Source of Ventisqueros River just upstream of put in

Directions: the river is located 200 km north of Coyhaique and 22KM south of Puyuhuapi. Turn off of the Caraterra Austral and go 2.5 KM to CONAF park gate. Entrance fee is required. From camping/parking area follow trail to a swinging bridge over the river. Continue to walk up the river and the higher you get the more difficult is the whitewater on the river. The source of the river is a lake formed at base of the massive hanging glacier.

To reach the put-in return to Careterra Austral and turn north for a few KM to the takeout bridge at Puente Ventisqueros. Elevation here is close to 0 as the rivers exit to the ocean is just to the west.

The river is located in a relatively isolated area but other nearby rivers include the Cisnes and Figueroa and Mañihuales

It’s crystal clear waters are born on the southwestern flank of Nevado Longavi (3242 m)

Put in Rio Longavi

To arrive at take out follow the Pan American highway Ruta 5 to town of Parral. Drive southeast 25 km to Termas de Catillo then continue past Digua to San Pablo. Follow the river upstream to the hydrological river gauge which serves as takeout.

To reach put-in continue upstream 6 km to Puente Malcho.

An estimated good flow is 1000 to 2000 CFS

Other nearby rivers include the Ancoa, Achibueno and Nuble.

For the true adrenaline crazed boater, The Cochamó river will provide the goods as it plunges the final few hundred meters to the ocean. On December 7, 2008 I hiked up the valley with the DEMSHITZ crew who described the river as more intense than the lower 9 on the Middle Kings.

Dave Fusilli boofing early on the Cochamo

Getting up the river is also an experience. First you need to reach the coastal town of Cochamó. From the north of Chile it is best to exit Ruta 5 Pan American Highway at Puerto Varas. From here it is roughly a 1.5 hour drive through Ensanada and Relún to reach Cochamó.

Continue south out of town for a few KM until you reach a bridge over the Cochamo River. You can take out here but you can also continue upstream another 5-6 KM to the end of the road. Here you can leave a vehicle in the shade and begin the hike, load the horses, etc.

From the takeout it is 5 grueling hours of boat hiking or you can secure some horses (highly recommended) which also involves a 5 hour trip.

On our trip we used locals Gabriel Gonzalez and Lucho Rojas to get our gear up the valley. Gabriel’s house is the fourth one between takeout bridge and town of Cochamó. Gabriel can be reached via cell phone at 90856328 or via his son Gabriel Junior 97883723. We paid just under 14,000 pesos per horse which included Gabriel’s and Lucho time. We put 2 boats on each horse plus a few small bags of boating gear. We also camped on Gabriel’s land after descending from the upper valley.

I would highly suggest camping at least one night in upper Cochamó valley before making the 8 hour kayak descent. The logical put in is at La Junta where you can boat or slide on your ass down a 100 meter granite slide. There is also rustic camping and a refugio operate by a Gringo named Daniel that caters mostly to rock climbers visiting the surrounding Yosemite like domes. you can visit their website and learn more about valley at www.cochamo.com

We ran the river on December 7th after several weeks of dry weather. It seemed like we had a perfect flow of around 500-600 CFS. I have heard of several aborted trips due to low water. These trips were in January and onwards. Based on the this info I can only guess that ideal flows are found in month of December.

The Tabanos (horseflys) can be absolutely viscous so a suggestion is to bring lite pants for the hike to save your legs from a beating.

Once on the river there is several KM’s of flatwater until you literally fall off the horizon line. Once the action starts it does not let up for several KM. There are countless class 5, 5+ rapids with interspersed sieves and occasional logs to keep one on their toes. All portages were done on river left sometimes in the trees above the water line.

In our group a few of the extreme boaters did the run with 3.5 portages and they figure one of those was runnable.

When in area it is good to visit Petrohue on way south and after running Cochamó continue south to hit both Río Negro and Blanco in Hornopiren area.

View of Rio Blanco upstream from takeout bridge

The Blanco is a glacier fed river (not creek) flowing out of Parque Pumalin. The riverbed is littered with granite boulders which makes for a nice class 3-4 run through some pristine surroundings.

To reach the takeout leave town Plaza in Hornopirén and drive south on Carretera Austral for 6.5 KM to Puente Rio Blanco. To reach put-in back track 100 meters to a fenced road. If the gate is open you might be able to drive up but expect to shoulder your boat for the 4 km hike to end of road.

