Fields Marshall Rio Noroeste

From town of Futaleufu in Chile´s 11th region take the road road out of the north end of town on Calle Pedro Aguire Cedra and go 2 km and cross over Puente Bellavista 1. Continue another 200 meters and turn right on gravel road. Continue 1.7 km (veering left at one point) to a small bridge over the creek. This is the best takeout. Park on other side and start hiking up the alongside the river under the power lines. Soon the trail gets very steep and stays so for over an hour hiking. Finally the trail levels off and as soon as you glimpse Lago Rosa in the distance you need to peel off and find a trail down to a green pampa down below. Once at the pampa it is 200 meter bush whack down to river level at mouth of lake.

The standard run back to the small bridge takes over an hour with ideal flows off 300 to 750 CFS. Runs is basically continuous class 4 but with water good flow can be pushy. If you want you can continue downstream a few more kilometers into the Espolon and boat to town or even continue into the Inferno Canyon of Futaleufu. Note the lower Rio noroeste is choked in with willow trees so not really recommended.

View of Espolon valley and town of Futaleufu from hike to Put in

Usually runnable after periods of rain

Length 2.3 km, averaging 50 m/km or 250 Feet per mile

Put in coordinates 71.92° longitude, 43.157569° latitude, 470 meters elevation

Take out -43.169160° -71.901357° , 360 meters elevation

Other nearby rivers include Corcovado, Hielo, Futaleufu, Palena, Azul, Espolon y Tigre

Topo map of region title Futaleufu I-011

Slide drop rapid

Waterfall

Scouting a big drop people are in upper right corner of foto

Mariann Saether first descent Rio Perez

Put-in on the Lago Christie and paddle to the outlet. This put-in is among the most beautiful in all of Chile, with a deep blue lake sparkling in the sun as we put on. The road is newly built and in a good condition. From the put-in, paddle downstream till the gradient eases, about 4 kms downstream. The character is pool-drop, and there are no portages, execpt from the 20 meter which is portaged on the left.  

Anne Hubner on Rio Perez

This river can definitely take some juice, so if rivers are high in the area, the Perez could be your local park-n-huck backyard pool-drop run… Just make sure you have a 4×4. First descented in February 2011 by Ron Fischer, Severin Haberling, Stefan Paetsch, Max Siech, Anne Hubner, Mariann Saether, Seppi Strohmeier and Jakub Sedivy.

View of the big rapid at high water which features a 3-4 meter drop into a huge hole

From Puyuhuapi, 199 km south of Chaitén, drive south through Parque Nacional Queulat. Take out 1.5 km downstream from the Carretera Austral/Puerto Cisnes junction, where an obscure trail on river right winds down to the shore elevation 120 meters. Look for the trail below an island roughly 500 m after the last class IV rapid. Put in approximately 10 km upstream on the Carretera Austral, where a small break in the forest leads down to the river to elevation 200 meters. A friendly roadside hosteria at km 140 near Puente Río Cisnes has a hot shower. If you want to drive to the 33 km to the coast, excellent fresh seafood can be purchased in Puerto Cisnes.

Typical rapid at high water

This stretch is runnable year round. Normal flows are 1500 to 1800 CFS but can get big after sustained heavy rains. The 10 km stretch class IV•IV+ stretch has average gradient of only 8 mpk or 40 FPM but still features some good class IV action especially at high water.

Other nearby rivers include Veintisqueros, Manihuales, Simpson. And Figueroa

Topo map titled Río Queulat

Spend the time, roughly six hours, to thoroughly scout the entire run before committing to a descent. The ash fall and resultant carnage in the forest have knocked many trees into the river. They add considerably to the already high level of danger on this run.

At the put-in, the Cajón cuts a braided channel below glacial-covered peaks. After a few kilometers, the river enters a narrow 30 m-deep class II basalt canyon, which resembles a half-pipe draped with hanging vegetation. When the geology changes to granitic basement rock, look for a sawmill on the left that marks the beginning of the tough drops. Less skilled boaters should take out here. Downstream, you must negotiate several log strainers, sieves, and class IV rapids en route to a portage around a big log jam. Countless trees have piled up in this narrow cleft to form a massive 6 m-high obstruction. Do not miss the last chance micro-eddy just above this death trap where the swift current piles into the trees. In January 1997, a German team lost a boat in the big log jam after someone swam upstream. Apparently, they recovered it after a few hours of probing.

