Overview
Enjoy six days on one of the tributaries of the Amazon River and one of the 10 best rivers in the world! The Apurímac River, whose Quechua native name means “Great Speaker of God” begins in the high mountains of the Andes in the Department of Arequipa in the snow peak called Mismi, at an altitude of 5500 meters, and flows down the eastern slopes of the Andes from the south to the north of Peru. The river joins the Urubamba River, another main source of the Amazon, and together they become the Ucayali River. Further north, the Marañon River joins in, and by the time the water reaches Iquitos in the north of Peru, it is called the Amazon River.
Class : I, II, III, IV, V
Difficulty: All experience or with Phisical River conditions
itinerary
DAY 1 – Nayhua to River camp
We will pick you up at 8:00am to begin our APURIMAC CANYON drive to the river. After leaving the valley of Cusco we will continue southeast for about 4 hours until we arrive at the town of Pakaritampu, a legendary place and the origin of the Incas. Along the way we will drive trough two different ecosystems, the Andean scrub brush vegetation and the Andean grasslands, both have a richness of bird and plant life. We are likely to see finches, eagles, Andean gulls and Andean Lapwings. There will be spectacular views of the snowcapped peaks along the Andes Mountain range, where we will see our highest pass at 3855 meters. From APURIMAC CANYON we will descend into the canyon itself and the gorge of the Apurímac River “Great Speaker of God”. Our spectacular drive takes us past a succession of small valleys and charming villages. From the town of Nayhua at 2600 meters, it is a 15-minute walk to the river where we prepare for the river trip.
We practice all the safety skills and maneuvers as we start with some class I and II rapids. Later we will run some class III, IV rapids with incredible views of the canyon for about 2 hours. We arrive at camp in time for a well-deserved happy hour followed by dinner in a beautiful fireside setting, under the spectacular southern sky, with constellations beyond your imagination.
DAY 2 – River camp to valle de la rocas camp
Amid incredible views of the Apurimac River we begin the day with a power breakfast. Our “Safety Kayak” guide, who will accompany us on this section, joins us here. After orientation and equipment preparation, we are ready for the water and the class I, II, III, IV rapids ahead. Our first thrill is a technical rapid called “Submarine” and many other class IV will follow. All along the river there we will see Andean vegetation, typical fauna and flora of the unique ecosystems. There are beautiful waterfalls with crystal clear water cascading into the river of the APURIMAC CANYON. Further along is a class V rapid “Cramps”. Today we will have one portage that is only available for the river guides and some technical rapids that will challenge us and put to good use all our skills and experience. Our picnic lunch spot today will be one of the riverside beaches. The rest of the afternoon has easy class I, II rapids for a couple of hours. This is one of the most beautiful parts of the river and a fun opportunity for some body surfing and rafting games. At camp we will hike to a small waterfall nearby and along the way there will be some wildlife to observe. There will be time at the end of the day for relaxing and mingling.
DAY 3 – Valle de las rocas to Wallpachaca
Today we will have a long morning as we pass several bridges and see part of the Santo Thomas River. With some additional preparation, we will be ready to run challenging class I, II, III, IV rapids, some with pools and drops, that include “Other Right” rapid and the “Three Condors” rapid. These rapids have great volumes of water, excellent waves and incredible views of this canyon. The gorge is getting visibly deeper as we descend the river and the vegetation and geology change along the way. We will see some species of flora and fauna from the Andean semidry forest and granite canyon walls as we go deeper. We will stop at a nice spot for lunch and to rest. Later in the day we will end up at Wallpachaca Bridge where we will camp.
DAY 4 – Wallpa chaca,space odissey camp
today we paddle from Huallpachaca Brigde, our put-in point. After a safety briefing and equipment check we begin the rafting on class I, II, III rapids. Our first big rapid is called “Introduction”, which is a good class III rapid. Next it’s “Zig Zag” rapid which is class III+. After our riverside lunch break we begin running a couple of class III rapids and then we come upon our first class IV rapid called the “Chute”, a long and challenging run. Next is a portage to by-pass a class VI rapid that is not permitted for commercial rafters. Today we will be on the water for about 3 hours before arriving at our campsite in the Apurímac canyon to spend the night (B, L, D).
DAY 5 – Space odissey camp,la mesa camp
After a good night’s sleep, a power breakfast, and an incredible view of the canyon before us, we get back on the water and continue in class III and class IV rapids. We will have about a 100-meter portage followed by the “Field of Bombs”, a succession of technical class IV rapids in the canyon. Later we find more class IV rapids called “Purgatory”, “Three Marias”, “Indiana Jones”, “Zambesi”, all with great water and lots of fun! We have lunch on the shore and take time to swim and body surf before getting back on the water for more good rapids with great water volume. The class V is “The Fork” and class IV “Bati Cueva”
The rest of the afternoon has a few class III rapids until we will arrive at our second camp. The canyon boasts great scenery and beautiful granite walls. We have time for pictures, body surfing and other activities. We will enjoy happy hour at the camp and the beautiful starry southern sky awaits us after dark. Today we will float for about 6 hours.
DAY 6 – Lamesa camp, Quinta primavera
Gazing at the beautiful view surrounding the campsite we will hope to catch a glimpse of the native Condor of the Andes and the Andean fox. We prepare for a class III rapid “Such a Good Morning” and a class IV rapids “The Tail of the Dragon” and a class IV+ rapid “Laberinto”.
The two class V rapids ahead, “Toothache” and “You First”, will require very careful scouting. Depending on the condition of the group and levels of water, we will decide if we can run it or if it would be wiser to choose a portage. Beyond that we come upon more class III+ rapids and two easy class V rapids called “Babalua” and “The Last Laugh”, both of which promise great water and thrilling runs.
We will always be on the lookout for interesting birdlife and plants along the river. We may see Torrents Ducks “Merganetta Armanta”, the Andean Gull “Larus Serranus”, as well some Bromelids, Giant Agaves, Carob “Prosopis” trees and Opuntia cacti. We will continue with some class III rapids then stop for lunch on a river beach. Today we float for a total of about 5 hours and cover a distance of 55 kilometers. We began this river journey at 2300 meters and we finished at 1700 meters, making a descent from beginning to the end of about 600 meters.
Includes
We Provide and Include: Itinerary transport roundtrip from Cusco-Licensed,C;P;R,SWISS WATER RESCUE COURCES Bilingual, history and naturalist Tour Guides-All Itinerary Meals, including vegetarian & snacks, Safety orientation and River Equipment ,optional activities-First Aid kit and Oxygen-Tour specific Sleeping bags,air mattresses and Expedition grade tents-Dining tent, Cook & Service,Satelite phone .We Provide SAFETY Cataraft Cargo,Safety Kayak
Note
For adjusting to tour altitude, we suggest one day tours like the Sacred Valley hike,one day River Rafting before the Apurímac River and the City Tour of Cusco hike. As Guides we offer 100% Gauranteed Information, for your sensibilities – about the best specific hotel rooms and services around Peru, like extra windows and other amenities.
Gallery
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