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Kayakers feedback uncut
Jump to:
Class 4/5 Paddlers
Non kayaker with expert
Safari trip
Chris
My memories of the Futaleufu region are a year old now, but I can still recall with clarity the highlights.
In particular, I was surprised and impressed at how unspoiled the river was. As you know I paddled sections I through IV, and while there is clearly some human habitation along the river, it was always discrete. We have so much human presence (dwellings, bridges, dams) on so many rivers over here in California, that the unspoiled beauty of the Futaleufu was very refreshing.
Mainly, of course, I came for the whitewater, and that was a real treat. The combination of good play spots, easy but fun intermediate rapids, and totally absorbing major rapids is something I haven't seen on big water before (or since). The other thing that struck me was that the rapids have reasonable spacing, yet there's surprisingly little flat water.
The organization of the trip was outstanding. The attention to detail was impressive, and I don't recall any hitches in planning or execution. The food was very good, the camping a pleasure. The guides were very capable and awesome paddlers. All in all it was a very well-run trip. I would absolutely recommend it to a friend.
Thanks again
for a wonderful experience
-Chris Shackleton - chris@dreamflows.com
www.dreamflows.com
European Paddler
Date:
Wed, 26 Jan 2000 11:59:59 +0100
From: "Lutz Knabe" <lutz.knabe@aventis.com>
To: <Office@kayakchile.com>
Subject: Re: Satellite email from Campo Tres Monjas
** High Priority **
dear chris,
thanks for reminding me about one of the greatest experiences and adventures i had with you and the bunch of wunderfully crazy paddler freaks in your dream camp.
i did not paddle for a year now because of my shoulder mainly, but very much look forward to explore french waters as i will move to lyon this summer...
guess you are in the middle of trips, say hello to the guys around the table and that i envie them, thinking back not only about the great waters but also about the super friendly atmosphere in your camp...
best greetings from germany
Lutz
To: "CHRISSPELIUS" <OFFICE@KAYAKCHILE.COM>
Date: Wed, 26 Jan 2000 11:10:25 -0500
Holla Chris, The trip last year was unbelievable! Kayaking the Futa was the best! I just wanted to drop you a line and tell you how impressed I was with the camp, guides and river. The guides made each day of running unknown class four and five very relaxing and enjoyable. The Chilean food, camp Tres Monjas facilities and safari bus transportation were all top notch. I hope that the business does not get to big as to keep that small out of the way feeling. I guess that I was kind of spoiled when there last year with just a couple people and one on one guide service. Any way Yes I will return soon with friends to enjoy more of the Futa, maybe next year (2001). Do you remember seeing me on the Dearfield River, Massachusetts last Oct.
Was in Costa Rica last week doing some ocean surfing and a little river kayaking, just missed "Aren" ( your film person last year in Chile) by one day in Quipos C.R. small world. Must get back to work now, Yes you may use any of my comments and e-mail address. Have some great pic's from my trip on disk also. Please keep in touch and save me some space next year.
CHRISTOPHER
FAGAN
1-860-243-6918 USA
WAY
SOUTH OF THE BORDER
by Lynn McCanse
Having plans to trek the Paine Circuit in southern Patagonia in January, I Felt it would be foolish to spend that much time and money getting there and not check out the kayaking. Chris and Pablo of Expediciones Chile were most helpful and encouraging. „Come on down, they said Sure, there’s a lot of Class V paddling, but we can find something for you and also something for your non-paddling wife. When I called again to be sure that I wasn‚t going to die in Chile after my less-than confidence-building experience in Ecuador, they said, “No problem” And they were right!
Kayaking in Chile is more like Colorado than the jungle experiences of most other winter kayaking destinations, although it’s also unique, with high-volume turquoise water and scenic beauty.
Chris’s camp is located in a beautiful valley at the juncture of the Azul And the Futaleufú rivers. The logistics of getting there are complex, though. Begin with a twelve-hour flight to Santiago, a two hour flight to Puerto Montt, and a half-hour small plane flight to Chaiten. Then, take a three-hour bus ride, at the end of which the driver drives down a mile of private road and then points at a trail indicating that’s the way for you and your luggage to go.
Another quarter of a mile and one ends up on a river bank wondering how to get across. Fortunately, we were seen from the other side and a canoe came across to ferry our luggage and ourselves.