At this point you reach a house and need to find your way to the river. It is tricky but you will figure it out. Expect to lower your boats (perhaps with ropes) through a bamboo jungle.

The put-in is unforgettable. The whole river basically erupts from a fissure in the rock wall. Expect flows of 1000 to 2000 CFS. We had no portages but be wary of logs.

Note: the takeout of the outstanding Rio Negro creek run is only 3.7 KM away. See description on this website. It is good to combine a trip on the Blanco with a descent of nearby Río Negro and the Cochamó as well.

The DEMSHITZ boys were in Pucon and looking for mini road trip. We filled up two vehicles and headed south to find the Negro and also to run the nearby Cochamó.

The easiest way to get to the Negro is from Puerto Montt by taking a mostly paved road 45 KM to La Arena. Here a 30 minute ferry on Naviera Puelche takes you to the other side of the Seno de Reloncavi to the Caleta Puelche. the ferry cost us 9700 pesos per vehicle and the ferry seems to run every half hour since there are always two boats operating. From here it is 48 km on unpaved Carretera Austral to small fishing town of Hornopirén. The headwaters of the Río Negro are a series of spectacular snow covered Volcanoes including Yate (2111 meters) and Hornopiren (1572 m) all of which are flowing out of Parque Pumalin.

From the town plaza go south on Carretera Austral for 5.9 KM. Here the main road road turns to the right but you need to continue straight for another 400 meters to wooden takeout bridge at Chaquehua. On the other side of the bridge is an excellent campground with hot showers and Quinchos (shelters with tables and electricity). We stayed at this campground and were able to take out here just upstream of previously mentioned bridge.

To reach the put in drive upstream 3.3 KM to where the road plateaus out. There is a small wooden sign here that indicates the distance from the Carretera Austral turnoff as 3740 meters.

The river is low volume with a basalt riverbed that provides for many 2-7 meter drops all of which are runnable. After the first 3 drops on river one comes to a particular 20 meter drop we left un-run and to my knowledge it has yet to be run. Above this 20 meter drop is a class 4+ approach rapid that is immediately preceeded by a 6 meter falls. There is a better viewing/portage trail on river right but we scouted and portaged on our first run on river left which also works.

Below the big falls there are dozens more rapids including a long complex canyon we called “the love canal” and a 7 meter falls that requires a bit of a boof to avoid hitting a somewhat shallow landing zone.

Although only 3.3 KM long the first run down the river took 5 hours with lots of scouting and filming. the second run down the river took less than 2 hours as little scouting is required once you know the run.

We all agreed the river is one of the best in Chile. It is like a combination of the Palguin, Desague and LLancahue all rolled into one. We were told by the owners of the campground that the river reaches a certain low volume and never gets any lower. We boated the river on December 8 and 9 after weeks of drought and the level was perfect with around 300-400 CFS. In appears therefore that the river can be run from late spring spring right through end of fall. The rains return in March and per the locals the river rises quickly after rain.

The Negro takeout is only 3.7 KM from takeout of the much larger Río Blanco and is two hours south of Río Cochamó. While in the area all three rivers can be run especially if one is driving south to Futaleufú.
Be sure to bring a fishing rod. We saw some monsterous salmon that looked like sharks making their way up some shallow falls.

Nestled into a canyon at the base of the Chillan Volcano (3212 meters), the Diguillín receives it’s water from the peaks located in Reserva Nacional Nuble which straddles the Argentinian border.

Mariann Saether in one of the upper drops Foto by Eva Luna

Volume is small with mid November flows estimated at 250 to 400 CFS. The river is usually too low to run by December. The run contains mostly class 3-4 rapids but class 5 options await those willing to put-in on the upstream canyon.

Scouting for a put-in foto by Eva Luna
To reach the river exit Ruta 5 Pan American highway in Chillan and follow well marked signs towards Termas De Chillan on paved road N-55. En Los Lleques turn off onto a gravel road that leads down to the river.

Leave your car where you want to take out and go upstream as far as you choose or as far as you are able to go. A locked gate may present a problem, however, if you say you are going upstream to visit the Reserva Nuble the gatekeeper will let you pass for 2000 peso entrance fee. A normal run is around 6 KM long.