A 100 m-deep, 3 m-wide, unscoutable slot canyon lies not far downstream. Drag your boat up to the rim, hike downstream through the trees on the pumice, and put in immediately below the end of the slot canyon where you can paddle back upstream through this dark, narrow chasm.

Below here you will encounter a vertical-walled canyon with wall-to-wall class V rapids, many blind turns through large boulders, and extremely difficult scouting at river level. Do not attempt this section unless you are up for the challenge.

From Villa Cerro Castillo, 100 km south of Coihaique, drive west 20 km on the Carretera Austral heading up the broad Ibañez valley until the road leaves the main river and follows the Cajón. Look for a decent take-out shortly thereafter 375 meters elevation. Scout the lower canyon with binoculars on your way upstream. Put in at an old corral approximately 11 km upstream at 540 m elevation

This class V+ stretch is 11 km long with average gradient of 15 mpk or 80 FPM and has flow of 600 CFS in spring and summer. Expect 5-6 hours to complete the run and have 3-4 portages.

Topo maps are titled Chile Chico • Cerro Sin Nombre, Cerro Hudson

Upon entry into the first canyon, we portaged a undercut 5 m-high entry waterfall. At high flows, do not paddle blindly into this limestone gorge prior to scouting. Climb up and over a steep hill on the right for a look. At low flows it is possible to catch an eddy just above the lip of the waterfall. In the next canyon, a magnificent waterfall cascades over vertical granite into the river from the left. Below here the river flows through numerous other short class III-IV gorges of alternating sedimentary rocks and granite. Interspersed between the canyons are nondescript, class III boulder garden rapids.

Run the Blanco at high water in November for some potentially great whitewater action.  Clay Wright, Josh Lowry, and I had a scratchy but runnable flow of 500 cfs at the take-out on our mid-December 1994 first descent. The whitewater would be much more exciting at higher flows, especially where tilted ramps of limestone and granite form wild, continuous, slidin’ slabs. The lengthy shuttle and windy, flatwater finale make for a long day, so get an early start. A number of great campsites provide the opportunity to linger overnight in one of the canyons.

From the frontier town of El Blanco, approximately 30 km south of Coihaique, continue south following the signs to Cochrane. Along the way, Cerro Castillo comes into view to the north. Excellent camping abounds in the Nothofagus forest adjacent to Laguna Chiguay. Put in where the road makes an abrupt turn to the south at the confluence of Estero Chico Blanco and Estero Los Mallines elevation 770 meters. If Estero Blanco Chico is high enough, put in 4 km upstream along the road below the lethal culverts. Take out 26 km downstream at Puente El Blanco, 500 m west of El Blanco at elevation 425 meters..

This 26 km class IV run is best done in spring months with flows in 500-800 CFS range. Average gradient is 13 mpk or 70 FPM. There is usually one portage.

Some other nearby rivers include Pollux, Simpson, and Ibañez,

Topo map titled Balmaceda

This 4 km, class V run is best done at spring/summer flows of 500 CFS. Expect one or more portages with average gradient of 26 mpk or 140 FPM.

Topo map titled Bahía Murta, Tres Arroyos

This gentle class II•III, 14 km stretch is best run in spring and early summer with flows over 1000 CFS. The average gradient is 32 FPM

Topo maps titled Coihaique, Río Correntoso

This 8 km class III•III+ roadside run has average drop of 6 mpk or 30 FPM and best run in spring/summer months with flows over 1000 CFS

Topo maps titled El Balseo, Río Correntoso

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 the walls constrict again. At this point, the gradient increases dramatically as the Lechoso topples through a 3 m-high, 2 m-wide slot into a corridor.

Negotiating the bottom section requires forethought, creativity, and agile maneuvering. Be on the lookout, giving yourself plenty of time and space to inspect or retreat, if necessary. Constant “heads up” kayaking is mandatory due its major league gradient, extreme tightness, and deadly obstacles. Fallen rocks, horrible undercuts, and wall-to-wall cataracts force you to climb the walls or thrash through nasty thorns during your portages. You will be in constant view of Chile’s emerald jewel, Lago General Carrera, shimmering in the distance as you tumble southward.

