How Austral Trails Kept 100 Patagonia Cyclists Connected with ZOLEO
Introduction
Austral Trails designs cycling adventures across Latin America. For the first Final Frontier Patagonia, 100 cyclists from 24 countries had up to 24 days to travel independently through remote Chile and Argentina. Riders managed their own food, lodging and mechanical needs, while organizers needed dependable visibility across a field that could span nearly 3,000 kilometres. With cellular coverage disappearing for days, off-grid communication was essential to preserving the unsupported nature of the event.
When a rider got stuck during a storm, ZOLEO let us check to see if they were warm, dry, and if they had water and food.
Mercedes Weise
Creative Director, Austral Trails
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Connect with an ExpertChallenge
For Final Frontier Patagonia, a rider stranded beyond cell coverage could mean days without contact, leaving organizers unable to confirm their condition or determine what help they needed.
Key Challenges:
- Cell service could disappear for several days
- Riders spread across nearly 3,000 kilometres
- Weather and road conditions changed quickly
- Organizers needed context beyond a moving map dot
During an out-of-season rainstorm, about 12 riders approached or entered a 73-kilometre section of Route 40 with no mobile signal or built shelter. Two riders remained in the section. Organizers needed to know whether they were warm and dry, had food and water, and could continue or needed help.
Solutions
After comparing alternatives, Austral Trails equipped every cyclist with ZOLEO, with additional devices assigned to the event's two vehicles.
Location Share+ Tracking
Location Share+ sent rider positions approximately every 12 minutes to Follow My Challenge, giving organizers, families and event followers a live view of progress, stops and distance to checkpoints.
Two-Way Satellite Messaging
Riders and organizers could exchange messages beyond cellular coverage to confirm conditions, coordinate stops and resupply, report road issues and stay in touch with family.
Check-Ins and SOS
Austral Trails trained riders on check-ins, the ZOLEO mobile app and SOS, giving participants straightforward ways to confirm they were okay or escalate an emergency.
Remote Coordination Across 3,000 km
ZOLEO devices in two media vehicles let crews working at opposite ends of the field follow one another and exchange messages when cellular service was unavailable.
Outcome
ZOLEO gave Austral Trails ongoing visibility and two-way communication while allowing riders to remain responsible for their own journeys.
- Organizers could check on stopped or delayed riders directly.
- Riders shared weather, road and resupply information.
- Families could follow rider progress from home.
- Staff vehicles stayed coordinated beyond cellular coverage.
Austral Trails plans to keep using ZOLEO for future unsupported events and expand rider training so participants can make fuller use of tracking, messaging and safety features.
You cannot organize an event of this nature without tracking the participants. Having communication that goes both ways gives organizers, riders and their families greater peace of mind.
Mercedes Weise
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