The Carretera Austral could be one of the most spectacular and challenging cycle tours in the world.

BBC: Chile��s land of ice-blue lakes

For riders on the Carretera Austral, this could mean years of major roadworks and heavy dam-building machinery on the route.

BBC: Chile��s land of ice-blue lakes

So, in 1976, the Chilean Army Engineering Command began construction on the Carretera Austral, forever changing Patagonia and its residents.

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Los dirigentes campesinos mantienen actualmente una huelga de hambre y un bloqueo en una carretera del altiplano, en exigencia de varias demandas al gobierno.

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Before the carretera (highway), the only road access to this remote part of Patagonia involved travelling through neighbouring Argentina, meaning that the region retains a spectacularly rugged, unspoiled environment and a strong identity.

BBC: Chile��s land of ice-blue lakes