Futaleufu Itinerary
Day 1 – Fly from the U.S. to Santiago
Take an evening flight from the United States to Santiago, Chile.
Note: You can also fly through Bariloche, Argentina. Call us for details.
Day 2 – Santiago to Puerto Varas
Arrive in Santiago in the morning, pass through customs and transfer upstairs (in the same airport) for a short flight to Puerto Montt. After arriving in Puerto Montt, take a taxi to the Cumbres Patagonicas Hotel in the gorgeous Chilean town of Puerto Varas where a room will be waiting in your name. You’ll meet a guide in the evening and go out for a welcome dinner.
Night at hotel (D)
Day 3 – Puerto Varas to Terminador Camp
We’ll wake up and head to the Puerto Montt airport for a spectacular half hour flight to Chaiten that follows the rugged coastline of the Pumilin National Park.
In Chaiten, we board a bus and drive three hours, passing roaring rivers and deep blue lakes to the Terminador Camp. Hidden in the trees are 14 private, two-person, hand-hewn wooden cliff dwellings each with beds and a bird’s eye view of the river’s surging flow over giant, sculpted white granite boulders. Located near the center of the camp is an 18-person wooden hot tub with a cypress deck. We’ll arrive with time to relax before dinner.
Luxury Camping (B,L,D)
Day 4 – Raft & Kayak Training / Terminador Camp
This morning we head to the river! After a safety talk and flip drill we run a series of wonderful class IV rapids. In the early afternoon we take out and drive 15 minutes to the Rio Azul, a beautiful turquoise tributary of the Futaleufu. After kayak training we run the class II Rio Azul down to the confluence with the Futaleufu and then kayak this beginner stretch of the Futaleufu down to the Terminador Camp where we spend the night.
Luxury Camping (B,L,D)
Note: Inflatable kayaking on the Azul is subject to water levels. If the Azul is too high or too low, we will switch to and easy section of the Futaleufu or the Rio Espolon, a more stable Futaleufu River tributary.
Day 5 – Inferno Canyon / Cave Camp
This morning we hike half an hour from camp followed by an hour drive to the put-in on the sheer-walled Class V Inferno Canyon. Racing between imposing walls, hundreds of feet high, the pulsing river boasts some of the most impressive commercially run rapids in the world including Inferno, Purgatorio and Escala de Jacobo. Each rapid in Inferno Canyon is separated by a swift pool, which allows time for rescue and recovery, if necessary. In the early afternoon we exit the canyon and raft down to Cave Camp, a 1,000 acre camp which is the most exotic and diverse river camp in the world.
Luxury Camping (B,L,D)
Note: You have the option of riding a horse or hiking on a stunning trail around Inferno Canyon down to lunch in order to avoid the Class V rapids.
Day 6 – Tyrolean Traverse / Tree House Camp
This morning we set up a dramatic Tyrolean traverse to cross the river. Wearing a climbing harness attached to a pulley, participants pull themselves across a rope stretched between sheer granite walls over the heart of Zeta Rapid. Hanging and then crossing over the Class VI rapid is extremely exhilarating.
Upon reaching the other side, we begin climbing out of the inner canyon. The moderately strenuous 1,500 vertical foot hike takes us past a beautiful 100-foot tributary waterfall and breathtaking views of the river and Cave Camp with dramatic peaks rising above it. Tucked away in the center of this enchanted, moss-draped land of giants is a 10-acre, 50-foot deep Lake of the Frogs. Cut out by the glacier, the lake drops straight off the edge like a giant, bottomless swimming pool. Surrounded by native old growth forest on three sides, with dramatic mountain views on the fourth, this intimate body of water offers wonderful opportunities for swimming and canoeing.
A natural wood deck and a hand made 16 person hot tub sits on the edge of the lake. Hidden back in the trees is a hand-hewn log gazebo structure with a fireplace in case of inclement weather. Just beyond the gazebo, 35 feet up in a majestic closely-knit stand of old growth giants are 8 wonderful, hexagon shaped tree houses. We spend the evening above the lower canopy with stunning views of the lake, surrounding forest and mountains.
Luxury Camping (B,L,D)
Day 7 – Adventure Day / Cave Camp
This morning we hike back down to the river. From the trail we can see aerial views of the river, surrounding canyon and the majestic Tower of the Winds which we will be climbing and rappelling down later in the day. The trail ends at a 250-foot zipline into the pool below. This is followed by a soak in the nearby 105° natural stone hot tub – the perfect transition from the 60° river. On the cliff just above the hot tub there is a 10 to 42 foot high cliff jump into the aerated blue pool below Zeta Rapid.
After lunch we receive a climbing safety briefing and put on our climbing harnesses for the Tower climb. The tower climb involves a dynamic three-part rock climb up the backside of the 320-foot granite Torre de los Vientos (Tower of the Winds). No previous climbing experience is necessary, and people from 5 to 78 years old have made the climb. To descend from the tower we do a dramatic, 320 foot, two-stage rappel off the Tower’s sheer north wall.
Luxury Camping (B,L,D)
Note: For those people not wishing to make the climb/rappel, options include: swimming at Lost beach, kayaking on the Blue Lake, trout fishing or relaxing in the stone hot tub. An optional, less demanding, 100 foot rappel off the back side of the tower is also available.
Day 8 – Rafting / Campo Mapu Leufu
A short float this morning takes us to the Throne Room Rapid, which we’ll portage and send the boats through empty. The next couple of hours are spent running a series of long, exciting Class IV+ rapids followed by lunch at the confluence of the Futaleufu and turquoise Rio Azul.
After lunch we paddle some more exciting class 4+ rapids down to the Earth River Mapu Leufu Camp. In the afternoon, we have the option of horseback riding or mountain biking on beautiful trails on the other side of the river accessed by a manual cable car or canyoneering through the 400-foot deep Rio Blanco slot canyon. Wearing wetsuits and river shoes, we hike, climb, and swim through this incredible natural labyrinth of white boulders, clear azure pools and waterfalls. Those people not wishing to partake in the Rio Blanco canyoneering can relax at camp.
Luxury Camping (B,L,D)
Day 9 – Rafting / Campo Mapu Leufu
Today is an impressive rafting day. Within minutes of pushing off we enter the Class V Terminador Rapid, the most demanding rapid on the river. Immediately downstream of Terminador are the 15-foot waves of the Himalayas. In this stretch the rapids flow together making nearly a mile and a half of non-stop Class IV action. After the Himalayas there is a series of giant Class IV+ rapids (some nearly a mile long) and two Class V rapids: Cojin (the cushion) and Mundaca.
After lunch we run two of the most difficult Class V rapids on the river: Mas o Menos and Casa De Piedra. After the last rapid, the canyon boasts some of its most impressive scenery with grand vistas of towering mountains and glaciers.
We’ll spend our last night at Campo Mapu Leufu where we’ll enjoy a traditional Chilean Asado (sheep roasted over a fire) prepared by our neighbor and friend, Sugundo Zapata.
Luxury Camping (B,L,D)
Note: Class IV participants have the option of hiking on a trail around short sections of the bigger rapids. Often people who chose to walk around Inferno Canyon earlier in the trip feel more comfortable and run many of the large rapids today.
Day 10 – Mapu Leufu Camp to Santiago
This morning we drive two and a half hours to the Chaiten Airport where we board ta commuter flight to Puerto Montt. In Puerto Montt, you transfer to your return flight to Santiago.
Day 11 – Fly from Santiago to the U.S.
Spend some time in Santiago or fly directly home to the United States.