There are two outdoor hot showers, a sauna, a two-holer with a view, and a dining/kitchen area that is covered and pleasant. You pitch your own tent in any open space. We were on a sandy beach next to the Azul. Some days you either end or begin your boating at the camp. Other days, you’re transported varying distances, for example to the Argentinean border, where our put-in involved a 45-minute walk with our kayaks being carried by ox carts. Fortunately, it was easy to portage the Class V rapids, and I was able to get the hang of crossing ten-to-fifteen-foot wide eddy lines and to deal with the “funny water” high volumes create.
It would be hard to choose between Ecuador and Chile: they’re apples and oranges. Ecuador is definitely easier to get to and cheaper, but the Futaleufú is a unique and incredibly exciting kayaking adventure one that may be dammed in the future. Expediciones Chile can be reached at (888) 488-9082 or at office@exchile.com
Chris,
What a great trip! This trip was much better than I expected.
You and your crew have really planned it out to be the ultimate
whitewater
trip. It was
so nice to have everything planned out and all we had to
do was run the best whitewater in the world. Keep up the good
work and
I hope
I get to come stay
with you guys again soon. Thanks again for everything.
Stewart Cook
Cook Builders,
Inc.
1015 Rolling Green Drive
Newton, NC 28658
(828)294-4681
From: Blanch21@
Date: Thu, 10 Feb 2000 20:52:48 EST
Subject: Re: Satellite email from Campo Tres Monjas
To: Office@kayakchile.com
Hi
Spe!
I would like to thank you for one of the best vacations I
have ever had! I must admit that prior to signing up, I had
my reservations about going. It's hard anticipating
the transition of coming from months of below freezing temperatures
with little to no water to train on, to waking up on the next day
in the middle of Summer, just 30 yards from the put in of the Futaleufú.
Well
it took all of about two miles on the river to get the cob webs
out and get right into the rhythm. I don't know if
it was the intense beauty of the area, the
Chilean people that we met, or just the group dynamic that we had,
but I instantly felt right at home on the river and had a ball!!
Catching
a rainbow trout on my second cast doesn’t
hurt either (the fish definitely got a lot
smarter as the week progressed).
In hind sight, the only thing I would have
done differently, would have been to take
a few extra days to hike in the mountains. The views from the top
of those peaks must be awesome! Oh well, guess
I'll just have to come back.
See you then:
Al Blanchard
38.217]
From: "tim payne" <timmypayne@hotmail.com>
To: youngman@USWest.net, byoungma@pcds.org, npatton@woodhillthorton.com.au,
etpj@xmission.com, danielle_zecker@umit.maine.edu,
timmypayne@hotmail.com, arensvenrane@aart.com, michaelhipsher@cs.com,
carmenBSTK@aol.com
Cc: office@kayakchile.com
Subject: Re: I think this will work...
Date: Thu, 27 Jan 2000 20:15:37 GMT
There
are ice jams on the river here and I have resorted to staring,
longingly,
at the flushing toilet, with thoughts of Chile. I think I have another
crazy talked into going out and freezing to death sometime this weekend,
but the "daily" in January is a far cry from the Futa.
I have been procrastinating this reply because I returned to find myself completely
unprepared for battle with my younger, sassier, and far more sinister adversaries
(students) The days since my return have been spent attempting to tread water
and stay ahead, although just barely ahead, of my students.
I have found a real corollary between the Throne room and my class room. You
know, how you try and try to get to the left and when you get there you say "this
is the !@*%&$# hole I was AIMING for?"
Well, the video turned out, kind of. I was really aiming for the "blair
witch" crowd with my cinematography, which I like to call 'colee huacho-esque'
I really regret not filming throne room and the gorge of the Fuy but what did
get filmed is still pretty good. La Leona is awesome, especially the part where
Betsy gets pummeled, and Mike's duel with the meat of Terminator is worth replaying, again
and again.
to order, send $29.95 plus $500.00 shippping and handling fees to:
dead hooker productions
#1 big black bag
Carousel 3
terminal 2 bag claim
LAX Airport
Seriously, just send me your real (hard) address and I will get a copy in the
mail to you right away. I already have 6 copies of it made. Don't worry about
any money, I recorded over poor 'educational' videos from the '80s that were
laying around Grand County High.
Hang in there everybody, summer is on the way.
