ONE TIME DEAL – LOW SPECIAL PRICE OFFER! This will be a true cultural experience; best if you are fluent in Spanish and love traveling in Peru. The trip was organized for the Peruvian NGO Conservamos por Naturaleza and the Peruvian Rio Marañón conservation campaign. The majority of participants will be Peruvian environmental activists. Sounds awesome to me!
June 18, 2016 – 8D / 7N
Balsas to Puerto Malleta – Class III-IV
Please join us to enjoy this unique river experience and help protect the Amazon Marañón!
The Marañón River is a major tributary of the Amazon River, flowing from the center of Perú in a northwest direction through the Andes to turn east in the north, then turning into the Ucayali River which joins to form the Amazon River. This makes it one of the most important rivers in the country and the world. The Rio Marañón has been declared a biodiversity hotspot of global importance, as it has one of the highest levels of endemism in the world.
Spending time with the communities living along the banks of the Marañon make this trip a unique and very interesting cultural experience. We visit with the locals whom maintain a lifestyle deeply connected to nature. It is a pleasant surprise to receive their hospitality as they prepare and serve us a typical Peruvian rural lunch, using their locally grown fresh produce. There are hikes available through their fields to a nearby waterfall.
When you join this trip, you’ll be supporting these communities and the project Remando Juntos for the Marañón, which seeks to defend the Marañón and its people from the mega dams which are to be built along the river basin. If the Chadin II Project continues, this entire section of river canyon and forests will be under a reservoir due to the mega-dam. The people of Mendán and Tupén Grande will have to move to an unknown area when they lose their land and homes. Downstream, the Amazon and its indigenous communities will also suffer from the impacts of dams.
145 kilometers with a gradient of 2.5 meters per kilometer
7 days and between 10 to 30 kilometers per day
Put-in: Balsas, Chachapoyas, Amazonas (855 m)
Take-out: Puerto Malleta, Utcubamba, Amazonas (505 m)
The highlights of this trip are:
- Raft on one of the most important rivers of the planet
- Travel through one of the most biodiverse areas and endemism in the world
- Run fun class III and IV rapids
- Camp on huge sandy beaches
- Share with local community members and learn about their customs and lifestyle
- Experience how the locals live close to nature from their fields of fruit and coca
- Enjoy the amazing walks, waterfalls and natural pools.
Please join us to enjoy this unique river experience and help protect the Amazon Marañón!
ITINERARY
Day 1: Bus Cajamarca to Balsas, raft about 15 km. Class II
The bus arrives in Cajamarca at 8am to take us to Balsas. We will arrive to Balsas around noon. We will launch on the river and start on a quiet section perfect for practicing rafting commands and safety procedures. Arrive at the camp in early evening for orientation about trip procedures – kitchen, bathroom, sink, etc.
Day 2: Mendan-30km.Clase II-III
Visit and hike around the pre Inca ruins and tombs of El Cura with a breathtaking panoramic view, explore the gorge with fruit crops and coca, then we can cool off in a reservoir. We arrive early in the afternoon to Mendán, share the afternoon with them and then have dinner with a local family.
Day 3: Tupén Grande-20 km. Class III-III + will raft about 10 km.
The swift current will quickly take us to Tupén. It is great fun to walk to Tupén waterfall outside of the village. Have lunch at the home of a local family. We will continue rafting into the early evening and reach the San Lucas (III +) rapid. Camp soon after.
Day 4: Marañón Canyon-25km. Class III-IV
Today we float the deepest and narrowest part of the canyon, pass through the site where they plan to build the mega-dam Chadín II. We run the rapid Playa del Inca (IV) and Magdalena (IV). Camp before Linlin rapid (IV+)
Day 5: Marañón Canyon-20km. Class III-IV Lin Lin (IV+)
In the morning concur the class IV rapid Linlin and raft through other fun Class III rapids. In this section we will begin to see the change of vegetation from dry cactus forest to the start of the Amazon jungle.
Day 6: Forest of the Marañón-Walk to waterfalls and swimming-10 km. Class II
We arrive at a camp for an early lunch, then in the afternoon, we take a hike to a waterfall with natural pools of indescribable beauty (this 10 km could be completed the day before in order to have a day of rest if the group prefers).
Day 7: Cave, departure back to Cajamarca-25 km. Class III
We will have a short stop to appreciate a huge cave, then continue floating while appreciating the incredible transitional scenery of dry-forest to jungle and enjoy the last rapids before entering the Bagua valley, where we will reach Puerto Malleta in the afternoon. The transport will return us to Cajamarca late in the evening.
Day 8: Breakfast and farewell. Homecoming