On our first descent in December 1997, Gordon Banks and John Foss climbed out shortly after the slot canyon due to the lack of water, while I doggedly continued on solo. Cautious, I portaged five more times during my bump and grind descent on maybe 3 cms of water. Around 7 cms would be optimal.

From Puerto Ibañez, 164 km south of Coihaique, drive north on the switchbacks heading out of town. Continue a few more kilometers upstream, then look for a convenient place to climb into the canyon. Elevation at put-in is 400 meters. To find the take-out, drive back into Puerto Ibañez past the Carabinero station. Cross Puente Lechoso, then obtain permission to enter the estancia. Continue upstream on river left. At a T intersection, turn left and follow the base of the escarpment to the mouth of the canyon elevation 260 meters.

Expect 5 portages on this 2.5 km stretch and a flow of 150-250 CFS in the spring months. Average gradient is 300 FPM or 60 mpk

Topo map titles are Chile Chico • Puerto Ingeniero Ibañez

This class III+•IV- stretch is 7 km in length and drops an average of 6 mpk or 30 FPM with good spring summer flows in excess of 1000 CFS.

From Puerto Ibañez, 164 km south of Coihaique, drive up the road west a few kilometers towards Levicán and Salto Ibañez, a mind-boggling cascade that may be run some day in a Superyak® designed by Jonathan Katz. You will need all of its 21st century features—pliable, bioplasmic hull resin, leakproof AlGore-Tex liner, Rapidmaster interactive scouting software, ARM (Automatic Roll Machine) technology, and a Precognition™ onboard computer with patented “Artificial Huevos”—to make it down this awesome tumult safely.

Continue past Salto Ibañez about 500 m to the lower of two Puente Claro’s. Drive up the hill, veer to the right and continue up the drainage. Follow the river upstream to the other Puente Claro, a recently constructed steel bridge. Walk upstream from the bridge to the bottom of the class VI narrows elevation 410 meters. Take out 4 km downstream at the point where the road leaves the river elevation 300 meters. Average gradient is 27 mpk or 144 FPM with volume of 600 CFS

In contrast to the tumultuous whitewater upstream, the lower Baker is a beautiful, muy tranquilo, multi-day float through the heart of central Patagonia. The first descent of the river in 1983 by Francisco Valle and Luis Ortega was part of their epic, month-long circumnavigation of Campo de Heilo Norte by raft, motorized launch, and ultimately, foot.

In 1992, Sobek spent five days floating the river after bailing out on the upper run. They reported sublime scenery, numerous condor sightings, and warm hospitality from the nearby farmers. This region of Chile was ravaged by ill-advised, government-sponsored forest fires in the early part of the 20th century to create sheep and cattle grazing habitat. Unfortunately, much of the land remains deforested to this day.

Put in 5 km north of Cochrane at Balsa Baker elevation 90 meters. Twenty kilometers downstream the Río de la Colonia enters the Baker from the west. The valley is shadowed by numerous 2000 m peaks including Cerro Puño (2233 m) to the north and Cerro Trunco (2103 m) to the south. Another 25 kilometers downstream, the Río de los Ñadis joins the Baker from the east. Peaks in this drainage range from 2000-2300 m-high. Ten more kilometers lead to a short, narrow gorge with the last drop requiring a 500 m portage on a good trail on river left. Below the portage, the Río Ventisquero enters the Baker 10 km downstream enlarging the river to half a kilometer wide. You can see evidence of substantial clearing of the rainforest for agricultural pursuits. Upon rounding the ice pack, the countryside changes from a comfortable arid setting to a much wetter environment as the river makes its final push west to the coast and the frontier town of Tortel.

On the approach to Tortel, stay to the left when the channel braids around a large island. Take out at the Tortel airstrip and either hike twenty minutes to town or hire a boat taxi. Here the elevation is basically 0 as you have reached the ocean. A recently completed road that links to the Carretera Austral provides access back to Cochrane and it is possible to hitch a ride with private vehicle or the occasional public transportation. An evening in Tortel, however, is well advised. This fishing hamlet is definitely at “the end of road” and only recently with completion of the road is more easily accessible to catch a glimpse of its unique history and character. Built completely on palafillos , or wooden stilts made of locally harvested Cipress, this small fishing/logging hamlet is interlinked by over 20 km of boardwalks.

