer it cool at night 😉

    05 October 2022

    The first thing that struck me was the better developed roads on the French side of the Col de la Lombarde. Isola, better Isola 2000, the first stop, is a typical winter sports resort. While there are some summer tourists, the ski slopes, lifts, and ambiance screams ski-resort.

    11 September 2022

    After a week in the Maremma with well over 30 Celsius almost every day and, worst of all, mosquitoes, I'm on my way now. The time with my friends in Ribolla was nice, I ate too much and didn't really move.

    11 September 2022

    After 4 weeks at home I left today <10.08>. It started at 31 degrees and a bright blue sky

      South America Videos

       
      26 April 2025 / 0 views
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      • Updated
        22 April 2025
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