Today is our fourth day in the small surf town of Pichilemu, on Chile’s coast. We drove here from the Maipo valley earlier this week after an unforgettable night camping up in the mountains. We had driven up to the site where (if it were to be built) the proposed dam on the Maipo would begin. This 70km bypass would destroy countless amounts of wildlife and beautiful scenery in what is (in my most humble opinion) one of the most beautiful places on this planet. The mountains surround the valley like massive walls, and their snow capped peaks help to illustrate their shear size, some even have glaciers on them. The entire area seemed like something out of lord of the rings; huge boulders lying strewn about a valley, mountains, constant landslides, and perilous roads seemed commonplace. It’s unfathomable to me that someone could even consider destroying such beauty for the sake of something so material as money. But, unfortunately, such is the case here. In september the dam will be finalized, and once again we will destroy one of the worlds wonders in our quest to expand and flourish. Their is some hope for the valley and river however, the locals here are rallying to raise awareness and stop the relentless march of progress. A small group lead by Soco (the owner of the house we stayed in whilst by the river) is organizing events such as the one we participated in to bring people up to this incredible place and show them the injustice of the damming project. I can only hope the people realize what a wonder they are losing in time to stop the project from going through.
After much time spent viewing the scenery and interacting with others from ‘No Alto Maipo” we left for the 4 hour drive to the coast. The drive took us back through the mountains, and out into the agricultural valley below. We passed by Santiago and what seemed like endless miles of vineyards and farmland until we finally began to rise once again into the the hills which flank the ocean. The feeling was electric when we finally glimpsed the vast body of water- massive waves, relentless surf, and long dark beaches. We had finally arrived at our play boating destination; Pichilemu. This small town would be our base for the next 5 days as we tested our skills on the ocean waves. We managed to get out on the surf the first day, however we took it easy and went directly out as opposed to going to the large point break which forms farther down the beach. The waves surprised me in their size and magnitude, they made arial tricks not only possible, but almost hard NOT to throw! Our second day was even better, we headed out to the point break and caught some of the big waves there. Here they dwarfed us in our little play boats and frequently caught us and tossed us around, it seemed that the wave was demanding a toll for every trick. Most of the time we caught them but on occasion one of us would get close, miss, and go head over the heels into a tumble lasting a couple seconds, making for some hilarious wipeouts and beat downs. Fortunately we had 2 GoPros with us, meaning we got plenty of footage of tricks, and the subsequent beat downs. On one such occasion I threw a Pan-Am, (a trick I have been working on all year) and caught it on camera (finally!).
The surf might be the thing that brought us to Pichilemu, but it was the lifestyle that has enticed me to want to come back. The towns culture is unlike anything I have ever seen. A kind of cross between California surf culture, and small town Chilean customs. There is a big main strip consisting of everything from surf shops, to empanada stands. Horse’s and carriages parade around the town, enticing tourists and locals alike, and coffee shops dot the sidewalks offering a temporary reprieve from the hustle and bustle of the surfing lifestyle.
And that brings us to where we are now, sitting in a cafe writing these blogs and updating our Facebook, preparing for another day of paradise and surfing, we leave for the Rio Claro tomorrow, and though I will miss this place, I cannot help but be excited for the next leg of our trip; the infamous Pucon.
My Name is Keaton Strongman, I am 18 years old and from Mississauga Ontario. I am currently in the Gap Year program at new River Academy, spending 2 months in Chile’s Patagonia mountain region. I have been kayaking for 5 years and got into the sport at a relatively young age when I saw some kayakers from a raft trip on the ottawa river. The sport looked dangerous, reckless, and completely insane, so naturally I was hooked from day 1. While I now know it is in fact a very safe and refined sport, it has not lost its sense of adventure. I now work with those same kayakers that drew my eye those years ago (Ottawa Kayak School). I have Paddled a number of rivers in Quebec and Ontario, as well as some in New York, however most of the paddling experience I have is in play boating, and I welcome the opportunity to learn more about creeking here in chile.
The view from our house
I heard about New River while doing a summer program called the Keeners on the Ottawa river. It sounded amazing and I was convinced it was the right thing for me. It is a perfect opportunity to get out and see the world, while also kayaking, before university. 12 Months after hearing about the program here I am in the Maipo valley in Chile! My first day included a sweet run on the lower Maipo, and I am very excited for our run today!