Topo maps of entire journey are: Cochrane • Valle Chacabuco, Lago Chacabuco, Los Ñadis, Lago Vargas, Caleta, Puerto Alegre, Caleta Tortel)

This 5-7 day trip is 133 km in length with average gradient of .67 mpk or 3-1/2 FPM. With flows exceeding 40,000 CFS there is plenty of current interspersed with flatwater.

Other nearby rivers include Pascua, Bravo, Chacabuco and upper Baker

The class 3 upper run is 5 km in length. Take out alongside road at hydroplant (same as put in for lower) and put in 5 km upstream at a fisherman’s access point beside little lake. River can be run in spring in summer with flows of around 400 CFS.

The next morning we lazily hoisted our boats onto our backs and walked up the steep hill on river right. Scouting from the rim for the next 2 km, we came to a small drainage, lowered our kayaks with ropes, and scrambled down to the river.. We paddled downstream, playing in the class IV rapids while boofing over, ducking under, or walking around some logs. The occasional class V drop provided our adrenaline fix. Rounding the last corner, we caught sight of a couple on the bridge who applauded as we floated underneath.

From Puerto Murta, 195 km south of Coihaique, drive south on the Carretera Austral along Bahía Murta passing through Puerto Tranquilo en route. Drive over the El León, and continue to the bridge spanning the Río El Cañal. To find the put-in, hike upstream two hours on top of the rim on river right trying to avoid nasty stickers along the way. When you arrive at a drainage with a slight trickle of flowing water, lower your boat with a rope, and scramble down to the river. Elevation 310 meters.

The 2 km long class IV+•V- has average gradient of 35 mpk or 185 FPM and best run in spring or mid summer with flows of around 700 CFS.

Topo maps titled Chile Chico • Puerto Guadal

Start your run with a boof off the left side of a 7 m-high waterfall at the put-in. Continuous rapids follow in the small canyon downsteam. After the canyon opens up, the creek tumbles over a steep slope down to the confluence with the Ibañez just above the narrows. Roughly 280 cubic meters per second (10,000 CFS) rush through this tight 200 m-long mini-canyon, which is easily scouted from Puente Ibañez. On our run, we flushed through the narrow defile with unintended bow and stern squirts. Shortly downstream, I got backendered in a hole below the bridge, much to the delight of locals who gathered to watch the first kayaker they had ever seen get pummeled.

From Villa Cerro Castillo, 100 km south of Coihaique, drive north out of town a few hundred meters. Turn left and cross a unnamed bridge where you will find a camping area next to the Bosque. Hike up river right approximately 1.5 km and put in just above the 7 m-high waterfall at elevation 500 meters. To find the take-out, cross Puente Ibañez, turn left towards Las Manos, a prehistoric pictograph site, and take out below a good surfing wave at 340 meters elevation.

Andres and Atila on the Jenimeni

The river is runnable year round with mostly class 3 rapids but when it rains in the headwaters the river rises rapidly and turns into pushy, continuous, chocolate colored class 4+.

Rafting on Jeinemeni

Normal summer flows are 500 CFS or 15 CMS which is adequate for kayaks or rafts.

The river can be run source to lake with no portages and offers plenty of quality overnight camping opportunities. The best day stretches are closer towards the source. The upper stretch is from the lake 820 meters elevation 12 km down to middle put in at Fundo El Pato 648 meters elevation (just below Rio Sucio) 46°47’59.17″S, 71°53’40.18″W After heavy roads it might not be possible to reach the upper stretch as the side creeks on the way up are un-passable.

Put in for river

The take out at Fundo El Pato is also the put in for the middle stretch out . The takeout is at 573 meters elevation and 9.8 KM downriver at 46°46’24.50″S
71°47’20.78″W. This stretch averages 7.65 m/km or 40 FPM

Side hike Jeinemeni canyon

Along this stretch the Rio Zaballo enters from Argentina. Just below this get out on river right and look for some caves the Puma use to eat their kill. These sheltered alcoves in cliffs are stacked high full of bones and if one looks closely will see ancient Petroglyphs of the Tehuelche culture.

