Down in Chile

So I have been in Chile for around 20 days now and thought I would give you all a little update on how things are going. On this trip thus far I have paddled the biggest volume I have in my paddling career, gotten a first descent and ran my largest waterfall yet in my paddling career. Its pretty easy to say that this trip has already been pushing limits for me and helping me learn things about myself as well as boating. We have been staying in the town of San Fabian in the VIII sector of Chile and are surrounded by the foothills of the Andes as well as some amazing creeks and a really big river. The Rio Nuble which offers up different sections for all levels of boaters actually runs through the town. The town section is Ocoee style and the Upper and Lower section have larger rapids. Most of the Larger Rapids are contained in the Upper reach. The Upper section as I was told is a bit like the Gauley but with more water. So we spent the first week and occasional days paddling the Nuble with a group of local paddlers and rafters. In-fact the Nuble Festival is this coming weekend. The river has a proposed damn project which would dewater the Upper section. Many of the locals have bumper stickers and signs up which stress the fact that they want the river to remain free as it is a big attraction which brings people out of the city to San Fabian. Its awesome to see how the people of the town want to see the river left the way it naturally is and shows a great respect for the river and outdoors. Moving on though as I previously mentioned we were able to snag a first descent on a creek feeding into the Nuble while the Nuble was juicing. We ran the Upper Las Damas and it was a pretty awesome experience to be one of the first people to bomb down some of the rapids that this crystal clear creek had to offer. It was awesome while scouting at times to take a step back and look around at how pretty it was all around us. The creek however is on private land so be sure to obtain permission if you ever plan on giving her or you will be shot at. Its a pretty awesome way of life that many of the people out here have. They have a big appreciation for family whether close or distant and are also super friendly people. We have had the opportunity to attend a couple of asados and I can honestly say they grill right down here. But heres some pictures and a video of the First D of Upper Las Damas (aka Cougar Creek) so hope you like em. Stay safe folks Paul