Trip Reports
A Week in Whitewater Paradise: Our Futaleufú Experience
This January, a few of us packed our dry bags and headed to Patagonia for a dream kayaking trip on the Futaleufú River—one of the most legendary whitewater runs in the world.
Eleanor Perry, a RFKC member and legendary local boater, turned 40 this year, and planned this trip as a way to celebrate. My husband, Scott, and I were invited along with Mike Connolly from California; and three boaters from Washington D.C. - Adam Cramer (from Outdoor Aliance), Ian Buckley and "Kiwi" Mike (McWhirter).
In order to make the best use of our 7 days on the river, getting the most kayaking in, Eleanor did a brilliant thing. She booked our trip with the well known, Red Bull sponsored Athlete, Aniol Serrasolses. and we based ourselves at Aniol's kayaking camp, a decision that turned out to be the very best way to experience the Futa.
The kitchen/ Gathering room for the camp
Although this type of trip is way more pricey than the dirt bag kayaking travel adventures that we are used to, this splurge was well worth the money. Having a guide with Aniol’s experience and knowledge of the river was invaluable and time saving. He also had another awesome boater working with him, Valentin, a 19 year old from the area. We were able to roll onto the river and route down each rapid with a brief description from Aniol and Valentin.
They not only made sure we were on the right lines, but helped us dial in the river so that we were maximizing our time, running lines that were challenging but not too stressful, customized for each boater's ability, and proved that old dogs can learn new tricks by teaching us his techniques for boofing, his powerful forward stroke, and the elusive kick flip.
Aniol and his neighbor cooking us a Chillean lamb "lamb al asador" - a traditional method where a whole lamb is hung on a crossbar, and roasted over an open fire,
With Aniol as our guide, we spent seven days paddling different sections of the river, eating incredible home-cooked meals, and, in our downtime, soaking in the rugged beauty of Patagonia. We also had shuttle to each river, photography and drone footage, and paddling gear. Not to mention the cabins we stayed in, were beautiful and perched on the side of the turquoise Futa, between the rope swing and the hot tub.
The Crew with Aniol and Valentin on our first full day.
Getting There & Camp Life
We took 5 flights, and well over 24 hours to get to the Futa: Aspen to Houston, then overnighting to Santiago on United, then switched to airlines from Santiago to Puerto Monte (driving to Puerto Varas to spend the night), then to a small, regional aiport for a much smaller airplane to get to Chaiten the next morning. Then a 3 hour bus ride to camp.
The plane to Chaiten.
Aniol’s camp is set up perfectly for kayakers—comfortable accommodations, a relaxed but well-organized vibe, and delicious meals that kept us fueled for long days on the river. Every morning, we’d wake up to coffee, a hearty breakfast, and a briefing on the levels and the day’s run. Evenings were spent in the wood burning hot tub, or hanging in the main cabin, swapping stories and strategizing for the next day’s rapids.
Riverside, Wood Fired Hot Tub
Daily Breakdown: Paddling the Futa
• Day 1: Below Casa de Piedra to Camp (III) – A perfect warm-up run, getting a feel for the Futa’s big, pushy water, and trying out our rented gear. We did this in the afternoon on the day we arrived at camp.
• Day 2: Rio Azul to below Terminator, lunch, then Bridge to Bridge (IV/V) – The Rio Azul is a much lower volume tributary that feeds into the Futa above Terminator rapid. We snuck Terminator and blasted down Himalaya without incident. Super fun section with big crashing waves. The river level was a bit high at 60 on the Gauge.
We went back to camp for a huge lunch of pumpkin soup and lasagna, and returned to run Puete a puente (bridge to bridge). Super fun, big water rapids. I hit my first of many combat rolls in the chaos in one of the many rapids.
• Day 3: Bridge to Camp (IV/V)- 40 on the guage, a little lower than yesterday, Everything was great, we did the same as yesterday, but extended it by running Mas o Menos and Casa de Piedra below the takeout bridge and then paddling the section from the first day back to camp. A crew also repeated the mission in the afternoon. We had one skirt implosion at Pillow, but it's pretty much a pool after that rapid, so it was all good.
• Day 4: Bridge to Bridge (IV) – A playful day on the river due to much lower levels- negative on the guage. We had a ittle bit of a slower day on the river. Then took the afternoon off to hike to a 300 foot waterfall.
• Day 5: Todo Futa- Inferno Canyon to Camp (IV/V); Scott's injury at Mundaka – 60 at Guage- A bit higher water and we were geared to head up to Inferno Canyon, which is a very committing canyon with some big rapids, huge crashing waves. We got some (incorrect ) beta that the guage was up to 100 and some of us opted out of that section. Eleanor Perry and Kiwi Mike fired it up with Aniol and Valentin. The rest of us joined in after the canyon, hiked around the impressive Zeta rapid (watching Aniol run it), then portaged Throne Room while watching Aniol and Kiwi Mike run it. The Magic Mile after that delivered some incredibly fun, and busy whitewater. Then we snuck Terminator again, and ran all the way to Mundaca. At Mundaca, I got surfed in the pile of a breaking wave at the bottom of the rapid. I spun around and surfed down the face of the wave, pitoning Scott's shoulder as he rocketed down the rapid behind me. This resulted in a serious shoulder injury and Scott, Eleanor (a local P.A.), and I hiking out and not completing the Todo Futa. Luckily, we were close to the road at that rapid. The rest of the crew was able to finish the solid day.
• Day 6: Bridge to Camp – 25 on the guage made for a fun, technical day. Mas o Menos and Casa de Piedra were definitely highlights.
• Day 7: Bridge to Camp- A bit higher flows at 40, finished the trip well with a solid run of Mas-o Menos and Casa de Piedra. Kiwi Mike stepped it up after lunch, going back up to Terminator with Aniol and Valentin and running that main line back to camp. After 7 days of tons of paddling, he was a little exhausted and had a bit of a swim at Casa de Piedra as he finished the last major rapid of the trip.
Notable Moments & Challenges
Like any good river trip, this one had its share of adventure:
• One injury: Scott's shoulder injusry took him off the water for rest of the trip. Turns out he has a separated A/C joint.
• Two blown skirts: The big water lived up to its reputation!
• One swim: Fortunately, it was in a relatively forgiving section with a quick recovery.
• Take time for off the river activities- The visit to the 300 foot waterfall was magical. It was completely off the beaten path and we were the only people there. We also visited a local woman who made hand knitted sweaters and hats and we're able to buy some beautiful and authentic local crafts from here.
Hiking to the 300 foot Waterfall near camp
Me and Scott hanging at the base of the waterfall.
Lessons Learned about the Futa
1. The Futa is powerful, and local knowledge makes a huge difference. For us, hiring a guide was totally worth it.
2. The right gear is essential. Two blown sprayskirts taught us that a Rand skirt on this river was way more solid than the bungee skirts that most of us typically use here in Colorado. Also, with the length of the rapids, bringing a really solid pfd is important, in case of a swim.
3. Other boats are one of the most dangerous things on the river.
Final Thoughts & Share Your Own Trip Report!
Paddling the Futaleufú was everything we hoped for—huge waves, stunning scenery, and the camaraderie of the river community made it an unforgettable adventure. Whether you’re a seasoned paddler looking to push your limits or just dreaming about future big-water trips, the Futa should be on your list. And if you do go, we highly recommend staying at Aniol Serrasolses’ camp and hiring him as a guide—it made all the difference. Or at least boat with someone who knows the river.
For more information, check out his guiding service: Click Here
Now It’s Your Turn—Share Your Trip!
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