A Whitewater guide to the rivers of chile
Jared Seiler dropping the “Suavemente” aka “Purty Thirty” at the start of the Lower section. The Rio Llancahue located on the southeastern slope of Volcan Villarica is reached via Conaripe. It is roughly an hour and a half drive from Pucon. It is easily found by following signs to the famous hot springs “Termas Geometricas”. [...]
Posted on January 19th, 2012 by jared
Filed under: chile, class 5, pucon, Region XIV De Los Rios, waterfalls | 1 Comment »
A Native Mapuche word perhaps meaning ¨rock magic¨ Cura-rock, Calcu-witchcraft Located in the comuna de Cunco, Region de la Araucania, Chile´s 9th region… A low elevation run flowing off the north western flank of the permanent snowfields of Nevados de Solipulli with adequate water levels in the winter-early spring months from August to mid October [...]
Posted on November 14th, 2011 by kurt casey
Filed under: chile, class 3, class 4, class 5, pucon, Region IX, waterfalls | No Comments »
A fun creek run flowing off the Cordillera Huerere into the Northwestern corner of Lago Colico in Chile´s 9th Region de la Araucania. The roadside run is low volume with good gradient, and crystal clear water flowing through a still predominantly native forest. Codihue is a local Mapuche (Mapudungun) word meaning ¨place of rocks¨ Class [...]
Posted on August 31st, 2011 by kurt casey
Filed under: chile, class 4, pucon, Region IX | No Comments »
The Rio Claro is a small creek in downtown Pucon..It is more of a novelty run for locals in the winter months or when everything else is too high.. Logistics are absolutely simple. The creek flows off the NE flank of Villarrica Volcano and is a source of Pucon´s drinking water. It is 3 KM [...]
Posted on August 18th, 2011 by kurt casey
Filed under: class 3, class 4, pucon | 4 Comments »
A rumbling steep creek coming off the permanent snowfields of Nevados de Solipulli is the Rio Trafanpulli. In local Mapadungo language the meaning is “junction of the valleys”. French kayaker Valentin Grollemund I first started looking at this creek in 1995 but it was not until 2009 that I was able to get back to [...]
Posted on December 2nd, 2009 by kurt casey
Filed under: chile, class 4, class 5, pucon, Region IX | No Comments »
The best stretch of boating on the upper Maichín consists of a section of a class III-IV rapids above Puente Basas. Approximately 1 km below the put-in, the river flows through a 1.5 km long-columnar basalt gorge. The drops are straightforward and boat scoutable from eddies. The cold, clear river flows through a bucolic countryside [...]
Posted on October 22nd, 2009 by John Foss (posthumously)
Filed under: chile, class 3, class 4, pucon, Region IX | No Comments »
The Rio Tolten is a scenic float and a fisherman’s paradise. The river has no big rapids but has very continuous current with some pushy turbulent whirlpools and eddy lines. It is a great river to do with children and on family outings. The put in is at the exit of Lago Villarrica (213 meters [...]
Posted on October 20th, 2009 by kurt casey
Filed under: chile, class 2, pucon | No Comments »
The lower Trancura is Pucón’s local playground and sports the most popular day raft trip in the country. This section of river is also popular with Kayakers, duckies, shredders and Hidrospeed river boards. On any given summer day dozens of raft trips will be challenging its class 3 rapids. Year round flows, a paved shuttle [...]
Posted on October 3rd, 2009 by kurt casey
Filed under: chile, class 3, pucon | No Comments »
Another run in Pucon area this one is pretty small and is therefore called an Estero instead of a Rio. Apart from the Ojos de Carburgua and the infamous “MP” this is probably the most popular park and huck. From Pucon cross the Trancura over Puente Meterenehue and continue 8 KM and make the turn [...]
Posted on October 3rd, 2009 by kurt casey
Filed under: chile, class 5, pucon, waterfalls | No Comments »
This river, although interesting, is not worth going out of your way for. If you are in the Pucon area and more specifically up near the headwaters of the Liucura near the “Los Posones” or Termas de Huife hot springs you might want to check it out. Polk Deters on Llancalil portage To get to [...]
