Trip Description: |
We are proud to offer an
adventure of a lifetime on the Futaleufú River in Patagonia, Chile.
The Futaleufú is one of earth's foremost whitewater
runs. Starting in Chilean Patagonia, far beneath the spires and snow-capped
crowns of the Andes, the Fu's turquoise waters pass through granite gorges,
lush vistas and legendary whitewater.
Day One 
Arrive in Buenos Aires, Argentina for your flight connection
to San Carlos de Bariloche. A representative will meet you at the Bariloche
airport and escort you to the "Switzerland of the South" that lies on Lake
Nahuel Huapi. Check into a lovely hotel with lake views located within walking
distance of town. Your afternoon can be spent swimming, walking around town,
shopping for Argentina's famous leather goods, sampling Bariloche's delicious
chocolate or going for a walk along the lakefront. There is also an option to
go for a longer hike near Bariloche's ski resort. In the evening we will gather
for a group welcome dinner at one of our favorite restaurants where you can
indulge in an Argentinean steak off the parilla. * Please note that we are
happy to arrange an extension to Buenos Aires either before or after the trip
dates - don't miss your chance to spend an extra day or two to explore Buenos
Aires, the "Paris of South America" - one of the world's most exciting and
enticing cities.
Day Two
After breakfast we will board our private vehicles and begin
the drive south to the Futaleufü as it flows into Chile. This is a
beautiful drive down the east side of the Andes and is nothing short of breath
taking! We will drive through the frontier gaucho towns of Esquel and Trevelin
that were settled a century ago by Welsh farmers. This region of Patagonia was
made famous by Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid! The terrain alternates
between lush forest and emerald green valleys, aquamarine lakes, and the
windswept plains of the Patagonian steppe. In the afternoon we will reach the
remote, rugged outpost that serves as the border between Argentina and Chile
where you will get another stamp in your passport as we enter Chile. The dry,
rugged scenery of the Andean rain shadow quickly gives way to lush, green
temperate rainforest as we get our first glimpse of the Futaleufu River and
then follow it downstream to our multi sport Adventure Base Camp. On the way to
camp, we pass a few farms that are carved into the ancient rain forest allowing
us a glimpse of frontier living, Chileno style. We arrive at the Base Camp
where your private tent bungalow on a raised platform, complete with river
views and comfortable beds, will be waiting for you. Our enthusiastic guides
will lead you to your sweet new "home away from home" on the river! After a
short hike or a swim, you may want to soak in the riverside hot tub or enjoy a
hot shower. Then, we gather in the sunset bar for our first welcome happy hour.
We will introduce the entire crew and go over the week's agenda. After happy
hour, a hearty dinner will be served. It does tend to cool down quite a bit
when the sun sets below the peaks so we dress warmly in the evenings.
Day Three
Awaken on the banks of the Fu and enjoy your first morning in
camp! We rise with the warmth of the sun and have breakfast around 9 am. A
pre-breakfast yoga class is available on our customized yoga platform with
river views! Mornings tend to be crisp and dewy so prepare to dress warmly - a
fleece is perfect. Today is a river day. We will launch our rafts from base
camp after a thorough safety briefing. In a safe 'eddy', a short distance
downstream, we'll do a set of practice rescue drills. This allows the crew in
each raft to hone their skills and prepare to raft as a team. We use a cataraft
combined with ace safety-kayakers as part of our "safety net." Each raft is
captained by a highly trained and intuitive river guide, who guides the boat
from a stern-mounted oar frame. Guiding with oars does not detract from the
paddling experience. The advantage to the oar frame is greater control in
pointing the bow straight through bus size holes and 15-foot high "haystack"
wave trains. High siding is also an actively used "paddle" command. This style
is consistent with any high volume, strong current river where rapids graded 4
to 5-plus rage on. This is the Futaleufú! The first section that we
raft, from camp down to Puente Futaleufú (the Futaleufú Bridge),
is only 10 km, but offers more rapids per 1000 meters than anywhere else on the
