Tours and Activities:

Riverboarding in the Trancura River

As speed increases and we feel our bodies completely submerged in the water, it becomes essential to be alert so as to make use of all our senses to sort each obstacle on the way.

When it comes to extreme sports and rough waters, the Trancura River appears and offers several alternatives. All of them are fun. Riverboarding contributes very basic sensations and direct contact with the river.

Our sport curiosity led us to the travel agency that would get us immersed in adventure in the company of instructors. They know the stream and the daily characteristics of the river and especially when a person is in the right condition to dive into the water to practice this activity.

As we reached the riverbank, we put on the proper outfit and listened to the technical and safety instructions provided by the guide. We were wearing swimsuits, life jackets, safety helmet and diving fins. The floating board would keep us afloat and defend us from the bumps against the rocks. We were supposed to hang onto them firmly. The guide organized the group and the moment to get into the water arrived as everything was ready.

Some minutes of practice were enough to keep us moving and feeling like jumping into the current. We learned to handle the board and the diving fins by moving from one side to the other. In the meantime, the guides corrected some detail. We were shown the “blocking” position, which consists in getting on the floating sled every time we saw a rock on the way.

Each one is responsible for their own ability, resistance and decision before the beatings of the river. That is why we felt so thrilled as we went past every flume, gained speed and succeeded in our task.

We left all the rapids behind: the bridge ones, the fisherman’s, the train’s and the joints’. We treasured a different memory in each of them and we all agreed that the fisherman’s was the hardest. Class III difficulty was compensated with the subsequent serenity of the stream and a float trip that calmed us down.

After the fourth rapid, we made a stop on the shore. The thick vegetation and plentiful ferns sheltered us for a few minutes. We rested as we remembered the vertigo we had just gone through.

We went back to the water to face the rapid known as La Leona (the lioness). This was somewhat more technical than the previous ones. As we went through it, we noticed it was intense and we had to use all our strength to remain in the surface and avoid the rocks. We were all triumphant!

Back on solid ground, we were entertained with a cup of hot tea and some cookies to recover our body temperature and make up for the effort we had just made. We reviewed our adventure. We had gone through five Class II and III rapids in the Lower Trancura and had gained self-confidence at each bend. We celebrated with a toast and congratulated one another for our successful experience screaming and laughing. We had had the time of our lives!

The instructors accompanied us with their ease at all times. We made contact with the river and calmed down our anxiety.

The Trancura has many bends and a new scene waits behind each of them. We continued thinking the water was cold but our excitement to have won the battle against the stream and the huge rocks certainly overshadowed the temperature.

Contact

Aventur Turismo Aventura

O Higgins 524, (4920000) , Pucón, IX Región de la Araucanía
Tel: +56 45-3214144
Cel: +56 981365238

See also: Hotels in Pucón and other accommodation venues