Whitewater
Kayak Chile: Futaleufu
River Valley Kayak Week - Class III/IV
This
trip will introduce you to all the highlights
of the Futaleufu river and its tributaries.
A
great way to experience the Futaleufu without
the Class V adrenaline rush.
Day
1: Arrival and
Introductions
Arrive at either of our
entry points in Puerto Montt, Chile or
Esquel, Argentina, the gateways to Patagonia.
Connect with our representative and travel
to the remote riverside town of Futaleufu,
surrounded by majestic mountains. Here
you will find your accommodations at Kayak Chile's,
Tres Monjas Eco-Camp along the banks of the Futaleufu River. A hearty meal, hot
sauna, and wonderful views welcome you
to Chile.
Day
2: Rio
Espolon
You
wake up to the brilliance of life along the
Futaleufu River with the jagged Tres Monjas
peaks standing sentinel over the river and
camp. After a delightful breakfast we
take a short drive to the Rio Espolon. After
warming up on the crystal clear water, review
your
techniques, practice rolls on both sides,
surf the dynamic Espolon surf wave, and prepare
for the big water of the Futaleufu.
Day
3: Futaleufu,
the El Macal Section
Today we put-in on
the Futaleufu River,
below the impressive Class V “Casa
de Piedra” rapid. Vertical
cliff walls surround this gorgeous
Class III “El Macal” section,
along with glacier crowned peaks.
We will practice all of our big water
skills as we work our way down this
introductory stretch of the Futaleufu River.
Rip it up on "Every Man’s
(and Woman’s) Surf Wave";
feel the power of the rapids, and
enjoy some of the best scenery on
the river.
Day 4: Kayak
the Río Azul Today, if water levels
permit, we will take a break from the
big water of
the Futaleufu. We will drive to the footbridge put-in on the Río Azul,
a tight, glacial-fed creek that runs through a lush micro canyon. Here you get
a chance to relax and paddle the technical drops, surf and cartwheel at some
excellent play spots, and enjoy the scenery. We take-out at camp where the Río
Azul meets the Río Futaleufu.
Day
5: Futaleufu,
Terminator Section After
breakfast, we put-in at our camp
beach and head down river into the “Terminator” section.
We will warm up on numerous Class
III and IV rapids, and then we will
walk around the huge and powerful
Class V “Terminator Rapid”.
Some of the more intrepid paddlers
in the group will have the opportunity
to sneak (Class IV+) the “Terminator” on
the left side. From the “Terminator” we
will carefully pick our route through
the hole-filled Class IV “Kyber
Pass”, and on to some giant
wave action in the Class IV “Himalayas”.
Here you will surf some of the biggest
standing waves in the hemisphere!
We return to the Kayak Chile eco-camp to relax
on one of our white sand beaches
or take a soothing hot sauna.
Day
6: Kayak
the Río Palena
(or Rio Tigre)
We
will take a scenic drive to the Río
Palena on the border with Argentina, where
we have an ox-cart
waiting to help
us to the put-in on this Class III/III+ paddle.
It's a gorgeous drive through a valley with
a slightly different ecosystem than the Futaleufu
River Valley. Water levels permitting, we
may run a section of the spectacular Rio
Tigre, a
nearby
tributary
of the Palena.
Day
7: Upper
Futaleufu; below the Infierno Canyon
For an exciting finale,
we head to the remote and spectacular
upper section of
the Futaleufu and the Las Escalas Valley.
An exciting shuttle ride through an old
growth forest brings us to the river just
below the Infierno Canyon. This visually
spectacular section of river includes the
Class V rapids “Zeta” and “Throne
Room”. We will take the well worn
footpaths around the two rapids, and head
into the “Wild Mile Section ”,
four miles of continuous whitewater action
which takes us right back to our camp.
After a full day on the river, you begin
to pack up and enjoy Kayak Chile's farewell asado and fiesta.
Day 8: Departure
Wake up for an early
breakfast and drive back to Chaitén,
Chile and your flight to Puerto Montt,
or relax for a couple of hours and
take
our shuttle to Esquel, Argentina. As
you catch a final view of the Río
Futaleufu; surrounded by hanging glaciers
and snow capped mountains, take a moment
to reflect upon all of the amazing
sights and experiences of this past
week. After all these years we are
still stunned that views like these
exist.