Other nearby rivers are Longaví, Achibueno, and Laja. Other local attractions are the Termas de Chillan, the waterfall of Estero Renegado which enters river just below Los Lleuques, and the protected biosphers of Reserva Nacional Nuble and Santuario Los Huemeles de Niblinto. If you hit the run in early spring (September/early October) you can boat in the morning, ski/snowboard in the afternoon and soak in hot springs in the evening with fine dining and lodging in nearby Las Trancas.

For more information on the area visit website http://www.patagonias.net/Ciudades/LasTrancas.htm

A typical drop on the Clarillo

The river is short but sweet and can be done several times in one day and enjoyed by class 3,4 and 5 boaters alike. With no portages and boat-scoutable drops it is a natural choice for first time creek boaters with a solid roll.

The river lies entirely within the boundaries of Parque Nacional Río Clarillo, which has successfully protected a spectacular desert environment from the ever-encroaching megalopolis.

The river is rated Class III+ and flows in winter and spring with optimal flows 200-400 CFS (although higher would be no problem only pushier and solid class IV).

To reach the river from Santiago take Avenida Vickuña Mckena south out of the city to community of Puente Alto. In Puente Alto turn left (east) on any road and go a few blocks until reaching Av. Concha y Toro. Turn right (south) and cross over the Maipo River on Puente San Pedro and go to “T” intersection in community of Pirque. Turn right following sign to Los morros and go 1.5 KM to the statue of Virgen and go left following signs to “El Principal”. Continue staright (5.6 km) passing over a small creek on Puente Blanco until a small sign is reached for Parque Clarillo. Turn left and continue 1.4 km to another “T” intersection and turn left. Go 3.7 km to the National park office. Here you will be charged (2500 pesos at time of this writing) for each person entering the park. Proceed 3.6 km on a the now dirt road thru a white gate and use the parking area here for sector Maitenes as the takeout. A good trail leads to the river.

The put-in is 3 km upstream at the end of the road in Sector Rodeo. Another good trail leads to river

The visitors center at the takeout has an interesting display of the local flora and fauna. There are also a few short hikes within the park and plenty of areas to have an afternoon asado.

If you plan to run the river my biggest suggestion is to carefully SCOUT from your car before you put on. Have a plan and know exactly where you will take out and where you will portage.

Lower death sieve

To get to the river from Santiago simply reach “Las Vizcachas” at the mouth of the Cajon de Maipo and proceed upstream. A few KM after the town of El Manzano you will reach Puente Colorado. Just prior to the bridge is a dirt road that goes upstream 1-1/2 km to the Instituto Río Colorado. Here an ancient bridge over the river collapsed and a massive boulder rolled into the river creating the lower death trap sieve we call # 1. If you plan to boat this far carefully plan exactly which eddy you will use to get out and portage horrible sieve. At strong water flows you will need to exit at least 300 km upstream as no eddy exists on the approach.

View of Colorado River

To reach the put-in return to main road and cross Puente Colorado. A few hundred meters on the other side is a paved road turning to the left. Follow this road and proceed upstream. We put-in about 1 KM above the town Los Maitenes or 23 km up the paved road. We put in just after crossing the second side stream bridge above the town of Los Maitenes which was also first good place to make the 5 minute walk to the river and it was just after crossing under some hydroelectric pipes coming off the mountain.

Our trip abruptly ended at upper death sieve # 2 which is 12-1/2 km below the town of Los Maitenes or 8.7 KM up the paved road from the Maipo canyon. We never scouted this area from the road but should have. The river was running high with full springtime runoff (November 2, 2008). We had just run 13.5 KM of mostly class IV-IV+ boat-scoutable whitewater when we came to a curve in the river with nearly vertical rock walls. The mistake was boating too far and catching an eddy on river left. From here we could not get back upstream nor could we get out to scout what was downstream. The ferry to the other side of the river involved a tight angle thru pushy current and avoiding a juicy hole. One person missed their ferry and got pushed downstream into what turned out to be death sieve # 2. The whole river is blocked by boulders with a large river wide ledge hole just upstream. Our unfortunate boater got pummeled in the ledge whole then proceeded to swim thru the sieve. He survived but the boat and paddle did not. He wound up alone in the canyon amongst its vertical walls. We could not reach him until returning upstream, crossing river, walking up to road then walking downstream on road until we could rapel into canyon to set up belay for climb out. In all it took 4 hours. This could have been avoided if we had scouted the river from the road. The sieve canyon lies just downstream of a campground owned by Luis Vergara Martinez at KM 8.9

Ben May Rapeling into canyon

We estimate the flow of the run was 1500 CFS. Estimate it could be run from 600 CFS up to 2500 CFS. Water is cold but we did not have pogies.