river. It is the perfect warm-up run and it is non-stop fun! The rapids of note
are "El Cojín", the Cushion, and "Mundaca", a local family name. At
take-out, we meet our vehicles for a 20-minute ride back to camp. Those who
would prefer a "lower body" workout to complement their paddling are welcome to
run back or ride one of our mountain bikes from take-out to camp. When we get
to camp, you can choose to go fly-fishing, try out a kayak, practice yoga, nap
in a hammock, enjoy the sauna, have a massage, go for a hike, or soak in the
hot tub. Taking a hot shower, either indoors or under the big sky, feels very
luxurious while camping in the remote wilderness of northern Patagonia! Of
course, for the hardy, the river provides a cold bath and refreshing swim. As
the sun sinks behind the mountains, enjoy a game of chess or cards at the
sunset bar. Every late afternoon is "Happy Hour" with an open bar stocked with
beer, wine, soda, and fresh juice. Then, we gather together in the open-air
kitchen/dining area, the "Galpon", for a candlelight sit-down dinner featuring
fresh locally grown produce and fresh-baked breads. After dinner, enjoy the
campfire and the stars before retiring to your cozy tent on your private
platform. The sound of the river will lull you to sleep and send you off
dreaming of the next day of adventure in Chile.
Day Four
Officially day two of our rafting extravaganza. Our aim is to
settle into a river rhythm that will be utilized in order to successfully raft
the next few sections the Fu. After breakfast, we will launch our rafts from
camp and have lunch on the river. After we pass the Puente Futaleufú
(yesterday's take-out), we immediately round the corner to meet a big stomping
continuous cascade of waves known as "Mas o Menos", translated, "More or Less".
This is a good stepping-stone towards our first true blue class V technical
rapid, "Casa de Piedra" (House of Rock) which is right around the next corner.
We will get out of our rafts to scout this massive boulder choked rapid from
the banks of the Fu. It is formed like a series of water wheels that channel
all of their fury into a final churning pit with a dragon's back highway
through it; that is, if you hit it on line. After this rapid, we will run the
remaining class 3 and 4 rapids as our hearts resume beating at their normal
rates. We will drift into a nice long calm section that offers perfect fishing
from the rafts as well as a great place to get into some hard shell kayaks. The
next three miles we will have a floating happy hour and reach our take out spot
just above Lago Yelcho. Upon return to camp, we will continue to celebrate the
day, enjoy the spa and get ready for another fabulous dinner prepared by our
jovial crew and talented chef.
Day Five
Today we become experts at navigating our very own river
crafts, known inflatable kayaks or IK's. We venture up canyon to the source of
the Rio Espolon as it cascades out of the Lago Espolón to find gin clear
water and gentle class 2 and 3 rapids that offer a perfect learning opportunity
to become a great captain of your own boat. If there is interest, before we
paddle we will have a chance to stroll around the quaint little town of
Futaleufú There is something deeply satisfying paddling your own boat
down river, knowing that your destiny is in your own hands. Of course our
highly trained guides will be there to coach you, watch over you and provide
safety should you need to be rescued. The Rio Espolon is one of the major
tributaries to the Futaleufu river and flows into the Fu right above the
Inferno canyon which is where we take-out in the early afternoon. For those
ready to try out a hard shell kayak, this is the perfect class 2-3 river to do
it on!
Day Six
Surf and Turf up and down the Rio Azul valley! After breakfast
we take a short drive to the stables where we will find our trusty steeds
saddled up and ready for adventurous riding. After a safety briefing, we ride
alongside some local expert equestrians and our own river guides who will
gladly join the posse up a glorious, pristine side valley where the Rio Azul
flows unhindered from its glacial headwaters. After a 3 hour ride, we stop for
a picnic lunch and then trade in our saddles for paddles to test our talents on
the challenging and fun Class 3 and 4 Rio Azul, a significant step up in
difficulty from the Rio Espolon. This is a full biathlon day and you will be
glad to return to camp, enjoy the soothing hot tub, a cold beer or glass of
wine as you wait your turn to get a well deserved massage!
