Trip Itinerary:

You can mix and match activities to suit what you love to do most. We have a prescribed itinerary that we follow to give the flow of events a sensible structure. However, we will alter or amend activities to your taste. We are very flexible and want you to maximize your enjoyment during your stay. We also want to stress that you do not need to be a Class V paddler to fully appreciate the Futaleufu River Valley. There are always lots of options (see our Menu of Activities).

Each day end's up back at one of our camps where there is always time for a rest, a soak in the hot tub, a massage, a mountain bike ride, kayaking lessons, ect. Happy hour is served daily on the deck in front of the sunset bar, overlooking the river.

Day One - Arrive in Buenos Aires, Argentina: Transfer onto domestic flight to the ski town of Bariloche and meet up with one of our representatives. Spend the day relaxing and exploring Bariloche and your first night in South America.
Day Two - Travel into Chilean Patagonia! We take a private vehicle through two national parks, over the continental divide, and into Chile and the spectacular Futaleufu valley. We arrive in the early afternoon at the Futaleufu base camp.
Day Three - Our first day on the River: We do a comprehensive training session and then raft fun, continuous rapids from camp to the Futaleufu bridge.
Day Four - Our first Class V (optional): We raft from camp to below Casa de Piedras rapid - class V.
Day Five - Journey deeper into Patagonia: We horseback ride 8 miles up the Rio Azul valley to the La Cascada camp. Spend the day along the Rio Azul, learn how to fly fish, hike, enjoy our handcrafted hot tub, or sit on our riverside lounge deck.
Day Six - A choice of Adventures: You can horseback ride deeper into the pristine wilderness of the Rio Azul valley and return by horseback to our main base camp on the Fu.
Or
You can leave La Cascada camp in an inflatable kayak and kayak down the Class 3 Rio Azul and converge with the Rio Futaleufu.
Day Seven - Inferno Canyon: We spend the morning in the pueblo of Futaleufu and then the day rafting Inferno Canyon, a 5 mile canyon of class-V whitewater.
Day Eight - Summit Day: We raft from Rio Azul through Terminator, Kyburz, and Himalayas, eat lunch and then raft to below Casa De Piedra. One of the biggest days of whitewater being run anywhere in the world! We end the day with a Chilean feast and festivities.
Day Nine - The final day: We wake you up with coffee and cinnamon roles and then we say goodbye to the Futaleufu Valley and journey back to Bariloche.

Detailed Trip Itinerary:

Day One: Arrive in Buenos Aires, Argentina for your flight connection to Bariloche. A representative will meet you at the Bariloche airport and escort you into the city known as the “Switzerland of the South”. You will check into a lovely hotel with lake views located within walking distance of town. Your afternoon can be spent swimming, walking around town, shopping for Argentina’s famous leather goods, sampling Bariloche’s delicious chocolate or going for a walk along the lake front. There is also an option to go for a longer hike near Bariloche’s ski resort. In the evening, we will gather for a group welcome dinner at one of our favorite restaurants where you can indulge in an Argentinean steak, fresh fish, or a vegetarian dish. After dinner, we may want to go to a tango show, or even take a lesson! * Please note that we are happy to arrange an extra day or two exploring Buenos Aires, the “Paris of South America” – one of the world’s most exciting cities.

Day Two: After breakfast, we will board our private vehicles and begin the drive to Chile. This is a beautiful drive through both Nahuel Huapi Park and then Alceres National Park (full of the ancient Alceres tree- the South American equivalent of the redwood). We will drive through the frontier guacho towns of Esquel and Trevelin that were settled a century ago by Welsh farmers. The terrain alternates between Lush forest and green valleys, aquamarine lakes, and the windswept plains of the Patagonia steppe. In the afternoon we will reach remote, rugged, rainforest and get our first glimpse of the Futaleufu River. On the way to camp, we pass a few farms that are carved into the ancient rainforest allowing us a glimpse of frontier living, Chileno style. We arrive at Base Camp where your private tent platform, complete with river views and comfortable beds, will be waiting for you. After a short hike or swim, you might want to soak in the riverside hot tub, enjoy a hot shower, and gather at the sunset bar for a welcome happy hour. We will introduce the whole crew and go over the plan for the week. Dinner will be served after happy hour. It tends to cool down when the sun sets, so we dress warmly in the evenings.

Day Three: Awaken on the banks of the Fu and enjoy your first morning in camp. We rise with the warmth of the sun and have breakfast around 9 am, after yoga if you want. Mornings tend to be crisp and dewy so prepare to dress warmly - a fleece is perfect. Today is a river day. We will launch our rafts from base camp after a thorough safety briefing. In a safe eddy, a short distance downstream, we’ll do a set of practice rescue drills. This allows the crew in each raft to hone their skills and prepare to raft as a team.
The first section that we raft, from camp down to Puente Futaleufú (the Futaleufú Bridge), 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! The rapids of note are “El Cojín”, the Cushion, and “Mundaca”, a local family name.
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. When we get to camp, you can choose to go fly-fishing, try out a kayak, practice yoga, nap in a hammock, enjoy the sauna, have a massage, go for a hike, or soak in the hot tub. Taking a hot shower, either indoors or under the big sky, feels very luxurious while camping in the remote wilderness of northern Patagonia! Of course, for the hardy, the river provides a cold bath and refreshing swim.
As the sun sinks behind the mountains, enjoy a game of chess or cards at the sunset bar. Every late afternoon is Happy Hour. The open bar is stocked with beer, wine, soda, and 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. After dinner, enjoy the campfire and the stars before retiring to your cozy tent on your private platform. The sound of the river will lull you to sleep and send you off dreaming of the next day of adventure in Chile.

