Itinerary

Day 1 – Fly from the U.S. to Santiago

Take an evening flight from the United States to Santiago, Chile.

Note: You can also fly through Bariloche, Argentina. Call us for details.

Day 2 – Santiago to Terminador Camp

You’ll arrive in Santiago in the morning and transfer to your flight south to Puerto Montt. In Puerto Montt, you’ll be met by a representative who will escort you to a commuter flight to Chaiten. This is a spectacular half hour flight that follows the rugged coastline of the Pumilin National Park.

In Chaiten, we board a bus and drive an hour before we stop for a beautiful hike to a glacier: welcome to Patagonia! After the hike, we board the bus and drive another hour and a half, passing roaring rivers and deep blue lakes to the Terminador Camp trailhead. This beautiful trail winds through the trees the entire length of the camp offering stunning views of the mile long rapid, which churns the water into every imaginable shade of azure, white and turquoise. Hidden in the trees are 14 private, two-person, hand-hewn wooden cliff dwellings each with beds and a bird’s eye view of the surging flow over giant, sculpted white granite boulders. Located near the center of the camp is an 18-person wooden hot tub with a cypress deck. We’ll arrive with time to relax before the welcome dinner.

Day 3 – Raft & Kayak Training / Terminador Camp

This morning we hike one mile upstream and take a spectacular manual cable car across the river. On the other side we meet horses and ride along the translucent teal colored Futaleufu, with snow-capped peaks in the background. After an hour we reach the confluence with the Rio Azul and ride up this gorgeous tributary for a few miles. At a bridge we switch from horses to inflatable kayaks that we paddle down the Class II/III rapids of the Agua Azul.

At the confluence with the Futaleufu we switch from the kayaks to rafts where we will practice a flip drill as part of our raft training. We run a series of marvelous class IV rapids including Himalayas, Puente Colgante, Mundoca and Wina. In the afternoon we take out and drive 15 minutes to our trail into the Terminador Camp.

Note: Inflatable kayaking on the Azul is subject to water levels. If the Azul is too high or too low, we will switch to the Rio Espolon, a more stable Futaleufu River tributary.

Day 4 – Inferno Canyon / Cave Camp

This morning we hike half an hour from camp followed by an hour drive to the put-in on the sheer-walled Class V Inferno Canyon. Racing between imposing walls, hundreds of feet high, the pulsing river boasts some of the most impressive commercially run rapids in the world including Inferno, Purgatorio and Escala de Jacobo. Each rapid in Inferno Canyon is separated by a swift pool, which allows time for rescue and recovery, if necessary. In the early afternoon we exit the canyon and raft down to Cave Camp, a 1,000 acre camp which is the most exotic and diverse river camp in the world.

Note: You have the option of riding a horse or hiking on a stunning trail around Inferno Canyon down to lunch in order to avoid the Class V rapids.

Day 5 – Tyrolean Traverse / Tree House Camp

This morning we set up a dramatic Tyrolean traverse to cross the river. Wearing a climbing harness attached to a pulley, participants pull themselves across a rope stretched between sheer granite walls over the heart of Zeta Rapid. Although not risky or particularly strenuous, hanging and then crossing over the Class VI rapid is extremely exhilarating.

Upon reaching the other side, we begin climbing out of the inner canyon. The moderately strenuous 1,500 vertical foot hike takes us past a beautiful 100-foot tributary waterfall and breathtaking views of the river and Cave Camp with dramatic peaks rising above it. Tucked away in the center of this enchanted, moss-draped land of giants is a 10-acre, 50-foot deep Lake of the Frogs. Cut out by the glacier, the lake drops straight off the edge like a giant, bottomless swimming pool. Surrounded by native old growth forest on three sides, with dramatic mountain views on the fourth, this intimate body of water offers wonderful opportunities for swimming and canoeing.

A natural wood deck and a hand made 16 person hot tub sits on the edge of the lake. Hidden back in the trees is a hand-hewn log gazebo structure with a fireplace in case of inclement weather. Just beyond the gazebo, 35 feet up in a majestic closely-knit stand of old growth giants are 8 wonderful, hexagon shaped tree houses. We spend the evening above the lower canopy with stunning views of the lake, surrounding forest and mountains.

Day 6 – Adventure Day / Cave Camp

This morning we hike back down to the river. From the trail we can see aerial views of the river, surrounding canyon and the majestic Tower of the Winds which we will be climbing and rappelling down later in the day. The trail ends at a 250-foot zipline into the pool below. This is followed by a soak in the nearby 105° natural stone hot tub – the perfect transition from the 60° river. On the cliff just above the hot tub there is a 10 to 42 foot high cliff jump into the aerated blue pool below Zeta Rapid.

After lunch we receive a climbing safety briefing and put on our climbing harnesses for the Tower climb. The tower climb involves a dynamic three-part rock climb up the backside of the 320-foot granite Torre de los Vientos (Tower of the Winds). No previous climbing experience is necessary, and people from 5 to 78 years old have made the climb. To descend from the tower we do a dramatic, 320 foot, two-stage rappel off the Tower’s sheer north wall.

Note: For those people not wishing to make the climb/rappel, options include: swimming at Lost beach, kayaking on the Blue Lake, trout fishing or relaxing in the stone hot tub. An optional, less demanding, 100 ft. rappel off the back side of the tower is also available.

Day 7 – Rafting / Campo Mapu Leufu

A short float this morning takes us to the Throne Room Rapid, which we’ll portage and send the boats through empty. The next couple of hours are spent running a series of long, exciting Class IV+ rapids followed by lunch at the confluence of the Futaleufu and turquoise Rio Azul.

After lunch we paddle some more exciting class 4+ rapids down to the Earth River Mapu Leufu Camp. In the afternoon, we have the option of horseback riding or mountain biking on beautiful trails on the other side of the river accessed by a manual cable car or canyoneering through the 400-foot deep Rio Blanco slot canyon. Wearing wetsuits and river shoes, we hike, climb, and swim through this incredible natural labyrinth of white boulders, clear azure pools and waterfalls. Those people not wishing to partake in the Rio Blanco canyoneering can relax at camp.

Day 8 – Rafting / Campo Mapu Leufu

Today is an impressive rafting day. Within minutes of pushing off we enter the Class V Terminador Rapid, the most demanding rapid on the river. Immediately downstream of Terminador are the 15-foot waves of the Himalayas. In this stretch the rapids flow together making nearly a mile and a half of non-stop Class IV action. After the Himalayas there is a series of giant Class IV+ rapids (some nearly a mile long) and two Class V rapids: Cojin (the cushion) and Mundaca.

After lunch we run two of the most difficult Class V rapids on the river: Mas o Menos and Casa De Piedra. After the last rapid, the canyon boasts some of its most impressive scenery with grand vistas of towering mountains and glaciers.

We’ll spend our last night at Campo Mapu Leufu where we’ll enjoy a traditional Chilean Asado (sheep roasted over a fire) prepared by our neighbor and friend, Sugundo Zapata.

Note: Class IV participants have the option of hiking on a trail around short sections of the bigger rapids. Often people who chose to walk around Inferno Canyon earlier in the trip feel more comfortable and run many of the large rapids today.

Day 9 – Chaiten to Santiago

This morning we drive two and a half hours to the Chaiten Airport where we board the commuter flight to Puerto Montt. In Puerto Montt, you transfer to your return flight to Santiago.

Day 10 – United States

This morning we arrive in the United States and transfer to our connecting flights.

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