Paddle the Palena River along the former route of the “Chatas”

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Undiscovered Patagonia

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Trail stats

Distance: 43.34 nm
Elevation gain: 417 ft
Technical difficulty: Moderate
Elevation loss: 476 ft
Max elevation: 125 ft
TrailRank: 29
Min elevation: 7 ft
Trail type: One Way

Coordinates: 218
Uploaded: June 21, 2014
Recorded: June 2014

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near La Junta, Aisén (Chile)

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Itinerary description

The first settlers who arrived in La Junta made their way upriver, in row boats called "chatas", rowing their way against the current of the Palena River to reach the interior. Retrace their route, but this time traveling down river (we promise that it is much easier and fun!) And if you want to do it with 100+ other fans of the water, join in on the annual event, the Ruta del Palena (Route of the Palena), that takes place in February.

Waypoints

Palena River

Whether you paddle as a small group any time of the year or in the annual festival, the Ruta del Palena, with other travelers, locals, celebrities and reporters, paddling down the mighty Palena River from La Junta, to its outtake in the fjords near Raul Marin Balmaceda is a once in a lifetime expedition. This way of transport was not only important during the settlement of the valleys around La Junta, it remained critical for the connection of settlers with the outside world for the better part of 8 decades! The river substituted as the main road in and out of the central valleys, absolutely critical for movement of supplies like livestock, building materials and food. Navigating the river in chatas was hard, strenuous, dangerous work, and several settlers lost their lives in the waters of the Palena

La Junta

The event starts near La Junta at the bridge over the Rosselot River, which joins the Palena in a few kilometers more.

Rosselot River

The event starts near La Junta at the bridge over the Rosselot River, which joins the Palena in a few kilometers more. Participants can descendin canoe, kayak, raft, kataraft or row boat, or any other option of human propulsion. The river has a tranquil, average flow, with some rapids and quite a few logs in the first 5 kilometers. Puerto Bonito is about the half-way mark of the route. It’s uninhabited, but has some thermal baths that you can access within a 30 minute walk. It is a great place to end the first day.

Raul Marin Balmaceda

The second day, the river continuesat an increasingly slow rhythm, meandering between the thick forests, and yielding a spectacular view of the Melimoyu Volcano and its gigantic glacier. The final 10 Km stretch changes in intensity due to the influence of the tides and the sea winds. Finishing up in Puerto Raul Marin Balmaceda, is much easier via the Garrao Channel, easily identifiable by a bridge, which detours participantsinto the peaceful Piti Palena Fjord, where it’s common to run into Austral Dolphins. Punta Palena, to the northwest of Raul Marin Balmaceda, offers a great place for camping afterwards, with beautiful semi-protected sandy beaches.

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