Did you all get your Middle Fork applications in? (208) 879-4112 They are due
by Jan 31.
If you are not already on the list for the Grand Canyon, make sure to get on
the list during the month of February. (800) 959-9164
Keep in touch,
tim
ps does anyone have Walker's address?
NON
Kayaker traveling with an Expert Paddler
Date: Thu, 27 Jan 2000 10:47:06 -0600
To: office@kayakchile.com
Subject: Happy New Year
Expediciones
Chile,
Kim and I had an amazing trip. It was perfect for us because she was
able to ride horseback and hike while I was able to kayak. We could then
meet up in the afternoon relax in the sauna, take a hot shower outdoors,
and eat Maria's wonderful meals. I was also able to take a day and go
riding with Kim. The countryside was amazing with the old stump fences,
no roads, no sounds except for the Futaleufu and the Azul in the background.
It's obvious that the Futaleufu is some of the best paddling in the world.
What surprised me is how blue, clear, and pristine the water was. Probably
the most memorable part of the trip, besides breaking my paddle in inferno
canyon, was floating along the blue Futa looking at the countryside and
taking an evening walk and watching the sunset over Tres Monjas.
I'm trying to plan a trip back when I get out of school in a year
and a half. Several people have seen Aaron's video and they definitely
want to join me. I also have a couple of friends who don't kayak
who want to come down.
Keep me posted on what's going on down there. Thanks again for the
trip.
We'll definitely be back. Say hi to Mike Hipshir, your guides are unbelievable.
Jake and Kim
ps. Kim
is going to send some picture very soon. Your welcome to post
email and address on the web.
Safari trip The Fuy and the Futaleufú
For the second half of my trip, I signed on with probably the best known, outfitter in Chile, Chris Spelius and his Expediciones Chile outfitting service. “Spe” and his operation are well known and have a reputation that is well deserved. Those two weeks were unequivocally the best time I have ever had in a kayak.
I took a
bus, (the primary mode of general transportation in Chile) from Pucon
to Puerto Monte. Puerto Monte is a large commercial
port city that
is best
described as Chile’s gateway to Patagonia. Unfortunately
it was overcast and rainy most of the time I was there, and I
was primarily
thinking ahead
to my arrival in the South. To reach points South from Puerto
Monte it is necessary to take either a ferry or a plane. I made
arrangements
to
fly from Puerto Monte
to Chaiten, the rendezvous point for Expediciones Chile. While
the thirty-minute flight in a twin engine turbo-prop was quicker,
in retrospect, I would
have rather taken the ferry to better appreciate the true remoteness
of the area
I was entering.
I was met at the Chaiten airport by Mike Hipsher, the senior
guide, and Patricio, (Pato) our driver. We loaded our gear onto
an old
blue Toyota,
which, it
was apparent, had served its purpose well over the years, running
long under conditions that would have relegated other vehicles
to spare parts in the same timeframe. Given Mike’s understated
and modest demeanor, one would not believe after meeting him (on land
at least) that
he was a nine-time national champion in
wild-water racing. Not to go into too much detail, but Mike is
a kayaking dignitary. Long associated with the Nantahala Outdoor
Center, Mike had attended the University
of Utah with Chris Spelius, and the two had come along with the
sport as it gained popularity contributing in guiding, competition
and instruction throughout
the 1970’s, 80’s and 90’s.
Pato, a jovial guy who takes his job of carting a bunch of adrenaline
freaks from river to river very seriously, drove Mike, an Australian
client -
Nick, and myself four hours on the far Southern stretch of the
Pan-American Highway
to the Futaleofu valley. As we were nearing camp, we passed an
old Land Cruiser crowned by a brand new Wavesport Z parked at
a non-descript
bulding
on the
roadside, which, it turned out was the telecommunications center
for the area. There we met Chris and Aren, the junior guide,
who had spent
the
better part
of the day trying to secure an antenna in place to facilitate
communication with the States on Chris’s radio telephone. The technological challenges
presented in trying to operate a small business between Bryson City North Carolina
and far reaches of Patagonia are formidable. Much of Chris’s time and
energy was spent trying to secure reasonable access to the internet, Expediciones
Chile’s business lifeline. On this occasion there was a particular sense
of urgency to ensure the telecommunications were functioning, as Lily, Chris’s
business and marketing arm, was stranded in rainy and damp Puerto Monte
until communications were established.
