Because
of the difficulty of this stretch of whitewater
Expediciones Chile runs it only after your
rafting team has run the easier sections and
has built their skills and confidence needed
to run this section. Running the upper Futaleufu
is optional for all of our guests and is water
level dependent. At certain times of the year,
or during abnormally wet years, the upper
gorge can become too powerful to allow rafts
to safely pass through.
Rapid
by Rapid:
Asleep
at the Wheel (IV)
We will push off from the private
sand beach of our luxury eco-camp at the confluence
of the Futaleufu and Azul rivers with the
Tres Monjas Peaks towering overhead. The first
mile of this run is class II-III which will
allow us plenty of time to warm up for the
power storm of whitewater to come. You will
enjoy the spectacular waterfalls cascading
off the rock cliffs on the left. Asleep at
the Wheel earned its name because it often
catches napping paddlers by surprise. We will
look out for the broad horizon line that marks
the start of this rapid. Asleep at the wheel
requires our team to be precise; the route
here is left to right. We angle right towards
the rock wall as the river accelerates. Driving
into the big diagonal waves coming off the
wall keeps us from being pushed into a gigantic
raft flipping hole at the center of the river.
Be sure to look left for a view into one of
the bigger holes on the river.
Terminator(V+)
Terminator is probably the
most challenging commercially run rapid in
the world; earning its name because of the
huge terminating hole at the center of the
river. This hydraulic temporarily halted the
first rafting expedition on the Futaleufu
river back in 1985. Since then the Class V
“sneak chute” on river left has been successfully
run countless times without major incident.
This is perhaps the heftiest “sneak” route
found anywhere. We will scout the rapid from
the left shore as we plan and memorize the
three parts of this rapid that make it the
longest and most technically demanding rapid
on the river. The rapid characterized by intricate
boulder gardens, massive hydraulics and large
reactionary type waves.
The
first scout of this rapid will be preplanned.
Walking is best done well above the rapid
on a little beach river right just beneath
a kayakers pillow play spot. It is a half
mile walk to fully scout the three parts of
the Terminator.
The
important scout of the “sneak chute” is best
done on river left just 100 yards beneath
the Terminator play wave. From the shore you
will get to watch the safety team run down
the exact route that you will challenge. Once
the safety is set up, on the left, below the
first two parts of the rapid, you will understand
the objective. The excitement is overwhelming
as we push off, snaking down the left route,
cutting over horizon lines and drops, keeping
to the planned path for this first part of
this run. Then, at the precise moment, after
passing the Terminator hole, your guide will
yell “right turn!” as you angle the raft towards
the center, passing a rock pour-over then
back toward river left avoiding some of the
biggest explosion waves seen anywhere. You
will want to yell with excitement, but this
rapid is not over yet! We regroup and on the
"all-is-ok" sign, our safety team
once again sprints ahead to set up below the
last part of the Terminator beneath a huge
recirculating hole that must be missed. We
will get the high sign and enter the left
channel while cutting to the raft to the right
which allows us to finally relax and look
back upstream. Looking back upstream we will
see the entire Terminator rapid with the Tres
Monjas peak standing majestically in the background.
Khyber Pass(IV+)
There is no more than
100 meters between the end of the Terminator
and the Khyber pass. Khyber requires a simple
diagonal move across the rapid. We enter on
a smooth left ramp and start our diagonal
journey to the right. Your guide will warn
the team that we need to make traction on
our diagonal route because the current wants
to push a non-powered raft directly straight
into a group of standing waves where the China
hole is hiding, second only to the Terminator
hole in it lack of release qualities. This
move will position the raft perfectly for
entering the next rapid. Khyber Pass earned
its name because it serves as the gateway
to Himalayas, which contains some of the largest
standing waves in the Hemisphere.
We
want to regroup on the right and we need to
power into the eddy because only 50 meters
below waits the Himalayas…
Himalayas
(III+)
The entire Futaleufu drops
down a steep ramp producing a series of standing
waves that are some of the biggest in the
world. This is your well earned reward for
a day well done. Your team has had to unite
to get to this point. Now waiting are the
biggest standing waves you will ever experience!
There is a huge pool waiting below. Our triangle
safety team sprints ahead to wait in case
of a flip. If your team is ready and willing,
your guide will take it down the middle. Six
waves each one increasing in stature. The
last wave so big that it blocks out the afternoon
sun. Rafting in Chile doesn't get any better
than this! Afterwards a quiet paddle down
to our take out. We will take out just above
the first swinging bridge, where we put in
for the Bridge to Bridge section and the Casa
de Piedra section.
Continue
the Futaleufu river
rapids tour:
Lower
Futaleufu >>
Downloadable
pdf:
Chile
Rafting >>
