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Neil Landymore, Frazer Pearce, Adrian Healy, Dominic
Gribbin, Matt Briggs, Steve Brennan, Richard Gill This trip took place at the midpoint of the Chilean paddling season, January 4th - 19th 1996. The full season runs from mid December until about March but levels were already dropping when we were there after an exceptionally hot and dry spring and summer. A large unsupported trip to Chile is very easy to run. Fly into Santiago, hire a vehicle and you're away.
It certainly wasn't the last trip on the Rio Bio Bio, but it was with sadness that we left one of the most beautiful river valleys in the world. The infamous dam is nearly complete and already one paddler has the dubious distinction of the last descent of Royal Flush Canyon. Soon the lower reaches of the Bio will be transformed into a vast reservoir and whilst the Nirreco Canyon will survive a few more years its fate appears sealed by plans for a further five dams.
We'd decided that the Bio Bio would be a good river to warm up on before embarking on a lightening tour of some of the other gems of Chilean white water. Standing 1,000 feet above Lost Yak I began to question whether this was such a good idea - rapids normally look small from this high up, not big! When the American we'd met up with started pointing out the places people had died, Winter in the UK suddenly seemed highly attractive! Too late to back out now so I settled back in the van and took in the stunning scenery, enjoying the heat and the blue sky.
Onto the river and immediately into fun water, arriving quickly at Jugbuster, a large ledge drop, usually shot on the right at this level. The next few miles passed in a blur of pleasant relaxed paddling until our arrival at Lost Yak was signaled by high waterfalls cascading over the canyon walls. At river level routes were obvious and various lines were chosen as video egos won out over common sense! Round the corner and Lava South too offered lots of possibilities, some choosing the technical route, others choosing simply to blast through the big hole at the bottom. As always the adrenaline moments were short-lived and mellow floating ruled, soaking up the sun. The Bio Bio is a classic pool drop river and although probably the most well known river in Chile there's plenty of others to choose from.
After four days by the Bio, relaxing in the hot springs and paddling the Nirreco and Quiet Canyon twice (as we won't be back before they disappear) we headed south. The sheer length of Chile takes some getting used to if you've not been here before, there's a lot of very boring driving - the Chileans could teach the Roman's a thing or two about long straight roads! If you fancy something a bit different after the Bio try the Rio Fuy. A powerful technical river with lots of ledge drops and a couple of big waterfalls. With both an Upper and an easier Lower section the Fuy offers something for everyone, including an officious naval officer who kept insisting that we got on at our own risk! If this is your sort of paddling then ask around Pucon for details of the Palguin too.
All too soon though our brief fortnight's escape from the rigours of the British Winter was coming to an end and it was time to head north again, back to Santiago, with just enough time to wind down on the Rio Maipo. Don't miss this one, it's brown and cold, fast and furious and set in yet another beautiful valley threatened by Chile's pro-development plans. Even in the past five years Chile has changed significantly as its economy goes from strength to strength. This looks set to accelerate still further and the Americanisation off the country will continue, as will the threats to the wild and beautiful places such as the Bio Bio.
Any paddler from the UK will find plenty of rivers of interest ranging from the pool-drops of the Bio Bio, through the ledges of the Fuy to the pourovers of the Maipo and any measure of types in between. In the short time available to us we `cherry-picked' some of the best and still missed out on some good trips. This was also partly due to our main agenda which was to film a promotional video for the Prijon Hurricane. Thanks for your support guys.
As a footnote it's worth pointing out that Chile is becoming increasingly bureaucratic. Officially you now need permission to drive up the road to the Bio Bio, although from whom and why the local police appeared unsure. Either make sure you get there during the day when the road is open to construction traffic, blag it as we did, or follow the example of three Germans we met who claimed they were simply taking their kayaks for a walk! You also need permission from the Chilean Kayak Association if you want to surf at Pichulemu on the Pacific Coast. This was introduced a couple of weeks before we arrived and it took us a lot of effort and lots of phone calls to eventually be allowed on to the sea. At the farcical end of all this the Chilean Navy also insisted at one point that we give them our passport details before hiring a couple of pedalo's on a lake! And finally, the Caribineros are not very impressed if you don't have an international drivers licence.
Chile is a beautiful place once you get into the mountains. People are friendly and helpful. Costs seem to be rising with current prices being between half and the same as what you would pay in the UK. Hotels are not cheap, so you'd better bring a tent.
Guidebooks: Lars Holbek has a goodish set of river notes which you can get via the net from the AWA.
Getting there:
We flew with Iberian Airlines from Heathrow to Santiago via Madrid and Buenos Aires. Luckily Prijon had agreed not only to donate some gear to the cause but also to ship it out to their Chilean distributer for us. Getting back with 6 kayaks proved a little more tricky but pointing out that they had brought us out without any trouble and the now ritual weighing of the one empty boat confused the issue enough. Once in Santiago we hired a two 2-wheel drive van through the local Prijon rep (Rudolfo Schmidt) for just over $100 a day. With the improved road for the dam work up the Bio-Bio we never needed 4-wheel drive.
Usual disclaimer applies to ALL river information. The bracketed grade is for individual rapids that could be portaged. Grading is accurate (i.e. I haven't added one for insurance reasons or to please raft punters).
Bio-Bio, 100 Falls Canyon, 2 hours, III(IV-)
Got the boats out of their bags and decided to warm up on the middle of the Bio-Bio's
three canyons. Royal Flush is now gone, with a great big ugly dam standing across Jack.
River access is stopped below the egress for this section. Got used to the Hurricanes
quickly on the swirly eddylines.
Bio-Bio, Nirreco (Lava) Canyon, 4 hours, IV(V)
Excellent section. Only 3 rapids of note, Jugbuster , Lost Yak and Lava South. Big and
powerful in places.
Bio-Bio, Nirreco (Lava) Canyon, 5 hours, IV(V).
Re-ran the canyon, this time filming.
Bio-Bio, 100 Falls Canyon, 1 hour, III(IV-)
It is quicker to paddle than drive the road. Plus much more scenic.
Petrohue, Saltas downsteam, II/III, bouncy, 30 mins
One rapid might push a III but the rest is just bouncy. Lovely clear water and warm as
well.
Upper Fuy, IV+, 3 hours
Superb. Waterfalls up to 24 feet, beautiful alpine like stream with just about everything.
even a couple of playspots, a rarity in Chile.
Lower Fuy, III-IV, 2 hours
Again good, one nasty corner near the start, the rest is powerful alpine stuff. Very like
the lower Guisane.
Pichulimue surfing.
At only 2 feet this wasn't worth the hassle. Surfers seem to be trying to get exclusive
beach rights.
Upper Maipo, IV(IV+), 2.5 hours
Very muddy water over glacial terrain. Many, many pourovers, some of which looked nasty.
Two interesting bits, both of which went. Apparently there is a bus somewhere here and
with the motorwayed banks there was lots of obvious rebar.
Frazer Pearce, F.R.Pearce@durham.ac.uk
20-Jun-95