HOW DO YOU PREPARE FOR A MOTORCYCLE TRIP FROM ALASKA TO PATAGONIA?
Every trip starts with an idea, a vision even.
After having watched The Long Way [Round, Up, Down, and Home] I get the feeling that this is something I can do too.
Take away their entire crew and their back-up trucks, the camera men, the fame, and add in a slightly less new motorcycle with a less experienced rider (= me), a hint of anxiety, some new adventure gear, and I can practically start.
Right?
Technically, yes. But there’s a few things to consider before you leave:
When do you go?
Where do you go?
How do you go?
Why do you go?
WHEN
My schedule allowed me to ship my bike in March/April and start driving in early May.
Initially, I wanted to drive upwards from Patagonia to Alaska, but I got recommended by a shipping company to follow the Spring and Summer cycle while driving from North to South.
So I did.
This prevented me from getting into potentially dangerous situations with the supposedly crazy gales and winds in Patagonia.
Plus it gave me the opportunity to experience the Pacific Northwest during Spring time. Win-win.
I arrived in Anchorage in the first week of May.
This means that the days are getting longer with a stronger sun, but without the sun it gets cold very fast.
Though, the upside is that most tundras are still frozen and are slowly melting, so there’s a relatively small amount of mosquitos.
I was lucky with a lot of sunshine and blue skies, but if you’ve got some bad luck, you’ll be driving a lot in winter conditions.
Especially up North past Fairbanks.
Part of the Dalton Highway was frozen and Prudhoe Bay was still covered in snow and ice.
Great for memories, but not amazing for a motorcycle.
WHERE
Starting in the Northwest now posed another question: where exactly do you start riding from?
If you’re shipping your bike from Europe (the Netherlands for me) there are two main options: Vancouver (CAN) by cargo ship or Anchorage (USA) by plane.
Generally, seafreight is much cheaper than airfreight. However, Anchorage allowed for customs clearance to be done by myself, which saves a lot of money.
Shipping to Vancouver meant I had to plan for a minimum of 6-8 weeks of my Twin being on the ocean, plus extra time for customs clearance and potential delays.
Don’t forget to add the drive up North from Vancouver to the Polar Circle.
It’s long.
Shipping to Anchorage meant I had to drop off my Twin near Heathrow Airport (UK) at the crating station of Motofreight, share my starting date with the forwarder, and do the custom clearance myself in Alaska.
No delays, no waiting time, but same pricing.
It almost felt to good to be true, but it was true.
My bike got crated, shipped, and arrived in Alaska a few days before I left for Anchorage.
All I had to do was fly to Anchorage, book a hostel, and pick up my Twin.
And that for 2050€.
Important to know for customs clearance:
Your bike needs to have a valid US/CAN insurance before they can clear the motorcycle.
I went with Motorcycle Express who provided me with a full liability package from National General Insurance Company valid in the US and in Canada.
Make sure you get this coverage before you do the clearance to prevent raised eyebrows.
HOW
We all have our own preferences for how we travel and what experiences we want to have.
Sleep in a tent, roadside motel, RV-park, 5-star luxury hotel (depending on your budget), couchsurfing; there’s many options to pick from.
I packed a tent, sleeping bag, air mattress, and made sure that I was able to set up camp wherever I went.
Especially in Alaska this comes in handy, as sleeping inbetween walls is expensive.
Being from the Netherlands, it took some time to get used to big wildlife being present in the same area as myself.
The only wildlife we have is domesticated milk cows.
In Alaska, I visited seaside campsites, not-so-pretty RV-parks, and some hostels (if there were any that looked nice).
With the passing of weeks you’ll get more comfortable and confident sleeping by yourself in nature.
But having some human company and not being all by myself was always nice.
Tip: If you’re early in the season like I was, most campsites will be empty during the week and you’ll often be solo camping.
During the weekends, more people are starting to go out as well and you’ll be able to connect more with locals.
Prepare for cold and short nights.
WHY
The most important part of your preparation: the why.
What is it inside of you that makes you able to, and want to, endure extreme conditions, long riding days, uncertainty, and risks?
Do you love the adventure side of it all? Meeting new people? Seeing new places? Tasting new foods?
What drives you forward today and keeps you driving forward many weeks from now when it gets tough?
You can write entire books about this part, dissect your life’s path and ego, but it all comes down to this small three letter word: why.
Go deep and get this straight before you leave.
It’ll make things a lot easier.
