July
22
2010
By Karis MacDougall
Forget traditional vacationing. Expect adrenaline rushes. Push your personal boundaries. Visit the uncharacteristically beautiful mountainous peaks and cascading rapids on the river "Fu".
The Futaleufú River is a white-water rafter’s heaven. Known as the most difficult commercially rafted river in the world, Southern Chile’s "Fu" boasts rough and tough, exhilarating, fast moving rapids. Reading the trip’s description would make most sane people apprehensive. Jump into an inflatable raft with strangers who may or may not know how to paddle, travel through class five rapids (some, the biggest in the world), and try not to flip. Easier said than done.
The trip began with an unconventional swim test. After practicing a flip drill, where eight people purposely capsized a boat into frigid waters, we swam, or rather, struggled to catch a current that either traveled back to the safety of the raft, or toward powerfully raging rapids.
Once these terrifying preliminaries were out of the way, however, the rafting itself was absolutely thrilling. Each pass down the river, a risky maneuver, was executed mainly by the guide and aided by our “paddling skills”. The rapids were large, unpredictable, and not always accommodating. Sitting in the front had me incessantly drenched. At one point, an enormous wave catapulted me out of the boat and into roaring waters.
Apart from the exhilarating river passes themselves (The "House of Rocks" could not have been more aptly named), you’ll experience amazing camps along the way (mountaintop tree houses and natural stone hot tubs included), on site massage for your aching muscles (in a heated tent!), and delectable local food (Chilean farmers grill the best lamb you’ve tasted).
For the days not spent on the river paddling, dive into other action-packed sports. Rappelling will have you skimming down 300-foot cliffs. Canyoneering tests both balance and agility while jumping between boulders on a small river. If you’re searching for an intensely active vacation, we’ve found your answer.
Karis MacDougall doesn't have much interest in lazy holidays spent at an all-inclusive resort. If you share her enthusiasm for the adventurous, get in touch and find out what we can plan for you. And if you liked this post, follow us on Twitter and Facebook.