New River Academy Whitewater Kayak School

Pucon, Chile

This year there was an unusual and exciting goal for a New River Academy semester trip, “to buy property for the development of a kayak base and high school facility.” The land purchasing goals were simple: to research something with either river frontage or a view of Chile’s most famous volcano, “Volcan Villiarricca.” It would be a bonus to find something with a built structure and both a view and river frontage.

Students can kayak before and after school in the New River Academy's front yard play-hole.

Research began three or four years ago only after six years of Patagonia land-ownership dreams. And it was this year that international business funding and legalities research became a reality. During pre-trip logistics for a Chile Parent Trip founder David Hughes drove every road near the Rios Liucura, Palguin, and Trancura just outside of Pucon. The days were filled with speaking to property owners, meeting real estate agents and lawyers, and knocking on doors. It was while arranging lodging for the parent trip that a German couple were asked if they would sell a small hectare corner of their 8-hectare (approximately 20 acres) of Rio Trancura river frontage cabanas. Ursula Kublank stated, “We were no planning to sell. My husband may want to sell it but I no. If yes the price is firm.” Huge Experiences director David Hughes was excited because their tone especially Peter’s was “yes.”

The Metrenehue Cabanas are owned and maintained by the Kublanks. So Hughes immediately booked the parent's trip at the Metrenehue. Hughes stated with a smile, “Secretly, I knew our parents would impress the Kublanks and maybe this would influence them to sell. Plus, it is a nice place near our students. The parents must have been charismatic because in the end the property was sold for less than expected and owners Peter and Ursula stated that they had turned down other offers. Thus, I must thank Beth and Steve Ruhle, Horace Holden, Paul Johnson, and Beth West for being on their best behavior.”

Zach Mitchell finishes a McNasty. The play hole turns into a great wave at high flows and stays in over a wide range of levels.

If you could design the perfect base for a kayak high school what would it be? New River Academy's new base was designed by a Swiss slalom kayak team that originally owned and maintained the kayak base. Below is a list of the kayak base assets:
Front yard play hole: At 7:30 am this morning (2/29/08) our high school put-on the Rio Trancura to work on loops, back loops, space-godzillas, tricky woos, and the helix. The experience of watching the enthusiastic team accept the challenge of improving was priceless. At the end of the workout students and coaches walked up the bank to a wonderful view of Volcan Villiarricca prior to breakfast and 6 periods of school. At higher levels locals tie a rope to the bridge above the hole as a large wave forms. The hole is 3 minutes from the base and literally a rocks throw from the property.
Four Cabanas: The “hosteria” includes four cabanas including 15 beds within 7 bedrooms, furnishings, water, electricity, two wood burning stoves/oven, a storage shed, and four bathrooms.
The Land/el terrano: the land includes 100 m of river frontage, a soccer field, water and electricity, a spring, the option to build three more structures, and of course the Trancura Bridge play hole.
The Future: Tom Long (owner Cascade Raft and Kayak and Pucon and Rio Trancura property owner) stated, “David you have no ideal the benefits your property will bring Huge Experiences. I am excited just thinking about us networking our Trancura resources with yours. Smart move.”
Location, location, location: “In whitewater if you don’t own the put-in or the take-out then get the best view,” John Miller once advised. The kayak base is connected to the Rio Trancura Bridge 10 km from Pucon making it a convenient location to town. The location is in the center of the three major kayak rivers in the Pucon adventure and whitewater hub area.

1.The Rio Trancura is the bread and butter rafting run of Pucon area. The Chile kayak base serves as a takeout for the Upper Trancura and a put-in for the Lower Trancura.

Photo and Video Media students take advantage of the bridge and Volcan Villiarrica over the Trancura play feature.

2.Rio Trancura Brdige Hole is our front yard hole. Upstream there are a series of slalom gates with a trail leading from the Chile kayak base. The Rio Trancura Bridge Hole is a great wave at higher flows and a sticky hole at lower levels. This year we are hitting and/or working on: backloops, loops, cartwheels, spins, Godzillas, mcnasties, tricky woos,…

3.The Rio Liucura is a class II-III mostly beginner Pucon kayak and ducky run. It’s Chile kayak value for Huge Experiences lies in one of the single best training holes we have found during our travels, the “Liucura Hole.” Daily after classes, student athletes are motivated to master the next trick and progress to such moves as: blunt, clean blunt, pan-am, mcnasty, helix, loop, space Godzilla, backloop, macho moves, cartwheels, and lunar orbits.

Eli Spiegel slides on this classic canyoneering spot near our base. Students are required to complete at least one alternative to kayaking activity each week.

4.Rio Palguin is a class II-V creek run depending on the section. Huge Experiences’ paddles the Upper Palguin class III-IV section. This section consists of 7 waterfall drops ranging from 5’ to 20’. The drops are clean and ideal to learn how to run waterfalls.

5.Surrounding rivers: Within two hours are a series of Chile and Pucon area kayak rivers including: the Maichin, Ojos del Caburgua, Golgol, San Pedro, sections of the Fuy, and many more we have yet to experience.

6.Pucon airport: The Pucon airport has flights from Santiago on Fridays and Sundays. The Pucon airport is a five-minute drive from the base.

Eleanor Perry teaches Spanish to Matt West and Tyson Rowley at our Rio Trancura school base.

7.Pucon area adventures: You name the adventure and it is available in Pucon. Adventures available are: winter skiing, volcano hikes, canopy tours, canyoneering, fly fishing, mountain biking, paragliding, wind sailing, trekking, rafting and kayaking, horse back expeditions,…

Now, students speak of where they want to buy their Chile kayak home base: “I found a great place on the beach at the put-in for Rio Fuy for less than 10.000.000 pesos.”, “I want a view of the volcano.”, “Dude, I am going to have a place on the Futaleafu.”

“And that has made all the difference.”