The timing of my trip with Expediciones Chile was very fortunate.
Mid December is very much early season for paddling on the Futaleofu,
as
the weather is
not always cooperative and the water is BIG. The Futa was running
at a healthy 10-12,000 cfs. Chris had chosen this time period
as his guide
training. In
addition to the purely kayaking focus of his Expediciones Chile
operation, Chris had entered into a joint venture with a hotel
in the town of
Futaleofu, 30 kilometers from the Expediciones Chile camp. He
had arranged for some
American raft guides to come down to attempt to develop a rafting
operation on the Futaleofu.
It was a big risk from a business point of view, but the prospect
of spending the winter in Chile on one of the most renowned rivers
in
the world attracted
some excellent talent.
Aren, a native of British Columbia and transplant to Taos, New
Mexico, was the junior guide on the kayaking end. He was an extremely
capable
boater
who had just the right combination of gregariousness, seriousness
and experience to be a great kayaking guide. Mitch, also from
Taos, was
the most senior
of
the raft guides. He had a focused demeanor and treated the river
as something more than recreation. He was the type of boater
who knew
all of the risks
associated and made sure that he was equipped mentally and technically
to address any
issue that might arise. John, a raft guide and kayak instructor
on the Gauley in West Virginia, was an excellent boater and a
lot of
fun to paddle with.
He had fantastic playboating skills and was intent to soak as
much fun and play out of the Futaleofu as it would allow him.
While
Mitch and John had
a very different demeanor, they complemented each other well.
Brad was the third
guide. A guide and instructor with the Nantahala Outdoor Center,
Brad was the youngest of the group. An accomplished boater in
his own right,
it was
apparent
that he was relishing the opportunity to spend the winter in
a different culture on a river that is without parallel.
With
the exception of Mike, we were all discovering the Futa together. For
me, it was amazing. I consider myself a solid class
IV paddler,
but this
situation afforded me a 5 to 1 instructor-student ratio. I
learned from every one of
the guys, each with different styles, but all incredibly proficient
on the river.
Campo Tres Monjas, Chris’s camp on the banks of the Futaleofu, is a kayaker’s
paradise. Set at the confluence of the bluish-green, glacial Rio Azul and the
crystal clear, lake-fed Futaleofu, it is apparent that Campo Tres Monjas is
a perfect combination of natural beauty and thoughtful planning. The camp is
accessed by ferrying across the Rio Azul in a couple of Dagger open canoes
that have been lashed together. On the premises there are only a few, but very
deliberate, structures. First, there is the main lodge, a 30X15 foot room which
serves as the kitchen, dining room, and general gathering place. It has a long,
wood table, a small library and a wood-burning stove which heats the room,
the dinner and the outdoor showers located down the hill. Second, there is
the drying shed, an open walled structure with a laundry sink at one end, shelves
at the other end and rows of rope- suspended tree limbs, three tall on which
to hang your gear after getting off the river. The fourth is the Sauna, the
perfect end to a perfect day, and the fifth is the Outhouse. The best bathroom
I’ve ever had the pleasure to… It is finished in stained
hard wood, with a roof that looks directly onto the three peaks, (Tres
Monjas)
for which
the camp is named. Conspicuously, though, it is a two-seater with no
divider. Hmmm?
While the man-made amenities are fantastic, it is the natural
beauty of the place that steals the show. The Rio Azul, the
opaque blueish-green
water
that is reminiscent of many of the rivers in Switzerland, flows
directly into the
roaring Futaleofu which rushes by at an amazing rate, at least
to this Southeastern boater. The camp is set in the shade of
some very
large,
old
trees which
serve to moderate the intensity of the powerful southern sun.
Add to that a perfect
white sand beach and a collection of 40 kayaks and what do
you get? Kayaker’s
paradise, and I haven’t even described the river.
The first day I was there, we decided to take the morning to
warm up on the Rio Azul. Given it is glacial run-off, there
is definitely
a
chill to the
water. It is a nice class III run with a couple of class IV
rapids. To a large degree
the Azul is rain dependent, rising and falling over the course
of one or two days. We were lucky to get there at the right
time. It
was a
nice warm-up,
a good way to get my boat under me after a few days in transit.
That afternoon, we ventured out from camp on to the Futa.
To be continued...
