The arrival to Chile on October 20 with colder than previous January arrivals where when walking out the door you sweated if you had not changed into shorts. A hoody sufficed as Agustin met me at the doors. Agustin had been hired to research company vehicles for the New River Academy. The school needed something that could pull a heavy trailer of gear and people we decided to go with the Chevy Tahoe not for its style but for its muscle and practicality.

Great Equipment!
Agustin had already begun negotiations and arranged vehicles to be seen. Tino Specht and I would get off the plane to spend the entire day looking at vehicles and securing paper work. By the end of the day we reached an agreement but could not close that day. We spent the night at what would be the school’s first destination, Rio Maipo.

That night we were invited to stay at my friend Tatan’s house or his parents. I had to choose the parents house as it is my favorite home in the world. First you cross the raging Maipo River on a swinging bridge, pass the cage where their pet mountain line lives, walk under the grape vineyard, and hike up a mountain. And then you arrive at the most amazing home.

Imagine a hobbyton from Lord of the Rings. The roof rolls and flows, the center of the house is built around a giant boulder and the Pangal jokes the boulder was the hardest thing to get up the mountain. You see no vehicle can reach this destination. Donkey and cart carried everything. Each piece has been hand crafted with the most detail.

You see I fell in love with the artist’ work over ten years ago and dreamt of importing his art. Instead, I bought a home and hired Sergio Andrade to build. While at the Andrade home we would arrange the school’s logistics to the Maipo. The next morning we sent the trailer for light repairs while we spent the first half of the day closing on the Tahoe.

Around 6:00 pm the trailer and Tahoe were ready and we headed south. I was drawn to Pucon to see the new structures being built. But since we were told the kayak container would not arrive until the 28th I knew we had to arrange all logistics en route to Pucon versus the return. In less than 36 hours the school coach, Tino Specht, and I were departing Santiago for the south. SUCCESS!

Seven Teacups, Twenty-two Falls, and the In-Between Drops
Our first stop was the Seven Teacups. We were going to stay at a beautiful series of mountain cabins where the school use to stay. But we stopped to negotiate meals at a restaurant and discovered they had cabins. This place is at the takeout for the Viente dos Saltos and the putin for the Entres Saltos. There are approximately 30 teacups within walking distance and possibly the most photogenic waterfalls in the world at our fingertips, SUCCESS!

Los Quenes
While, researching the Siete Tazas area we stayed in Curico and met with Chilean Adventures owner Todd Ericson. Todd owns a kayak school in the mountain town of Los Quenes and it is gorgeous. His expertise is valuable and we negotiated our stay in Los Quenes, SUCCESS!

Rio Achibueno
The Achibueno was our real target as Jon Clark who owns property on the Futaleafu advised, “The Achibueno is a gem and my favorite river in all of Chile. You have to get the school up there in November.” Tino and I drove the Achibueno road stopping at every cabana. The river and mountains were amazing but the road was difficult. We found the takeout and danced, took some video, and pressed on toward the putin. The four-wheel drive road was tough, bumpy, and tight. Then we reached a sign that said, “4 por 4 vehiculos solo.” Translation, “Only 4 by 4 vehicles.”

The river looked great and the road was not too bad as I thought, “well we can always turn around.” After 100 m I said, “We have to turn around at the next point.” The road was going to hurt the Tahoe with its tight boulders and we found a small hole to make an 8-point turn around. As we were pulling out a 4 by 4 approached us. The owner asked if we wanted to see their mountain lodge.

“Sure I thought,” as Tino and I with a glance announced to each other that this was going to be perfect. We helped them carry some food and hiked another 1KM up the tough road. The lodge was in fact perfect. A riverside rustic horse expedition lodge with a giant fuegon/fireplace. The mountains were towering, the river was in our front yard, and we had shuttle options.

The owner described how we could hire mules to goto the lake source 10 miles further. And we knew we had to negotiate for the group to stay here. Lets just say, SUCCESS!

Problems strike. After Tino and I met with Todd we planned to goto the Rio Nuble. The Nuble is another gem. The problem was that the roads to each destination are close but take more time than expected. We would have to cut one of our destinations of Maipo, Pichilemu (previously planned), Siete Tazas, Los Quenes, or Achibueno. We opted to skip the Nuble as we had a full trip and head south to Pucon.

As we drove toward Pucon I was excited to see four months of construction and planning I had made the previous spring. I chattered and told Tino about all the plans. When we saw the cinch (a grande and common Chilean outdoor covered barbecue area) I was a little shocked. It was different than drawings and you know how expectations go.

I thought it was going to be enclosed instead it was half enclosed with an artistic flowing bar design for security. I had misunderstood the renderings. I trusted the artist as the best and began observing the intricacies of each piece. While, the project was suppose to be complete it was better I saw the amount of detail to each piece.

Understand Sergio hand smiths each pieces of metal, the craftsmen hand sand each piece of wood, and the roof flows to the metal. The kincho reminds me of the hat that talks in Harry Potter. The top pointy part represents the volcano as it puffs its smoke. Sergio explained that the sharp points represent the smaller jagged mountains that protruded below the volcano, the floral bars represent the thick forest, and I could the flowing from one piece to the next represented the river.

Each day I observed the team working into the night and I would realize how well each piece was preplanned.

Tino and I continued to work 14-16 hour days with logistics phone calls, reporting, hiring cooks, cleaning property, and SUCCESS!

Each day we would be enticed by boaters to run various runs. And each day our to do list was full and we pushed to accomplish our goals to offer the best trip of Huge Experiences to date. Our personal wants to paddle would have to wait.