To get to river go east 1 KM from town of Chile Chico, 160 km south of Coihaique, and turn right on gravel road marked with sign to Reserva Jeinimeni that also leads to local airport. It is 31 km to the middle takeout which is a marginal dirt track that swithbacks down to the river. It is 42 km to the dirt track leading down to the middle put in which can be spotted a few hundred meters after passing a small lake on river right with pink flamingos

Note: one can also follow a road up the Argentinian side and access put in and take out points from the east but the access is much more restricted. At higher flows a good option from the Argentine side would be to start on the Rio Zeballo and take out in Los Antiguos some 43 plus km downstream

Other nearby rivers include Aviles, Baker, Chacabuco and Cochrane.
Topo maps 1:50,000 Lago Verde, Río de Las Nieves, Chile Chico

Sound sketchy? Well, it is. The upper portion of the canyon consists of silver-flecked schistose walls that enclose class III rapids. Shortly below the confluence of the Río Las Horquetas, the canyon constricts considerably and changes to a ochre-russet stained metamorphic rock. At this point, a log clogs the entire channel, creating a deathtrap. At low flows, you can squeeze under this log. Portage left out of the canyon using two 20 m ropes. Once on top of the rim, you’ll have to search for a route back to the river, paying close attention to the topography.

The crux of the run, Josh’s Jump, features a tight 2 m-high waterfall that explodes into a turbulent, corkscrew-shaped hydraulic pulsating off an overhung wall. In the landing zone, a short, circular pool leads into a 1.5 m-wide slot. It is a scary move that Josh Lowry, Clay Wright, and I did not see even after scouting for six hours from both rims prior to our first descent in December 1994. From a 6 m-high perch above the water on the right wall, you can see the hydraulic, but not the slot below. The climb out on the right intimidates owing to the rotten rock. If you bail out here, you have essentially abandoned the rest of the canyon, because you can’t climb back in anywhere below.

A tight, boulder-strewn drop marks the entrance to the grand finale. It is impossible to peer into its shadowy depths downstream without a thorough scout of the gorge from both sides of the river prior to your trip. Park your car at the take-out bridge, and hike 2 km upstream on river right along the rim. To see if the passage is clear, you must climb down to an ibis perch overlooking the slot. I used a log jammed into the canyon walls 4 m above the river as a marker. While scouting on the river left side of the canyon, Josh and I belayed each other by the ankles while hanging over the rim to see into the depths below! Potential new rockfall and the ever-present threat of log jams from the Nothofagus trees that drape the inner canyon walls invite caution.

Panoramic 360° vistas surround you while walking along the canyon rims. Superb salt-and pepper-granite, carved into monolithic spires by grinding rivers of ice, are a compelling sight. Undoubtedly one of the most picturesque ranges in Patagonia, these classic sin nombre spires soar skyward around Lago General Carrera. The motor tour along the south side of the lake is one of the finest in Chile. This watershed deserves wild and scenic river protection.

From Lago Bertrand, drive east on CH 265 along the south shore of Lago General Carrera to Puerto Guadal, continuing on approximately 15 km to Puente Río Los Maitenes. Alternatively drive west from Chile Chico 60 km to the same bridge. Continue 4.3 km east of the bridge, then turn south on an obscure dirt road cutting through the shrubsteppe. Creep along upstream for 6 km until the road fizzles out into a well-worn trail. From this trailhead, walk 20 minutes down to the river. To elevation 350 meters. Take out shortly downstream from Puente Río Los Maitenes on a road that descends 500 m to a flat, grassy camping area adjacent to the river elevation 225 meters.

To scout on river left, drive ~1.5 km west to a road that accesses the rim. Walk to edge of the abyss from a nearby farm house.

This mostly class III to class V- run has one V+ rapid and at least one portage. It is 10 km in length and averages 12 mpk with 400-600 CFS flow. Best run in spring and early summer. Expect to take 5-6 hours

Topo maps titled Chile Chico • San José, Puerto Sánchez

Three significant rapids below the put-in lead up to the narrowest part of the gorge. Turbulent, flat water moves swiftly though these dark shadows before reaching an expanding sky. An unrunnable set of cataracts looms shortly downstream. At flows greater than 28 cms, the one boat eddy on the right could be tough to catch. Portage up and over a talus slope of house-sized boulders. Below the cataracts, classic pool-drop rapids will fill the rest of your afternoon. Beware of a few river wide holes that will ruin your day if you blindly blunder into them.

