Tourists visiting the Huilo Huilo Reserve will discover a summer full of news, because the Reserve has two new attractions for bike fans. The Huilo Huilo Biological Reserve has the ideal conditions for mountain bike and aims to become Chile’s main mountain bike destination.
Over 200 people came to the opening of the new attraction in the Los Ríos Region. Authorities, families and groups of friends, -experts and beginners- showed up with their skates, roller skates and bicycles to test the largest pump track in Latin America and celebrate that Chile, for the third consecutive year, won the “South America’s Best Adventure Tourism Destination” award in the World Travel Awards. This was a national achievement that Huilo Huilo wanted to celebrate by opening a medium and experts’9-track Bike Park, and the largest Velosolution pump track in Latin America, with 340 linear meters suitable for beginners and experts.
The event had live music with the Chilean rock band, Kuervos del Sur, and demos of renowned local riders, such as Pedro Burns, Matias Musso, Daniel Galleguillos, who tested the Velosolution pump track, which with its total 1,500 square meters, and its 340 linear meters will be the largest one in Latin America. The new attraction, located in Portal de los Ciervos, is one of the country’s most advanced pump track, as it allows many different combinations and trails, and it is suitable for beginners and professionals. It is made of asphalt, but yet keeping a harmonious relationship with the surrounding environment and nature. There are only one hundred tracks like this one in the world, and they can be found in 21 countries.
On the other hand, the Bike Park will offer a unique experience to expert bikers, who will go up through the Patagonian Forest on the Cóndor Andino cable car –the only cable car in southern Chile- until reaching the top at 1,150 m a.s.l. They can also ride uphill through an old forest road. There they will find one of the most amazing views in the reserve, the Mocho Choshuenco volcanic massif and the towns of Neltume and Puerto Fuy, as well as the Pirehueico Lake. From there, you will begin the descent through the Bike Park’s 9 tracks, suitable only for intermediate and expert bikers. Four of those tracks offer jumps and curves, and the other five ones, are located in a natural trail that crosses the dense forest. In total, you will cross 642 meters of slope between the highest and the lowest part of the Bike Park.
The Huilo Huilo Reserve – known worldwide by the surreal architecture of its hotels and the conservation of endangered species, such as the South Andean deer (huemul) and Darwin’s frog- is constantly renovating its offer and surprising tourists with new attractions. Nualik Burucker, Development and Outdoor Services Manager of the Biological Reserve, said that “Huilo Huilo aims to become the country’s main mountain bike destination, thanks to the landscape, the panoramic views and the unique trails that the Reserve offers. As a tourist destination, we aim to promote outdoors sports and connection with nature; this is why we are proud to support this activity, which allows to enjoy the amazing scenery of southern Chile and to continue being world-class outdoor tourism leaders. Rates are accessible, because the full-day Pump Track pass costs Ch$ 6,000 pesos per person, and the helmet and bike rental cost Ch$ 4,000”.
Christian Yantani, Sports Secretary of the Los Ríos Region, said “we appreciate the contribution of the Huilo Huilo Reserve with high-quality sports infrastructure, thus allowing to enhance the life quality of our children and young ones from the rural areas of Neltume, Puerto Fuy and Choshuenco, besides adding value to our beautiful natural areas with the practice of physical activity”.
MOUNTAIN BIKE DESTINATION
In recent years, the Huilo Huilo Biological Reserve has naturally become a mountain bike destination in Chile by receiving important competitions such as the National ‘Montenbaik’ Enduro Series Championship, and the famous international competition Trasandes Challenge and Trasandes Enduro, which have been taking place in the Reserve for the last five years.
It also has Bagualito Park, a school that teaches this sport to 35 children of Neltume and Puerto Fuy, initiative developed by the athlete Francisco Duath, known as the Ironman of Neltume, and supported by the Huilo Huilo Foundation.
