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.

CNN: The loneliest cowboy in the world