Tonight as is Chilean tradition we celebrate the opening of the property with a great feast. As Pangal says “We are going to cook a swine and it is going to be great DUDE!” SUCCESS!

[caption id="attachment_1597" align="aligncenter" width="768" caption="The first shot of me in the updates watching Chile go by. "][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1587" align="aligncenter" width="225" caption="Dave Enjoying his Chilean Pizza"][/caption][caption id="attachment_1589" align="aligncenter" width="225" caption="The Rapid on the walk into the hot springs...o ya we took a few hours of work and went to the hotsprings next to Daves house in Pucon."][/caption][caption id="attachment_1591" align="aligncenter" width="225" caption="You walk into the changing room and then you walk through the floor down into the hot springs"][/caption][caption id="attachment_1593" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Looking at the river and the hot springs. They actually use the river to cool off the pools."][/caption]

Dr. Butterfield was my “Adolescent Development” professor at the University of Tennessee Chattanooga. He was an older man who knew how to laugh and spend time with students. I remember him saying, “if you can’t enjoy interacting with the students then you won’t last.” Dr. Butterfield was the one Chattanooga School Systems called when they had tough discipline problems. He knew how to listen and he knew how to be clear, direct, and fair. As a college education major I was soaking up every detail Dr. Butterfield was both modeling and teaching.

I felt Bill Butterfield knew I had potential and he was the kind of teacher that taught in a fashion that empowered students. His model was simple. Clearly communicate the desired behavior, be consistent, follow through when you say you are going to do something, and praise, praise, praise.

Dr. Butterfield had even came to visit me in VT when I taught for Adventure Quest. Last year I went to track him down to discover he had died. I thought about how many people he must have impacted. And knew I should write his family a letter to explain that he had a profound influence on me starting a school.

Dr. Butterfield wrote the most incredible letter of recommendation for me. You see his model of education was one of expectation. Describe the desired behavior, praise, and motivate the student to progress and achieve. Again, “I felt Dr. Butterfield knew my potential.”

Dr. Butterfield took great pride in observing the positive attributes of students, watching them develop and grow, and hearing their parents excited remarks. I have also experienced and enjoy a pride in helping New River Academy students achieve their goals, in helping them gain acceptance to universities, to discover their career path, and to earn employment.

Below is a recent letter of recommendation written for Stephen Forster. Recommendations were submitted to Appalachian University, University of North Carolina, Virginia Tech, and Clemson University on the New River Academy (the pretty paper) letterhead.

October 15, 2009

Attention: Office of Admissions

Re: Applicant Stephen Forster

Winner of the Immersion Research Academic Scholarship to New River Academy

Stephen Forster worked hard his junior year both academically and athletically. His dedication caused teachers and coaches to notice and sing his praises. Stephen attends a high school that travels internationally training for whitewater kayaking events and seeking cultural exploration. The training and travel is intense and the academics are even more demanding.

As a junior year star student Stephen illustrated his creative side combined with a strong work ethic via his Videography Media I class. As director of New River Academy I noted teacher and coach remarks and wanted to help Stephen.

“Stephen is the kind of student you want to help because he is always pitching in, leads by example, respected by peers, and makes wise decisions.”

Stephen would be offered a scholarship from one of the top kayak accessory clothing manufacturers as well as sponsorship, Immersion Research. Learning to be an ambassador and lead is a key role Stephen has accepted. As a leader Stephen is a star student, a top national kayak athlete, and holds a high rapport with both peers and staff.

What positive role will Stephen play at your university? You can expect Stephen to graduate with honors. You can additionally expect Stephen to be a leader in whichever programs he chooses to participate. Departments like outing clubs, kayak programs, and media relations will specifically benefit from Stephen’s experience and dedication. Should you choose to accept Stephen Forster then your university will certainly benefit for the next four years.

“And that has made all the difference.”

David Hughes
Executive Director- New River Academy

Our first challenge was to converse with the local farmer about what food we needed, and to negotiate prices. My Spanish was being tested by fast pace and slang. The Latin and Spanish I had studied enabled me to buy the groceries successfully.
When I chose to go to New River Academy I did not realize how broadening my education would be. The cultural, educational, and lingual differences of a traveling school are numerous. One of the projects I felt passionate about was increasing the awareness of the impact of dams, “Sin Represas” or without dams. We made a video interviewing local Chileans about their opinion of damming Chile and I worked on spreading knowledge about the tragic effects of dams.
By living in active volcanic areas in New Zealand and Chile I was able to study a different geological setting. This hands on experience made it exciting to focus on my studies.
By far the best part of traveling is experiencing the local culture. This could be purchasing supplies or conversing about politics. Understanding the history of the Chilean government gave me an appreciation for democracy. The atmosphere combined with a normal class schedule heightened my education.

It’s felt like it was just yesterday that we all arrived, bright eyed and cheery faced, to the base on the Ottawa. Time is coming to a close, but this last week is not to be forgotten. Most of the week can be characterized by tests and study for aforementioned tests, as well as disc golf. See, the water only releases on weekends here in West Virginia so we need something to do afterschool to keep us active, the answer: FROLF. FROLFing however is not the only thing we do, in survive we have made so sick coal-burned bowls and spoons, Spanish classes are studying cultures of Chile and the geography class (me) is making a tour of the Gauley River. Photo class has been awesome as well, with some great West Virginia and spooky story photos by Taylor and I. Time is coming to a close and I think that every one is ready to go home, but just wit and see, Chile is right around the corner!!!

See you on the water!