Day Four: Officially, day two of our rafting extravaganza. After breakfast, we will launch our rafts from camp and have lunch on the river. After we pass the Puente Futaleufú (yesterdays 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 class V technical rapid, “Casa de Piedra” (House of Rock) which is right around the next corner. We will get out of our rafts to scout this massive boulder choked rapid from the banks of the Fu.
After this rapid, we will run the remaining class 3 and 4 rapids. If you have the energy and desire, you can ride a mountain bike back to camp. We will have a vehicle waiting for the rest of us for the short scenic drive back to camp. Upon return, we will celebrate the day, enjoy the spa and get ready for yet another fabulous dinner.

Day Five: Today we venture deeper into the heart of Patagonia on horseback. Our ride takes us up the Rio Azul Valley, which is surrounded by snow-capped peaks. The ride is approximately eight miles. We will have lunch along the way.
We will plan to reach our wilderness camp, “La Cascada” (The Waterfall), by late afternoon. “La Cascada” is built at the base of a 120-foot waterfall in an enclave of old-growth forest. Upon arrival, we can relax and enjoy the waterfall, hike through the forest, or go for a swim and then relax on the riverfront beach of the Azul. The camp also includes hot showers, a sunset bar, a beautiful wood hot tub, and the handcrafted quincho (a traditional Patagonian dining area).
Before we reach camp, we will pass through several local farms, stopping to buy fresh provisions for our evening in the wilderness. Items such as cheese, bread, jams, vegetables and chicha, the local fermented cider, may be available. Visiting local families and their estancias (farms) gives insight into the Patagonian frontier lifestyle. A Chilean welcome is synonymous with an asado (barbecue), which is always prepared for special guests. Tonight our two huasos, Mervin and Moisés, will prepare an asado feast for us. Dinner will be eaten in our quincho or around the campfire, followed by a bonfire and guitar music on the beach. You will retire to your private tent platform along the creek with the sound of flowing water to lull you to sleep.

Day Six: Today, you have several choices available. The first option, for keen equestrians, is to ride across the Rio Azul River and further up the Azul Valley. Today’s ride will reach the tributaries that form the Azul and reveal one of the most spectacularly beautiful cascading staircase waterfalls in Chile. The cascade falls 300 feet over smooth granite and jagged rocky edges to explode off the rock’s faces at different angles. Toward afternoon we will ride back to the stable and return to Base Camp for happy hour in the sunset bar.
The second option, for those who are feeling river adventurous and want to paddle on their own, is to hop into inflatable kayaks and navigate the narrow and technical Rio Azul to its confluence downstream with the Futaleufu River.

Day Seven: After an early breakfast in camp we'll travel 35 kilometers up the road to visit the town of Futaleufú. You will have about an hour to stroll around this sleepy mountain town whose central plaza is filled with the fragrance of rose bushes and cedar trees.
After visiting town, we will launch our boats on the Rio Espolon. This crystal clear river meanders for 2 miles before it flows into the Rio Futaleufú, one mile above the Inferno Canyon. This upper canyon requires aggressive class V paddling and is the most difficult section of white water on the river. Many other options exist for those who choose not to participate in Inferno Canyon.
Five distinct rapids form a narrow sinuous river passage, as we come out of “Exit”, the last rapid, we enter into a long calm. The current remains swift and we cruise many miles downstream arriving at the mandatory portage around the fierce Zeta rapid. We have lunch on the rocks as the crew ghost boats the rafts through this treacherous rapid.
After lunch, our first obstacle is Throne Room, a class V+ rapid for kayaks, and a ghost boat rapid for rafts. By walking around this rapid, we get a great bird’s eye view of an almost river wide hole that could destroy a raft. Back on board, we enter 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. The rafts are left for the night, tethered on shore.
Early evening is spent in camp preparing for the evening festivities. We journey over to the neighboring farm of Miguel Toro who, at 70, is one of the most colorful and charming natives of the valley. At his Casa de Té, his daughter Blanca and her partner Umberto prepare a very special treat. It is a delicious dinner called “Curanto” that is typical of the south of Chile and the island of Chiloe.

Day Eight: Today, we must be mentally and physically 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 whitewater in the world. After a nutritious breakfast, we head up river to the footbridge where we left the rafts yesterday. 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 and jagged ridges of the mountain “Las Tres Monjas” (translated, “the three Nuns”) 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.
For the evening’s festivities, Rolando and Nelli will prepare a typical Chilean Asado — lamb roasted over a bed of coals, ensalada, potatoes and farm fresh bread. We toast the river and give thanks for our safe passage. Under a bright starry sky, we will spend our last night together on the banks of the mighty Fu.

Day Nine: An early start gets us out of bed. After loading up your personal gear, our van will take you to Bariloche to catch your flight to Buenos Aires. We hope when you board the airplane you will look back upon your time in Chile and the friends you have made and think of the beauty of the Futaleufú River and Patagonian wilderness.

A note on weather:
The Futaleufú River Valley attracts many types of weather patterns year-round. The Pacific Ocean feeds its moist climate with frequent storms. The sunny months are usually December through March; however, when packing, think of cold and wet weather as well as sunny and warm weather, and you will be a happy camper. Plan ahead and bring warm clothes and a good rain shell.
This also means that the river level can change dramatically if an unseasonable torrential rainstorm passes through. We will only raft when the river is at a safe level.

Whitewater Rafting Patagonia and Rafting in Chile on the Rio Futaleufu with Momentum River Expeditions!