Multi sport adventure holiday in Patagonia
| country: | Patagonia, Chile |
| location: | Patagonia |
| departures: | 2009: 19 Dec, 28 Dec |
| price: | From US $2300 - US $3100 (9 days) excluding flights. Price includes all accommodation, meals, transport, equipment, activities, guides and instructors |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
the amazing things you'll be doing
We will treat you to a vacation in Patagonia surpassing your wildest expectations! From incredible Chile rafting and multisport fun on the Futaleufu River and Rio Azul to a magical horseback ride through Chilean meadows, from yoga classes to massage, from mountain biking to soaking in a riverside hot tub, we’ve found the perfect way for you to satisfy your urge to explore and relax all at the same time.
At an unparalleled riverside spa and adventure camp, we invite you to be pampered while breathing in the Patagonian mountain air and admiring the sea green Futaleufu River float by just feet away from you. Our riverside camp is luxurious in amenities and comfort - a true experience in "glamping" (Glamorous Camping!) Enjoy our sunset bar, wood sauna, 5 hot showers, 2 massage rooms with professional masseuse, gourmet river cuisine with a professional chef, and inviting riverside hot tub.
Your Patagonian home is a large, roofed tented platform with amazing river views. The tented bungalow is a spacious safari-style tent. They are complete with beds, down comforters, and morning coffee delivery by your own personal “tent captain”. This camp was specifically designed to provide areas of private, quiet reflection, such as the peaceful, cozy “yoga pagoda”, as well as group gathering places for games, sit-down dinners, and camaraderie.
At an unparalleled riverside spa and adventure camp, we invite you to be pampered while breathing in the Patagonian mountain air and admiring the sea green Futaleufu River float by just feet away from you. Our riverside camp is luxurious in amenities and comfort - a true experience in "glamping" (Glamorous Camping!) Enjoy our sunset bar, wood sauna, 5 hot showers, 2 massage rooms with professional masseuse, gourmet river cuisine with a professional chef, and inviting riverside hot tub. Your Patagonian home is a large, roofed tented platform with amazing river views. The tented bungalow is a spacious safari-style tent. They are complete with beds, down comforters, and morning coffee delivery by your own personal “tent captain”. This camp was specifically designed to provide areas of private, quiet reflection, such as the peaceful, cozy “yoga pagoda”, as well as group gathering places for games, sit-down dinners, and camaraderie.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Arrive in Buenos Aires, Argentina for your flight connection to San Carlos de Bariloche. Check into a lovely hotel with lake views located within walking distance of town. Afternoon free. Please note that we are happy to arrange an extension to Buenos Aires either before or after the trip dates. |
| Day 2: | Drive south to the Futaleufü as it flows into Chile. In the afternoon we will reach the remote, rugged outpost that serves as the border between Argentina and Chile where you will get another stamp in your passport as we enter Chile. We arrive at the Base Camp where your private tent bungalow on a raised platform, complete with river views and comfortable beds, will be waiting for you. After a short hike or a swim, you may want to soak in the riverside hot tub or enjoy a hot shower. Then, we gather in the sunset bar for our first welcome happy hour. We will introduce the entire crew and go over the week’s agenda. After happy hour, a hearty dinner will be served. |
| Day 3: | Awaken on the banks of the Fu and enjoy your first morning in camp! A pre-breakfast yoga class is available on our customized yoga platform with river views! Today is a river day. Each raft is captained by a highly trained and intuitive river guide, who guides the boat from a stern-mounted oar frame. The first section that we raft, from camp down to Puente Futaleufú, is only 10 km, but offers more rapids per 1000 meters than anywhere else on the river. It is the perfect warm-up run and it is non-stop fun! At take-out, we meet our vehicles for a 20-minute ride back to camp. Those who would prefer a “lower body” workout to complement their paddling are welcome to run back or ride one of our mountain bikes from take-out to camp. Every late afternoon is “Happy Hour” with an open bar stocked with beer, wine, soda, and fresh juice. Then, we gather together in the open-air kitchen/dining area, the “Galpon”, for a candlelight sit-down dinner featuring fresh locally grown produce and fresh-baked breads. |
| Day 4: | Officially day two of our rafting extravaganza. Our aim is to settle into a river rhythm that will be utilized in order to successfully raft the next few sections the Fu. After breakfast, we will launch our rafts from camp and have lunch on the river. After we pass the Puente Futaleufú (yesterday’s take-out), we immediately round the corner to meet a big stomping continuous cascade of waves known as “Mas o Menos”, translated, “More or Less”. This is a good stepping-stone towards our first true blue class V technical rapid, “Casa de Piedra” (House of Rock) which is right around the next corner. After this rapid, we will run the remaining class 3 and 4 rapids as our hearts resume beating at their normal rates. We will drift into a nice long calm section that offers perfect fishing from the rafts as well as a great place to get into some hard shell kayaks. The next three miles we will have a floating happy hour and reach our take out spot just above Lago Yelcho. |
| Day 5: | Today we become experts at navigating our very own river crafts, known inflatable kayaks or IK’s. We venture up canyon to the source of the Rio Espolon as it cascades out of the Lago Espolón to find gin clear water and gentle class 2 and 3 rapids that offer a perfect learning opportunity to become a great captain of your own boat. If there is interest, before we paddle we will have a chance to stroll around the quaint little town of Futaleufú. The Rio Espolon is one of the major tributaries to the Futaleufu river and flows into the Fu right above the Inferno canyon which is where we take-out in the early afternoon. For those ready to try out a hard shell kayak, this is the perfect class 2-3 river to do it on! |