With the grandeur of its dark, towering walls, narrow slot canyon, challenging whitewater, and snowy views of Cerro El Ventisquero (2110 m), it is easy to imagine this river protected in a wild and scenic river program. Currently, only its headwaters are protected in Reserva Nacional Lago General Carrera.

From Puerto Ibañez, 164 km south of Coihaique, take the ferry across Lago General Carrera (or do the wickedly long drive around the southern shore of the lake). After disembarking in Chile Chico, drive west along the lake approximately 20 km to Puerto Fachinal. Continue west a few more km to the take-out at Puente Avilés elevation225 meters. Hike upstream on river left for two hours on a well-worn cattle trail to reach the top of the slot canyon elevation 350 meters.

The 5 km hike provides 4.5 km of class V- boating with 3-4 portages. Best run in summer months with flows of 600-800 CFS with average gradient of 28 mpk or 150 FPM.

Topo map is titled Chile Chico and other nearby rivers include Baker, Cajon, Rio Claro (Ibañez ), Cochrane, El Cañal, Estero del Bosque, Estero Lechoso, Río Jeinemeni, Los Maitenes

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

The actual volume of the river is somewhat of a mystery but I would estimate it to be 25,000 to 50,000 CFS with high runnable flows being in January with volume gradually diminishing into end of April.

It was not until 1992 with construction of the road that the first boaters arrived at the Baker. It was a Sobek exploratory raft trip with two safety kayakers. The rafts were quickly pummeled and forced out of the canyon but kayakers Rocket (David Pettingal) and Chuck Carpenter made it to the the entrance of the third canyon and portaged their way through.

Entry to first canyon

The waters of Lago General Carrera flow into Lago Beltrame and the exit is the nacimiento or birth of the Baker. Snow capped peaks surround the region and world class fishing make for outstanding scenery and provide many other activities in addition to running the river.

First canyon

One can put on at the end of Lago Beltrame and boat the birth of the river. There are a few big volume class 2-3 rapids but nothing serious. 4 KM downstream, just across from a nice camping area called Predio Eva, is a nice playwave with eddy service.

Kurt Casey in Predio Eva surf wave foto by Eva Luna Ramirez

Below the surf wave it is 8 km of flatwater down to the Salto Nef, a two part drop consisting of a 3 and then 4 meter falls. This falls are visible in the distance from the road but can be accessed by walking just under 1 KM from the sign and gate called “La Confluencia” down to the falls themselves.

Falls Salto Nef

Salto Nef

Below the falls the Rio Nef joins the baker significantly bumping up the flow and changing the turquoise waters to a turbid green. A long pool leads directly into the fits canyon. The four distinct rapids can all be scouted and with some major efforts even portaged. The rapids are enormous exploding wave trains peppered with monster holes and unforgiving, surging eddy lines. The third rapid in the first canyon has consequences above and beyond the others with the bulk of the river smashing into the right had wall creating chaos best avoided by driving hard to an eddy on river left.

Tailstand on the baker

The second canyon is basically one rapid that has a sneak route which involves boofing a large hole. The balance of the second canyon is spent navigating a narrow canyon until the exit.

Big water on the baker

At the exit of the second canyon a Pasarela (bridge) crosses the river providing a good takeout point or for the big volume playboaters access to perhaps the best playspot in Chile. Just below the bridge is a massive playhole that exists and morphs at all levels.

Peruvian kayaker Santiago Ibañez in the huge playspot

Downstrean is the third canyon which was not run until January 1996 by Josh Lowry, Arnd Schaeftlein, Bernd Sommer, Manual Arno and Dave Kashinski. The canyon has six rapids, the second of which is often portaged. A kilometer of turbulent water seperates the fourth rapid from the unportageable fifth. At the exit of the canyon the Rio Chacabuco enters on river left. There might eb a way to takeout here but continue downstream to Balsadero Baker which is 16 KM downriver from Balsadero Nef.

At the abrupt exit of the third canyon is the planned site for one of Chile’s more controversial damm sites. At the time of this writing no construction or other noticeable activity has taken place apart from several billboards encouraging a Patagonia free of damms.

Signs against the damm near proposed construction site

A great write up on the Rio Baker by Evan Garcia found here http://egcreekin.blogspot.com/2008/03/rio-baker-trip.html