The Fuy Is a class IV+ run with lots of variety. The upper has big holes and beautiful waterfalls. The lower is a little less challenging, with big wave trains and nice scenery. The Fuy is a great destination for anyone looking for a good time on the river.
Sick Runs on the Fuy.
From class III boaters to Class V there is something for everyone. Last week Galen Volckhausen, Jake Greenbaum, Seth Dow, Hunt Jennings and I were able to go down before the school comes back into session and ran a possible first decent above a 140 footer. There are many more first descents to be had in Chile this one just happened to be our first.
The upper palguin is a class IV+ run which consists of 4 drops. It is located just outside of Pucon, only a 40 minute drive from New River Academy’s base at the Pucon Kayak Hostel. The road can be a little rough at times, so it helps to have four wheel drive!
This run is short, but sweet. It is perfect for practicing your boof and running waterfalls after class, and is where they hold the infamous Palguin Race (won by our coach Jake Greenbaum last year).
At the put in you drop into a granite gorge that is filled with wildlife. The first decent starts out with a double drop, with has a very easy scout on river right. The standard line is right boof stroke off the left side ridding up on the wall of a 4 foot ledge. You land in aerated water and have about 15 feet before dropping a 10 footer.
Kincaid Wurl lines up for the second part of the double drop
You can go off the 10 footer any number of ways. I prefer going off the left side again with another right boof stroke. you will land in a big pool with plenty of time to gather your self before moving on.
Kincaid Wurl sits in the eddy below the first drop. Photo Kincaid Wurl
The second drop is a 12 footer. Depending on the level, but you usually want to go off the right side taking a left boof stroke. Make sure to have a bit of speed at the top because there is a kicker rock about half way down. Trust me when I say you don’t want to hit it. This drop has no eddy to get out and scout from so your just going to have to trust my word.
The last drop is a 20 footer which has a huge boil at the bottom of it. The river splits into two water falls. On river left you have an easy plug with very little chance of problems. On river right you have a more technical line with a narrow lead in. If you do find yourself running this in a play boat, the right Chanel is perfect for Hail Marys (When you do a front loop off a drop). The mane line off this one is center left with a delayed right boof stroke.
Hunt Jennings runs the twenty footer on the Upper Palguin. Photo by Kincaid Wurl
Be careful not to land to far left, because the boil is more straight out from the drop then too the left. Its very green over there and if you boof you may get the wind knocked out of you.
Below this drop, be sure to watch out for Fishermans hole. It doesn’t look like much, but the river wide hole can be sticky! I’ve seen lots of people get tumbled here and swim out.
If your take out is on river right you will go down about 1/4 of a mile and your take out is a smale boat size slot. This slot is right above a very nasty drop so don’t miss the eddy. If you take out is on river left then you will have two options. Wall around the crack drop or run it. The easiest line off this one is the center crack. Be sure to twist you paddle and wear elbow pads! This is not a very forgiving drop. Your take out will be down on the left and can be challenging to make the eddy.
This take out is also right above a nasty 40 footer, that does not have a very nice lead in. I recommend taking someone that has run it before because both takeouts are tricky.
New River Academy’s current home is at the Pucon Kayak Hostel. Located just a few minutes outside out town, and on the banks of the Rio Trancura, this is a perfect setting for our school. One of my favorite things about the hostel is how much space we have. We all have our own beds, and personal space for our clothes, text books, boats, gear, and all of our other random stuff. There is also tons of space to have classes during the day. We have a kitchen area where we have three delicious hot meals a day, and food to snack on if we get hungry. After school, we have tons of rivers and creeks to choose from, all just a few minutes drive away. The Pucon kayak Hostel is a really cool environment, because we all live together, yet no one feels crowded or in need of more space. Here are a few shots that I thought illustrate the environment here at he Pucon Kayak Hostel.
Our school flag, reminding us all why we are here, and what we represent.
The gate to the hostel. Any kayaker in the Pucon area knows the unique environment that lies behind these doors.
Our kitchen area, always warm and cozy from the fire that we keep going all day. It's always cool to see the unique architecture involved in this building.
The warm, glowing fire that radiates heat all day in the kitchen.
This shot illustrates the style of living at the hostel. We either have our own rooms, or share with one other student. Plenty of room for drying gear.
This shot illustrates how relaxing it is at the hostel. It focusses on a teacher, and several students in conversation, with kayaks and gear in the background.
