Looking for Futaleufu advice

[drewboater]

check out:
http://www.regionxrivers.com

great camp/house, with heated bath house and library, wood stove heated shower and hot tub, flexibility in your daily schedule.

the camp is over the rio azul, at certain flows on the azul there is a great wave that forms just upstream of the house, we had some fun surf sessions between river runs.

overall, one of the most amazing families you will ever meet.

[kayaked chile]

Beware: I know of people who went on a kayaking trip to Chile with one of the low cost “generic providers’, it turns out they were a bunch of dope heads… They got stopped at the border with Argentina and the guide got busted for pot possession, the vehicle, boats and equipment got confiscated… and ended the trip. I have nothing against drugs but make sure you know the company and people you are going with or you may be left in Chile or Argentina on your own… there are a lot of other horror stories about kayaking in Chile I can share as well.... buyer beware!

[jennifer]

A group of us went with Nate a few years ago (one of the "cheap" operations). He provided all gear, boats, transportation, food, beer at the take out, and drove us all the way from the airport in Santiago, to the Fu and back again. We paddled every day and then drove a bit, with a 4 day stay in Pucon. He's an honest guy, knows the rivers and customs well, and did NOT smoke anything or get in trouble at all. We camped out right next to the Spelius group.

I know his prices have gone up, and it isn't as cush as Spelius, but at $20 a day instead of $200 a day (plus he got us there and we got a good tour of the country and its rivers), it was one of the best experiences ever.

cheers,
Jennifer

[thecraw]

Liquid skills is absolutely top notch. Bio Bio is also very cool. Although we didn't actually stay there, we went through their camp as a take out one day and it looked awesome.

I know Nate, but haven't used his outfit. Nate is a solid dude and should be considered for sure.

But bottom line it's a long way from home, the weather can be harsh and if I was to do it again (which I plan to), I would again go for some creature comforts in mind. Nothing like a hot shower, hot tub, and meals that fill you to the brim.

You are going to have a blast!

[speicher]

I've stayed with BBX and they rock! It was an unbelievable experience! While there I saw a friend on the budget route staying with Cara del Indio. It is about 1/5th the price and has a more international feel. Not sure how it all worked except that you probably do quite a bit of the cooking and you pitch in each day to buy and arange the shuttle but it was cheap cheap cheap! Ideally located on the bridge to bridge section too.