Overview
Enjoy three 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: Good for experienced or people with River conditions
itinerary
DAY 1 – Cusco, Huallpa chaca bridge, space odyssey camp
We get an early start today at 7:30 am. We will drive northeast of Cusco, into the Canyon. Along the way we will have incredible views of snow capped peaks and the beautiful landscape of the Andes.
After about 4 hours of driving we will arrive at 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 2 – Space odyssey,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 3 – La mesa camp to 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 & Services.,Satelite phone.We Provide Cataraft SAFETY 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 Apurìmac 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.