By Steve Brooks
Photos: Steve Brooks and Ute Heppke
It is not exactly easy getting into Argentina from Chile in a truck with kayaks on the rack. We arranged our car insurance in Pucon then headed towards the border stopping along the way to get our kayaks, paddles and kit disinfected from the problem of Didymo (an algae that has caused huge problems in the Lake District and Northern Patagonia areas of both Chile and Argentina).
Steve Brooks Bio
Steve has lived in Austria now for over 20 years and from being a place to come and work seasonally on the river, to a base camp and finally making Austria his home! Steve’s love for kayaking and adventure is infectious and this can especially be seen in the kayak school he set up eight years ago. Based out of the Arlberg region in western Austria the school runs courses for beginners plus coaching and instructing kayakers through all the whitewater grades, including creeking and river running. In-between the kayaking season in Austria, Steve can be found kayaking and leading adventure trips and expeditions in the Indian Himalayas, Peru and Chile in South America. He speaks German like a local and is fluent in Spanish. When he is not kayaking he searches for that perfect powder run in the back country in his home mountain of St Anton am Arlberg or riding his Royal Enfield Bullet in search of undiscovered rivers in the Himalayas. For more information check out: www.gokayaking.at and www.gokayaking.at/blog
We were in – welcome to Argentina
At the Chilean border, passports checked and stamped. Temporary import papers getting organised with the customs officials. Going through all the paperwork:
- My truck papers and registration document to say I am the owner.
- My Chilean RUT (tax) number.
- Argentine car insurance.
- Didymo certificate.
Brands and colours of the kayaks on the roof rack, paddles and kayaking kit declared and it finally looked as though we were on our way.
Oh, wait a minute this RUT is not the normal one? Luckily for us one of the customs agents had in-depth knowledge of the complexities of Chilean tax and law, so after a short explanation to his colleague they wished us luck and we were now heading to the Argentine border.
After 10 minutes we got to the first check point where a military police officer went through the same questions and wanted proof of our Didymo certificate. We were given a little bit of paper and told to park over there! Another 30 minutes later we had completed passport control, temporary imported our truck, kayaks and equipment and were now having our kayaking equipment inspected by the military police just to make sure it had been disinfected!
It was done, we were given the green light and we were finally allowed to go into Argentina. It had gone smoothly and had only taken us just under one-hour to depart Chile and enter Argentina.
The first time we tried to cross this border when we were in Chile two years ago, we were stopped from going into Argentina and were sent back to Chile. As we got to the Chilean border post they went on strike and so we sat in the Gringo Loco van for the next five hours! A couple of months later during the high summer season, we waited in the queue for 4½ hours just to get to the border post. This is when I realised just how good it is to be in the European Union with frictionless travel throughout the 28 countries (at the time of writing this piece)!
San Martin de Los Andes
Ute and I were heading to one of our favourite places in the world – San Martin de Los Andes. We had spent a winter there skiing and snowboarding back in 2003 and had managed to visit our friends there a few times over the years when travelling up and down to the Futaleufu River.
With the stunning Lanin Volcano towering over and maintaining its ever presence on the drive from the border to San Martin – it was just a pleasure. Last spring in Austria we met Lucia who is from San Martin and it felt as though we had been friends for years. We were going to spend a few days and check out some of her favourite places to chill out, hike to and of course to eat. After a fair few bottles of Malbec wine, plenty of steak, ice cream, chocolate, copious amounts of maté, some big hugs and our bellies full, we were on our way to the Rio Aluminé.
The drive up was pretty cool, the terrain in this part of Argentina is very different from the lush green of Chile. We were on a mini altiplano (high plateau) so it is more arid, desolate and we could feel the wind sometimes hammer the truck with the kayaks high up on the rack. The tarmac road had finished a long way back and every time a truck coming in the opposite direction brought clouds of dust and our speed was severely reduced. When the dust settled we could see granite blocks of rock in the distance reminding us more of a North American western feel, especially when we passed Gauchos herding cattle and sheep on their way to higher pastures. On the rare occasion a big truck or vehicle passed us we were greeted with a friendly wave, it was great to be in Argentina!
Aluminé
We finally reached the lower section of the Rio Aluminé, by the sides of the river the different shades of green were in stark contrast the barren and arid altiplano. We were now going to follow the river all the way to its source at Lago Aluminé. Just after midday we arrived the small town of Aluminé and tried to find somewhere to eat and get a drink before the final leg of our journey. However, as it was after midday, it was siesta time and after driving around blocks looking for something open it had more of a ghost town feeling.