Rio Colorado

The river is referred to as either the “Upper” or the “Lower”

The fury of Frenchman’s corner

To reach the lower drive up the Maipo canyon. A good takeout spot is at KM39 just above Puente Toyo near town of El Melocotón. Put-in at KM47 above the town of San Alfonso. This 8 KM stretch usually takes one hour and is mostly class 3 with one mini canyon (rated class IV at high water) just below San Alfonso. Flows vary significantly from lows in autumn of 1000 CFS to 7500 CFS during full spring run-off. The lower run can be extended by taking out at Parque Los Heroes in San José de Maipo. The only dangers on the run besides big holes are some diversionary water intakes.

The “Upper” Maipo is a step up the evolutionary ladder. To reach the put-in drive upstream from San Alfonso to Puente El Yeso 2 km upstream from San Gabriel. Run the last stretch of the Yeso into Maipo. From here it is mostly class III-IV whitewater until reaching the “Frenchman’s corner”. It was here that an unsuspecting Frenchman blindly rounded the corner years ago to encounter some serious whitewater. At super high flows this whole stretch could be considered class V+ but even at extreme low flows would always be solid class IV.

At a distance of only 67 KM from Pucon is the put-in for one of Chile’s premier creek runs. This section of river has been dubbed the Puesco section and should be on every class 5 kayakers “TO DO LIST”.

The crystal clear water and extreme gradient make for an unforgettable day run.

To reach the river take the international road from Pucon to Argentina heading towards Paso Tromen or Mahuil Malal. From Pucon to Curarrehue (turn of for Maichin) it is 42 KM of paved road. From here to Put-in at Puente Puesco it is another 25 KM on what is now gravel road but soon to be paved. Before crossing Puente Puesco there is a turn off to the right. Head back this dirt track 100 meters, park and put-in on the calm waters of the Rio Puesco. Do not block this road as it is used by local residents.

At the put-in The Rio Puesco is very small but within approximately 500 meters the Rio Momolluco enters from the right and more than doubles the flow. From this point down the river (now actually the Trancura) gets very steep with countless ledge and boulder drops. About 1 KM down the river one will encounter a particularly burly drop called Tres Troncos which was aptly named for the 3 logs which are commonly pinned into the right channel of the drop. Depending on logs every drop on the river is run-able but everything can also be portaged.

3 KM into the run you will pass under a wooden bridge then a café on river left. The road is nearby and this is a possible takeout. One can continue another 4 KM downstream with lots more challenging whitewater that has less gradient than the upper 3 KM. Once you reach some braided gravel bars it is time to get out and hike back to the road. From the river it is hard to know where to get out but from the road a good marker is blue church on river left approximately 7 KM below put-in.

River rating:

Class v- for flows under 400 CFS or 12 cubic meters per second
Class V for flows between 400-600 CFS or 12 to 20 CMS
Class V+ for flows over 600 CFS or 20 CMS

The falls changed recently making the drop more runnable. 1st descented by LJ Groth and Trip Jennings before the geological change. Previous drop was a 50+ foot boof in a left channel(notice trickle of water in picture), only runnable at extremely high water, onto a boily shelf falling another 3o+ feet. Now, since the shelf fell out there is a line in the right channel(pictured sloping ramp) which is safer at low water. At higher water an undercut wall at the bottom on river left comes in to play. Falls has been run by putting in directly above in a small eddy on river right, peel out and fall.  Evan-Nilahuemichael-downstream view

