Class 2-3 Kayaking in Pucon
This trip is a mixture between coaching and guiding. We spend time working on your fundamental skills as a white water kayaker with some world class coaching and teaching we are looking at giving you a solid foundation of the skills and understanding of whitewater. Whether it is riverside session, to theory in the sand, improving your eskimo in the hot springs will help you to become a more confident white water kayaker.
Tour Details
Chile has inspired adventurers for many years. Rich in culture, history and the scenery can rival any mountain range on the planet. Pucon and its surrounding areas in the Lake District combine deep blue lakes with snowcapped volcanoes and some of the most pristine and clear water you will have ever encountered! This trip is a mixture between coaching and guiding. We spend time working on your fundamental skills as a white water kayaker with some world class coaching and teaching we are looking at giving you a solid foundation of the skills and understanding of whitewater. Whether it is riverside session, to theory in the sand, improving your eskimo in the hot springs we will help you to become a more confident and proactive white water kayaker.
Tour Overview
We organise your transfer from Temuco airport to Pucon where we will meet you at Madd Goat Coffee Roasters in the centre of town. We then take you to your accommodation and let you settle in. Either later that day or the following morning, we fit out our kayaks and go through equipment. As we have previously mentioned, the variety of rivers in and around Pucon is World Class. However, it is not all Class 5 whitewater and huge waterfalls. Pucon has some fantastic Class 2 and Class 3 whitewater on its doorstep. From the low volume of the Upper Maichin and the Upper Upper Palguin, to the medium volume of the Lower Trancura to the technical Middle and Lower Liucura, there is plenty of kayaking in and around Pucon to work on technique and gain kilometres of river time! Pucon also has some fantastic hot springs and we can even go and do some rolling sessions in the warm water!
Within a days drive of Pucon you can find some fantastic Class 3 whitewater. The Lower Truful Truful starts with a punch as you put-in right below a waterfall. There are continuous rapids for the first few kilometres before chilling out with great views of the valley and the snowcapped Llaima Volcano. The lower part of the Rio Fuy provides some great waves kayaking on a river with crystal clear water. If the energy levels are good then we can do another lap! The Rio Tolten that flows out of Lake Villarrica is also another great Class 2 river that can be enjoyed, with a possibility of a self-support multi-day trip on this river close to Pucon.
Practicalities
Why us
We have been running kayaking trips to Chile for the past 10 years and our commitment to planning and preparation is second to none. We have an extremely strong and professional team comprising of David, Steve, Fran and Yiyi. All of our river leaders are qualified through British Canoeing and have years of experience, guiding, coaching and leading trips in Chile. We have 4x4 private vehicles which means we can drive safely on dirt roads and tracks and Fran our driver stays with one vehicle during the day.
To find out more about our leaders, instructors check out our Team page.
Experience Required
You should have some experience of kayaking Class 2 rivers, for instance here at Base Arlberg that would be the River Lech, Lower part of the Rosanna and the Inn from Landeck to Imst. Your roll does not have to be 100%, however we do expect you to try to roll or wait for a t-rescue before exiting your kayak. We kayak for around 4-5 hours a day and though you do not need to be an Olympic athlete you should have a certain amount of paddle fitness and stamina.
Chile Kayaking Season
Of course we are in the Southern Hemisphere so everything is the opposite.
Spring in Chile is October/November, Summer is December/January/February and Autumn is March/April.
We run the trip at the end of October as this gives us the best options for rivers and sections around Pucon. For instance, the Upper Upper Palguin will only work in the Spring, as well as the Upper Maichin.
To find out more about when the best time to kayak in Pucon is, check out our blog.
Group Composition
Our ratios are extremely low be it in the Kayak School, India, Peru or Chile! The ratio of the group is no more than 1 guide to 3 clients! We will also not take more than 6 clients on this trip! This gives you plenty of whitewater action with the opportunity to become a much more all rounded confident kayaker! This is why we like to keep our group sizes small!
Acommodation
You have the option of either staying in the town of Pucon, where we would come and pick you up in the morning and drop you back off after kayaking that day. Alternatively you can stay at our beautiful house on the flanks of a mountain in Pucon. The big differences between the two, is that if you are staying in Pucon, you can go for a walk, go out for a drink in a local bar or cafe and you get to see and absorb the vibrant adventure town of Pucon. If you stay up at our house, it is fully in nature, quiet and a beautiful place to chill and relax after a great days kayaking.
Food and Drink
Food can be a real highlight in Chile. Markets are full of vegetables and fruits of the season. There are some great restaurants in Pucon serving Spanish and German influenced cuisine.
Check out our Blog about our favourite restaurants in Pucon.
If you are staying up at our house, then food is included. Here we serve you Chilean and European meals, with options for meat eaters and vegetarians. Steve is pretty good at making an authentic Indian curry, nothing too spicy but full of flavours that open up your senses and taste buds!! Our coffee is roasted in Pucon by Madd Goat and tastes amazing and of course Chile produces some quality red wine, our favourite is the local Carmenere.
Equipment
Included in the price is a kayak and paddle, we currently stock a wide range of Waka kayaks and a few Zet kayaks. We will be updating our kayak store in Chile for the 26/27 season with Spade kayaks and a few more Waka’s. Our paddles are from Striebel Designs, all of our paddles are Right Handed with a 30 degree feather and we have different lengths for you to choose. If you would like more information about our kayaks and paddles, just drop us an email.
Non-kayakers
If you would like to bring your spouse, partner or friend and they are not a kayaker then no problems. We would suggest you stay in Pucon as when you go kayaking, your non-kayaking partner has plenty of options for a day out. This can be hiking, visiting a hot spring, going to the beach by the Villarrica Lake to climbing the Volcano Villarrica! Our team know some great places to explore, visit and have good contacts if you need a guide or equipment rental.
Extension
If you would like to extend your trip then just let us know. We can head over to Argentina to kayak the stunning Rio Alumine and also the Rio Chimihuin is a firm favourite of the kayakers from San Martin de Los Andes.
Dates & Prices
No dates to suit your plans? Just let us know through the contact form, we are pretty flexible here at the Kayak School trying to give you more of a chance to make that dream trip to Chile!