Río Cajón

25 Oct

Volcanic ash and cinders blanket the Río Cajón basin, which lies downwind from Volcán Hudson (1369 m). After laying dormant for twenty years, Hudson erupted in August 1991 wreaking considerable property damage and environmental change in Chile Chico and western … Read More »

Rio Cisnes (Upper)

24 Oct

Don’t be fooled by the low average gradient on the upper Cisnes. Its citadel rock walls reverberate with the roar of great whitewater rising from the abyss. Located east of the Carretera Austral, this precipitous canyon forms the southeastern boundary … Read More »

Rio Resbalón

24 Oct

After tumbling through a foggy, verdant canyon upstream, the Resbalón meanders into Bahia Murta, the northwest arm of Lago Bertrand. Because of its lush vegetation and sheer walls, bailouts are virtually impossible. More than a few inconveniently placed logs require … Read More »

Río Simpson (Lower)

24 Oct

The lower Simpson flows through a glacially scoured valley that forms the northern boundary of Parque Nacional Río Simpson, and the southern extant of Reserva Nacional Coihaique. Vertical crags, plummeting waterfalls, virgin temperate rainforest, and a lush floral carpet of … Read More »

Río Figueroa

24 Oct

Bordering the northern edge of Parque Nacional Queulat, the Río Figueroa flows through a beautiful valley of old growth forest. Cordillera Queulat and Sierra Negra peek above the horizon. Excluding some excellent drops in the gorge above Puente Figueroa (which … Read More »

Río Pangal

24 Oct

Without a doubt, the hydro-developed Río Pangal is one of the most radical whitewater stretches in Chile. The river is only runnable when the right amount of cold, silty water is released from the dam and allowed to churn through … Read More »

Estero Lechoso

23 Oct

Estero Lechoso is an intense, class V+ committing run of great beauty. Directly below the put-in lies a majestic, runnable slot canyon with a navigable cataract at the bottom. The river then meanders for a couple of hundred meters until … Read More »

Rio Teno

23 Oct

Like a cement truck, the Teno’s cold, gray torrent churns through a short, sheer-walled canyon 22 km above Los Queñes. This mini-gorge sharply contrasts with the glacially-carved valley above and below it. Virtually the entire run is visible from the … Read More »