Day Seven
We will have an early breakfast in camp then travel 25
kilometers up the road to Rio Espolon to launch our rafts for the Inferno
Canyon day! On the Rio Espolon we have a chance to warm up on this low volume
river before it joins and helps form the mighty Futaleufu as it gets squeezed
into the narrow Inferno canyon. This upper canyon requires aggressive class V
paddling and is potentially the most intense section of white water on the
river. Many other options exist for those who choose not to participate in
Inferno Canyon. Five distinct rapids form a narrow sinuous river passage
creating a wet surge and a "full on" adrenaline rush. The fourth rapid was
until recently the smallest of the 5, but due to road building debris landing
in the river, has now become nearly impassable at most water levels and
requires a walk around and "lining" the rafts through it. As we come out of
"Exit", the last rapid, we enter into a long calm. The current remains swift
and we cruise many miles downstream arriving at the mandatory portage around
the fierce "Zeta" rapid. We have lunch on the rocks as the crew "ghost" boats
the rafts through this treacherous rapid. After lunch, our first obstacle is
"Throne Room," a class V+ rapid for kayaks, a ghost boat rapid for rafts. By
walking around this rapid, we get a great bird's eye view of an almost 'river
wide' hole that could destroy a raft. Back on board our rafts, we are dealt a
Royal Flush; a continuous class IV corridor of rapids does not let up until we
get to our take-out spot at the Rio Azul footbridge. The rafts are left for the
night, tethered on shore. Early evening is spent in camp getting ready for the
evening festivities. Blanca and her partner Umberto, locals from a nearby farm,
prepare a very special treat for us. They merrily prepare a delicious dinner
called "Curanto" that is typical of the south of Chile and the island of
Chiloe. We spend the evening by the bonfire on the beach singing and dancing
the night away.
Day Eight
Today, we must be mentally and physically well prepared for
the river. We call it the "summit day" as we aim to top our already great
paddling days with the best day of white water in the world. After a nutritious
breakfast, we head up river to the footbridge where we left the rafts
yesterday. As our day on the river begins, the blue glacial run-off from the
Rio Azul River merges into the Fu from the right. The views of the snow capped
mountain peaks and jagged ridges of the mountain "Las Tres Monjas" (translated,
"the three Nuns") are absolutely breathtaking. A six-kilometer stretch of
warm-up rapids leads us to the longest and toughest rapid that we will raft,
"The Terminator." We scout and study our line, then we take the plunge and drop
in. "Left turn, right turn, dig it in - hard forward!" are a few of the
commands that might be heard. The next three miles are non-stop rapids. After
an aerobic workout, we pump through the enormous haystack wave train known as
the "Himalayas". Just when we need it, a calm returns, we float gently into
lunch, served at our base camp. After lunch, we return to the river to complete
the last task for the day, tackling as much white water as possible. We raft
the whole section of river from camp to below Casa de Piedra. At take-out, cold
beers and tea are waiting. We make a triumphant return to camp to celebrate our
days spent exploring Futaleufú valley and river. For the evening's
festivities, Rolando and Nelli will prepare a typical Chilean Asado - lamb
roasted over a bed of coals, ensalada, potatoes and farm fresh bread. We toast
the river and give thanks for our safe passage. Under a bright starry sky, we
will spend our last night together as a group on the banks of the mighty Fu
with the guides and crew.
Day Nine
We start early today. After loading up your personal gear,
our bus and transport will take you to Bariloche or Esquell to catch your
flight to Buenos Aires. (See below if you are interested in the Torres Del
Paine Extension.) An evening or following day flight returns you to Buenos
Aires. If you wish to spend a day or two learning tango and exploring the city
we are happy to make arrangements for a trip extension. We hope that when you
board the airplane you will look back upon your time in Patagonia and think of
the friends you have made and the beauty of the Futaleufú River and
Patagonian wilderness. Ciao amigos. Ciao Ciao Chile.
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