Unsuccessful in our quest we continued driving upstream. We passed a few signs for tourists saying photo point or view point and we also came across our first sign of the IRF world rafting championships that had taken place a few weeks before. Close to this sign we saw some kayakers getting ready to put in on a mellow section of the river. We popped down to say hello and after initial greetings we suddenly realised that one of the kayakers, Sebastian, was the contact we were given from Lucia. He was running an informal beginners kayaking course and so we made a plan to meet up later in the evening at his home/rafting base!
We finally arrived at Villa Pehuenia a small hamlet on the shores of Lago Aluminé. It was absolutely stunning, with deep dark blue water and snowcapped mountains all around. It has been a while since our jaws dropped with stunning natural beauty and such a serene landscape. We met up with Sebastian and his wife later in the day over a maté or two and made a plan for the next day. I have to say midday, as morning to an Argentine is very different to an Austrian’s idea of morning! That evening we headed to the best restaurant in town, just a 15-minute walk from our cabańa.
It was low season so with hardly anyone around, there were plenty of tables and the staff were happy to see and serve someone. We ordered the local Malbec red wine and while they tried to tempt us with the house dish of roasted lamb, we ordered the bifé de chorizo. Well, we were in Argentina and it had been 24 hours since our last succulent fillet steak! After a 350g lump of the finest beef Argentina produces from the Patagonia pastures, washed down with the wine and topped up with a piece of chocolate cake, we wobbled and dragged our heavy stomachs back to the cabaña, thankful of the walk!
Ute and I met up with Sebastian and his wife, Veronica. Loaded his kayak onto our truck and headed to the put-in. We had heard only great things about the Rio Aluminé and we were really looking forward to seeing just how good it was. With the water exiting the lake, we started our trip right from start of the river.
A little bit of flat water to warm up and then the rapids started to pick up. Pool drop with Class 3 with easy moves and some nice waves to surf. The surroundings were stunning and none more so than the Araucana Tree. Commonly known as the Monkey Puzzle Tree, it is one of the oldest trees in the world. It grows at a very slow 1-2cm per year so the big trees with their thick trunks have been around for thousands of years and because of its longevity it is called a living fossil.
The rapids were also picking up and we were coming to the crux moves, in the spring, the water is pumping from all the snow melt entering and then flowing out of the lake. We were avoiding some big sticky holes and punching through others. The lines were becoming a little tighter and we were using the full width of the river with some smooth lines from Sebastian. The whole day Sebastian had a big cheesy grin on his face, he loved this river the very first time he kayaked it and decided he wanted to plant his roots here and has not looked back since. He was so happy showing someone his home river, something I can relate to when we are back home in Austria.
That evening Sebastian suggested we meet up for a beer at the local bar. Not the easiest place to find but with a rough description and a few directions later we met up. It was a complete winner, they had IPA on tap and with happy hour in full swing, we were talking rivers, mutual friends we had met along the way on our travels over the past 20 years. The music was pumping, no reggaeton here in this bar just some good old rock from bands like Led Zepellin, The Who, Pink Floyd and Jimi Hendrix. The beers were flowing and all the locals were super friendly and were really happy to see us.
Argentina has seen some hard times over the years and the Peso had lost a huge amount of its worth. Really bad for the local Argentines but for us, well, a beer was €2.50 half price at happy hour and where can you find the best steaks in the world for under €5?
The local towns and villages are relying heavily on tourism to help them beat the economic hardships and the tourist office and municipalities are working hard to bring a variety of tourists. Not just kayakers, our really good Kami ran the small ski resort the previous Winter and with the altitude and snow they receive it has huge potential to develop into to a great area for ski touring and backcountry skiing!
We stayed for a few more days before saying our goodbyes with some Abrazos muy fuertes (strong hugs) and a promise to return soon. We headed back into Chile via Paso de Icalma, this time it was a lot quicker and smoother as at this time of year they hardly see anybody. On the other side of the pass we headed to the Rio Truful Truful for a quick blast before journeying back to Pucon.
We now know why our friends who live in Pucon like the Rio Aluminé so much and that is why we headed back again nearly a month later with Jimmy to show him just what was so special. Now we have got the paperwork and routine dialled the border crossings are becoming a lot smoother.
We would like to say a BIG thank you to Sebastian, Veronica, Lucia and the locals of Villa Pehuenia for making us feel so welcome and of course David Joos from Pucon Kayak Shop for implanting the seed of kayaking the Rio Aluminé those years ago.
We will be heading back there again in November 2019 and if this article has not persuaded you to go then here is a short video we made of the river.
Who wants to come?