Posted on August 2nd, 2009 by kurt casey
Filed under: chile, class 4, pucon, Region IX | No Comments »
Flowing off of the permanent snow fields of Sollipulli is an ice cold tributary of the upper Maichin. It is short, not very difficult but incredibly beautiful. I ran this with Zack “Del Sapo” Cowen in early December 2004 I would not go out of way to run this river but given its simple logistics [...]
Posted on August 2nd, 2009 by kurt casey
Filed under: chile, pucon, Region IX | No Comments »
This novelty run is only for those curious folks who are in the Pucon area and have already done every river imaginable. It is one of dozens of rivers named Rio Blanco in Chile. I first looked at this river in 1994 but it was almost impossible to scout. Although there is a road above [...]
Posted on August 2nd, 2009 by kurt casey
Filed under: chile, class 4, pucon, Region IX | No Comments »
Tumbling off the flanks of the magnificent 3717 meter Volcan Lanin are the headwaters of Pucon’s Trancura River. While lower sections of the river close to Pucon see hundred’s of daily visitors from the numerous rafting companies, the upper reaches of the river are rarely explored. At a distance of only 67 KM from Pucon [...]
Posted on October 27th, 2008 by kurt casey
Filed under: chile, class 5, pucon | Comments Off
The Upper Palguín is one of Chile’s premier waterfall runs. A partial first descent was made in February 1990 by John Foss and Christine Blask. Two years later John returned with Dave Black, John Mattson and Kurt Casey to complete the run. Today the river is a popular day trip with visiting kayakers to the [...]
Posted on February 3rd, 2008 by jomama
Filed under: chile, class 4, class 5, pucon, waterfalls | No Comments »
The crystal clear, iridescent waters of the Maichín are home to one of the Pucón area’s classic rivers. Set in an incredibly beautiful canyon the Maichín has everything one could ask forsolid class 4/5 whitewater, excelent fishing, natural streambed, consistent flow, and easy access. Maichín in the local dialect of the Mapuche signifies “To make [...]
Posted on May 6th, 2007 by kurt casey
Filed under: chile, class 4, class 5, pucon | No Comments »
The Rio Panqui is another Pucon springtime waterfall run. Although the river is referred to by local gringo boaters as the “Spank-me”, the orgin of the name is derived from the local Mapuche language and means Puma. The river comes froma relatively low drainage so only runs in winter and spring or during the summer [...]
Posted on May 4th, 2007 by kurt casey
Filed under: chile, class 5, pucon, waterfalls | No Comments »
This springtime gem is right in the Pucon area. It was first run until the winter of 1994 when locals Robby Dastin, Gigo Castillo and Rick Bravo made the initial exploration. Several days of rain are required make this small catchment runnable. The stretch that is commonly run is 4 km or less in length [...]
Posted on April 21st, 2007 by kurt casey
Filed under: chile, class 5, pucon, waterfalls | No Comments »
Flowing off both the southern flanks of Volcan Villarica (2840 meters) and Volcan Quetrupillan (2360 meters) is the Rio Llancahue. The river is directly south of the town of Pucon on the opposite side of the volcano. Pronounced Yan-Cow-Weh the river derives its name from Mapudungo or the local Mapuche dialect. the meaning is “place [...]
Posted on April 18th, 2007 by kurt casey
Filed under: chile, class 5, pucon, Region XIV De Los Rios | 2 Comments »
The Rio Nevado is one of Pucon’s classic steep creek runs. The river cascades off the Picos del Caburgua (1952 meters) and forms one of the upper tributaries of the Liucura. The run is just outside of the border of the beautiful National Park Huerquehue. Once again it was local Robbie Dastin who sleuthed this [...]
Posted on April 16th, 2007 by kurt casey
Filed under: chile, class 5, pucon, waterfalls | No Comments »
This seldom run, low volume steep creek enters Lago Villarica directly opposite Pucon. It only runs in the spring or after an intense prolonged summer storm. On some maps such as 1:50,000 Topo titled Lago Caburgua it is also called Rio Quilque. Nate Elliot in Plata Canyon The run was first pioneered by locals Robbie [...]
Posted on April 16th, 2007 by kurt casey
Filed under: chile, class 5, pucon | No Comments »
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