The Paddler Magazine Issue 59 Late Spring 2021 | Page 146

7 . Rio Futaleufu Patagonia , Chile
8 . Colca Canyon Arequipa , Peru
9 . Cotahuasi Canyon Arequipa , Peru
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7 . Rio Futaleufu Patagonia , Chile

A landscape painted by God ! This is the Rio Futaleufu . The main whitewater sections are situated in Chilean Patagonia , and it is one of the most impressive rivers I have ever paddled . The emerald green waters , the abundance of whitewater and , of course , add to this the culture of Patagonia ; the Futa leaves its mark on every kayaker who visits . Though it can be pretty challenging to get there , it is certainly worth the effort .
Big waves and huge holes make it a river runners paradise . When the river is pumping , you get to feel its power , and by the time it drops towards March , you will find so many waves to surf and play on .
Chilling by the side of the river , fishing , making a typical Asado Patagonia , drinking local maté tea while watching condors soaring above you makes the Futaleufu one of the best kayaking destinations on the planet !

8 . Colca Canyon Arequipa , Peru

The Colca Canyon is written in the folklore of whitewater kayaking , ever since the Poles made the first descent ! Twice as deep as the Grand Canyon , with sheer cliff walls in certain parts , rapids that are constantly changing and the ever-present danger of rockfall . Sometimes it can be a deep , dark and intimidating place way down in the gorge , but to me , it is one of my favourite rivers in the world , an exceptional place where I have made four successful expeditions !
At 3,296m deep and in some parts near-vertical cliff walls , the Colca Canyon is spectacular . It ’ s just 100km ( as the condor flies ) north of the southern Peruvian city of Arequipa . Getting to Huambo ( the nearest village of the Lunar Canyon section of the Colca ) will take you over a 4,300m pass in a public bus . In the first three expeditions , we had to use donkeys to carry all the equipment some seven hours down to the river , but now there is a road getting built for tourism , so it will be a lot easier to access this stunning place . From
Canco , it is 70km of remote pool drop rapids from Class 3-5 plus a couple of portages thrown in ! It ’ s not uncommon to have a rockfall coming down while you are kayaking , and camps have to be carefully chosen ; otherwise , you could be waking up to a shower of rocks and rubble falling on you . On the first descent , the Poles were wearing their helmets when they slept .
What makes the Colca Canyon different to most rivers of the world is that the first team to take on the canyon each year will be basically making a first descent . My second time down the Colca gave us five new rapids than the previous year , and the last time ( fourth ) in 2015 was a substantial new landslide / rockfall rapid . This is all down to the instability of the canyon !
If you are an expedition kayaker , then the Colca should be on your bucket list ; it is amazing !

9 . Cotahuasi Canyon Arequipa , Peru

Situated in southern Peru , the Cotahuasi Canyon is said to be the deepest canyon in the world . Well over twice as deep as the Grand Canyon and with way more whitewater than its North American counterpart . Though not as famous as its sister – the Colca Canyon one valley to the south , the Cotahuasi Canyon is a fantastic place . It should be high on the list of rivers to kayak in Peru !
It is an overnight bus journey from Arequipa to the village of Cotahuasi , and it is worth staying at least one night there . I have had some wild times in Cotahuasi village ! The first time it was Peruvian independence day , we met up with some girls who visited the village from Arequipa . We were invited to a bullfight where no harm came to the bulls , well , except for their hearing as they had to constantly listen to the village band blasting everything well out of tune !
The bullfighters were their owners , and as soon as the event came to an end , the cattle were taken back out to work the fields . The night was a huge party , and we ended up walking the seven hours to the river the following morning with some mega headaches !
One of the most spectacular places on the planet ! Ute Heppke kayaking through the Chocolate Canyon