| Day 6: | Surf and Turf up and down the Rio Azul valley! After breakfast we take a short drive to the stables where we will find our trusty steeds saddled up and ready for adventurous riding. After a safety briefing, we ride alongside some local expert equestrians and our own river guides who will gladly join the posse up a glorious, pristine side valley where the Rio Azul flows unhindered from its glacial headwaters. After a 3 hour ride, we stop for a picnic lunch and then trade in our saddles for paddles to test our talents on the challenging and fun Class 3 and 4 Rio Azul, a significant step up in difficulty from the Rio Espolon. This is a full biathlon day and you will be glad to return to camp, enjoy the soothing hot tub, a cold beer or glass of wine as you wait your turn to get a well deserved massage! |
| Day 7: | We travel 25 kilometers to Rio Espolon to launch our rafts for the Inferno Canyon day! On the Rio Espolon we have a chance to warm up on this low volume river before it joins and helps form the mighty Futaleufu as it gets squeezed into the narrow Inferno canyon. This upper canyon requires aggressive class V paddling and is potentially the most intense section of white water on the river. Many other options exist for those who choose not to participate in Inferno Canyon. After lunch, we are dealt a Royal Flush; a continuous class IV corridor of rapids does not let up until we get to our take-out spot at the Rio Azul footbridge. Early evening is spent in camp getting ready for the evening festivities. Blanca and her partner Umberto, locals from a nearby farm, prepare a very special treat for us. They merrily prepare a delicious dinner called “Curanto” that is typical of the south of Chile and the island of Chiloe. We spend the evening by the bonfire on the beach singing and dancing the night away. |
| Day 8: | Summit day. Today, we must be mentally and physically well prepared for the river. We call it the “summit day” as we aim to top our already great paddling days with the best day of white water in the world. As our day on the river begins, the blue glacial run-off from the Rio Azul River merges into the Fu from the right. The views of the snow capped mountain peaks are absolutely breathtaking. A six-kilometer stretch of warm-up rapids leads us to the longest and toughest rapid that we will raft, “The Terminator.” We scout and study our line, then we take the plunge and drop in. The next three miles are non-stop rapids. After an aerobic workout, we pump through the enormous haystack wave train known as the “Himalayas”. Just when we need it, a calm returns, we float gently into lunch, served at our base camp. After lunch, we return to the river to complete the last task for the day, tackling as much white water as possible. We raft the whole section of river from camp to below Casa de Piedra. At take-out, cold beers and tea are waiting. We make a triumphant return to camp to celebrate our days spent exploring Futaleufú valley and river. Under a bright starry sky, we will spend our last night together as a group on the banks of the mighty Fu with the guides and crew. |
| Day 9: | Final day. Our van will take you to Esquel to catch your flight to Buenos Aires. We recommend spending the night in Buenos Aires as the afternoon flight from Esquel can be delayed due to weather and lends to a hurried transfer, or a missed connection. Here you can enjoy a tango show and have a fun night out on the town! We hope when you board the airplane you will look back upon your time in Patagonia and the friends you have made and think of the beauty of the Futaleufú River and the Patagonian wilderness. With a bittersweet farewell, you say Ciao Futaleufu, Ciao Ciao Chile and land of Ché! |
small group adventure holiday
Typically you will be sharing your experiences with between 4-20 like minded travellers (depending on the trip, operator and how many others are booked on the trip) and you'll have a group leader with you. Whether you are travelling alone or with friends its good value, and a great way to meet new people! While itineraries are pre-planned there is some flexibility and you'll have plenty of privacy. This trip will appeal to travellers of all ages who enjoy meeting new people as well as seeing new places. how this holiday makes a difference
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On the Futalefu River Expediton, as in all of our river expeditions, you will find that care is taken before, during and after your time on the river to minimize our impact as much as possible. On our normal sized trips, we only take one vehicle through the mountains, capable of hauling all gear in the trailer and passengers in the cab. Everything that we pack into this incredible environment is packed out and recyclable materials are taken to the proper facilities. Nothing is dumped into the river, we even take special care to place dishwater in a sump hole away from the river or any small drainage. While on the river, we use the most fuel efficient method possible! We use the current to push us downstream with the benefit of oars and paddles to steer our course.
On this river trip you’ll enjoy all your meals prepared with local produce by local cooks. Throughout this tip the local villagers will be working with the group to help deliver an incredible experience in Northern Patagonia. The camp is located a 5 minute walk from a true, working Chilean homestead. The land where the Adventure Base Camp is built is shared with a wonderful Chilean family, the Diocares. This warm, friendly family has extended an open invitation for all of our guests to visit with them and share a maté in their rustic kitchen. Enjoy a tour of their abundant greenhouse (the source of our delicious fresh produce). Rolando, the senor of the house, is always up to something interesting whether it be making apple cider from their apple orchard or driving his ox cart. He always enjoys sharing his culture with our guests. The Diocares also make us fresh bread everyday and are more than willing to take care of all your laundry needs for a small fee. And, on the last night of the trip, Rolando prepares a traditional Chilean asado, lamb roast, over an open fire to celebrate a wonderful trip. All of the produce that goes into the meals on this expedition is grown and raised locally. Everything comes from the Futalefu Valley, some on the riverbanks through which we travel on the water. The Futaleufu has long been considered one of the top whitewater rivers on earth. This river is not without its challenges. The Futaleufu is an endangered river and is a listed site for a future dam project. This area is a must see and is worth protecting. Visiting the Futaleufu River and Northern Patagonia is something you will never forget. |
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