Price: $1595.00
USD
Included: All
meals, lodging, transportation, guides
and kayaks while paddling with us. Round
trip transportation between Futaleufu and
Chaiten or Esquel. See the packing
list for specific details. The actual Futaleufu
River Valley Week program for your individual
trip may vary according
to the desires and skill level of your
group, the water levels, weather, or other
factors.
Experience
Needed:
Class III Kayak
Physical
Challenge: Medium
Cultural
Experience:
Medium Low
Lodging:
Camp
Comfort
Rating:
Medium
Days
away from home:
10
Days
with us: 8
Max
Trip Size: 14
Price:
$1595.00 USD
Region:
Futaleufu and Palena
River Valleys, Patagonia Chile
Lakes,
Rivers, Sites Visited:
Chaiten,
Rio Espolon, Rio Azul, Rio Futaleufu,
Rio Palena, Las Escalas Valley,
Futaleufu Village,
Palena Village
A shortened version of our Futaleufu River Valley week. This trip coincides with the Futaleufu River Valley week.
Day 1: Arrival and Introductions
Arrive at either of our entry points in Chile or Argentina, the gateways to Patagonia. Connect with our representative and travel to the remote riverside town of Futaleufu, surrounded by majestic mountains. Here you will find your accommodations at the Kayak Chile, Tres Monjas Eco-Camp. A hearty meal, hot sauna, and wonderful views welcome you to Chile.
Day 2: Rio Espolon
You wake to the brilliance of life at the Futaleufu with the jagged Tres Monjas peaks standing sentinel over the river and camp. After a heart-warming breakfast we take a short drive to the Rio Espolon. We warm up on the crystal clear water, review your techniques, practice rolls on both sides, surf the dynamic Espolon surf wave, and prepare for the big water of the Futaleufu River.
Day 3: Futaleufu, The El Macal Section
Today we put-in on the Futaleufu River, below the impressive Class V “Casa de Piedra” rapid. Vertical cliff walls surround this gorgeous Class III “El Macal” section, along with glacier crowned peaks. We will practice all of our big water skills as we work our way down this introductory stretch of the Futaleufu River. Rip it up on "Every Man’s (and Woman’s) Surf Wave"; feel the power of the rapids, and enjoy some of the best scenery on the river.
Day 4: Kayak the Río Azul Today, if water levels permit, we take a break from the big water of the Futaleufu. We will drive to the footbridge put-in on the Río Azul, a tight, glacial-fed creek that runs through a lush micro canyon. Here you get a chance to relax and paddle the technical drops, surf and cartwheel at some excellent play spots, and enjoy the scenery. We take-out at camp where the Río Azul meets the Río Futaleufu.
Day 5: Futaleufu, Terminator Section After breakfast, we put-in at our camp beach and head down river into the “Terminator” section. We will warm up on numerous Class III and IV rapids, and then we will walk around the huge and powerful Class V “Terminator Rapid”. Some of the more intrepid paddlers in the group will have the opportunity to sneak (Class IV+) the “Terminator” on the left side. From the “Terminator” we will carefully pick our route through the hole-filled Class IV “Kyber Pass”, and on to some giant wave action in the Class IV “Himalayas”. Here you will surf some of the biggest standing waves in the hemisphere! We return to the Kyak Chile eco-camp to relax on one of our white sand beaches or take a soothing hot sauna.
Day 6: Departure
Wake up for an early breakfast and drive back to Chaitén, Chile and your flight to Puerto Montt, or relax for a couple of hours and take our shuttle to Esquel, Argentina. As you catch a final view of the Río Futaleufu; surrounded by hanging glaciers and snow capped mountains, take a moment to reflect upon all of the amazing sights and experiences of this past week. After all these years we are still stunned that views like these exist.
Price: $1095.00 USD
Included: All
meals, lodging, transportation,
guides and kayaks while paddling
with us. Round trip transportation
between Futaleufu and Chaiten or
Esquel. See the packing list for
specific
details. The actual program for
your individual trip will vary
according to the desires and skill
level of your group, the water
levels, weather, or other factors.
Experience Needed: Class III Kayak
Physical Challenge: Medium
Cultural Experience: Medium Low
Lodging: Camp
Comfort Rating: Medium
Days away from home: 8
Days with us: 6
Max Trip Size: 14
Price: $1095.00 USD
Region: Futaleufu and Palena River Valleys, Patagonia Chile
Lakes, Rivers, Sites Visited: Chaiten,
Rio Espolon, Rio Azul,
Rio Futaleufu, Rio Palena,
Las Escalas Valley, Futaleufu
Village, Palena Village