The easiest time to visit Chile’s Carretera Austral and Northern Patagonia is in summertime. Transportation is more frequent. Cabañas, campground, lodges and inns blossom along the highway. Every village has its jineteadas (rodeos) and anniversary celebrations, which are much like country fairs, featuring asados al palo (meat roasted on an upright spit over a wood fire), traditional games, music, dancing and the election of the festival queen. The weather is warmer and a bit more stable, though heavy rains can still affect road conditions. Bicyclists recount the tribulations of the winds. Between fall and winter, many places close, but that doesn’t exclude a winter visit, which allows for great skiing and other snow sports, although fewer services function and transportation is much scarcer along much of the Carretera Austral.