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Argentina
& Chile
One last run on the Baker. We
move fast, knowing we have a long drive ahead of us today. Tomorrow
Yoshi flies out of Coyhaique. The drive goes quickly and we can't help
but note the amount of whitewater exploration still to be done down
here. Volume, gradient, deep canyons, this area of Chile has everything
but easy access...often no access. With a helicopter Patagonia would be
a dream land of first descents.
Yoshi Takahashi and Rok Sribar making one last run of the Baker.
This sign makes perfect sense if you go to British Columbia, where you can't see a view without power lines. Down to just two we head north.
I like the style of police down here.
We've taken a few days off of driving and now we're back to shooting our fictitious Volkswagen commercial.
Much thanks to Marc Goddard & Bio Bio Expeditions for keeping us dry.
It's not your typical year at the Futaleufu, still cold and very wet.
Low snow, high water.
With one car we have to hitch shuttles, which gives us time to enjoy local culture.
Low snow, high water.
With one car we have to hitch shuttles, which gives us time to enjoy local culture.
It's high water on the Futaleufu too, the normally class IV
Bridge to Bridge section is game on non-stop big water, especially as
we don't know the lines.
You can't win them all, Rok Sribar in the right eddy above the Throne Room proper.
The author driving hard left in Throne Room.
Rejected, the author surfs into the eddy and we both portage.
Energy levels are low and it rains the
whole day on the river, so not many photographs are taken. Rok Sribar
enters Throne Room.
Rok Sribar paddling left in Throne
Room.
You can't win them all, Rok Sribar in the right eddy above the Throne Room proper.
Rok cycles in the eddy a few times
before we decide to just pull him out here. It's too cold to swim. I've
always heard stories of beautiful warm water, grand views and sunny
days on the Futaleufu. We're shivering in drysuits
and the clouds hang low.
The author driving hard left in Throne Room.
Rejected, the author surfs into the eddy and we both portage.
Cold wet weather
has moral low. We're happy to have paddled the magical Futaleufu but some of the magic is
getting washed away by the four weeks of rain we're experiencing. It's
ironic, of any one river we paddled in Chile that I expected to get
great photos from it was the Futa, but it was not to be with our
weather. Maybe
it's drier up north? There is only one way to tell, Rok and I head back
up to Argentina to catch up with the rest of the team.