Franz Helfenstein on Rio Maule foto by John Mattson

The word Maule was derived from a mapuche word meaning
“lluvioso” or rainy which is somewhat strange as the Maule drainage is set in an incredibly arid desert environment. The Maule also has two other interesting feautres to note. First the Maule forms the divisional line between los mejores cuartos del pokercaribbean poker portalpoker instrucciones de juegocartas de poker gratiscaribbean poker webpoker online sinpoker downloadcuartos del poker en lineapoker pagina,poker pagina web,poker paginas webmejor juego pokercaribbean poker portalesjuego cartasstrip poker online gratispoker con cartashow to play poker,play poker,play poker onlinepolli poquerpacific poker comdescarga pokerstreep poker onlinepoker en linea librestrp pokerwww polli poquerhow to play pokerdescargar pokerjuegos poker sharewarejuegos de poker gratuitoscartas de poker gratis,cartas poker,cartas poker gratispoker omahabunny pokerstrip poker pc gamereglas texas holdempoker flashpoker en linea gratispoker game onlinecomo jugar a pokerholdem poker reglaspoker caribe pagina webinformatica pokertexas holdem online,texas holdem,jugar texas holdemjuego poker omahapoker texas holdem,holdem poker,jugar poker texas holdempoker brokersexy poker onlinejuego de poker para descargarpoker internet gratisstrep poker gratispai gow poker web,pai gow,pai gow poker portales internetpoker online gratuitojugar gratisjuego casino linea the clear waters of Southern Chile and the silty (on non dammed) rivers found to the North. Secondly the Maule valley has the distinction of being the southern terminus of the both the Spanish and Inca empires. the proud and fierce native Mapuche warriors took a stand at the Maule and it was never to be crossed.

From the city of Talca turn east and drive up the Maule drainage. Do not be concerned if the riverbed becomes completely dry. This is from the upstream dams and dewatering for irrigation purposes. Continue driving upstream until you reach the police checkpoint in La Mina (approximately 100 km from Talca). Here you will need to present and probably leave your passport to continue upstream. Many kayakers have been stymied at this point due to poor paperwork on the vehicles, no passports, etc. Be polite and if asked say you want to visit the hot springs. A death occurred on the river a few years ago and the police might argue if you make it obvious you plan to boat.

Surfing on the Maule foto by John Mattson

Once through the checkpoint the riverbed should once again have plenty of water so continue 1-2 km to the Banos de El Medano (925 meters above sea level). These hot springs serve as the takeout. To reach the put in, continue 21 km to the swinging bridge which leads to some very marginal hot springs on the other side of the river. This bridge at 1525 meters above sea level is the normal upper put in. At higher flows above 2000 CFS most mortals will tuck their tail between their legs and move 2 km downstream to avoid this initial section of class 5+ thundering chaos. After the first 2 KM the river rhythm tapers off and opens up into wide open high speed wave trains with some great play. Three times throughout the run the river enters distinct canyons each of which contains serious whitewater. Like many kayak runs it just so happens that you do not see these canyon stretches from the vehicle while driving to the put-in. Depending on water levels some may choose to portage parts of these canyons none of which is more than a few hundred meters long.

Note 1: I once ran the Maule in early October on natural flow and it was excellent. The water up highs tarted out small but ice cold glacial tributaries entered constantly making the takeout volume substantial.

Note 2: A few km above the swinging bridge put in is a 100+ foot waterfall. Definitely worth the minimal effort to see this impressive site.

Note 3: Ben May and Nathan Sullivan report more intense whitewater above the falls but below the lake and the border crossing.

Note 4: Other great nearby rivers are The Ancoa, Achibueno, Melado

Kurt (Ducky) and Pablo (kayak) just after Pablo’s 7th birthday foto by Eva Luna Ramirez

There are two short sections to the river. The upper sections is 5-6 km long and can be reached in several ways. The easiest is to follow the main road out of Futaleufú towards Chaiten. you will cross over Puente Espolon. The campground on river right serves as a great takeout. To reach a put in continue on main road heading towards Chaiten. There is a turn off about 4 km downstream where you will be able to park just beside the Espolon. To get to a higher put in proceed downstream few hundred yards and turn right following signs to Lago Espolon. Put in at base of a unrunnable falls. Option three is to leave town of Futaleufú heading up the east side of the river. Put in at convenient spot.

Crystal clear water near put in foto by Eva Luna Ramirez

The lower 4 km run begins at Puente Espolon and goes into the Futaleufú. This 4 km stretch has some good play waves and better rapids than upper stretch. A takeout point is on river river right at the old bridge. To reach the take out by car from Puente Futaleufú drive towards Chaiten and after less than 2 km take first major left. there should be a sign that says “La Confluencia”. follow this road until a T intersection and here go left and continue until you reach a river access point.

The lower Espolon also serves as a convenient access route to the Inferno Canyon section of the Futaleufú River. Inferno canyon section for more details