Honest

Hey guys,  one of my best mates from Czech Jakub Nemec just came out with a new movie. Check it out. More on his blog


HONEST from WW8 expedition group on Vimeo.

Puerto Montt

One day in Puerto Montt on my way down to Futaleufu.

Enjoy :)

Hard at work :)

Back in Pucon for the stouts

Pucon is like a an immense sive/ eddy. Once you enter, it's just way to hard to get out .  It started raining again and I found myself in Puerto Varas, chilling in my friends Pepe's casa, drinking beers and preventing some chileand drunk fighting. as well as spending some time on the beautiful Petrohue river. It was raining and cold though and I got the message the stouts in Pucon are back in. Feeling quite good with my back back in order I jumped on the bus for couple days of Pucon hucking. I love this place. You just never get enough of it.

Volcan Villarica guarding the town, beautiful sunrise

The first day we hit the Nevados again and it proved to be the bomb. The Todo Nevados is one of the best creeks I have ever paddled. It's packed with action. There was a big group hitting the river this time and after everyone styled the upper, we eddied out above the infamous Demshitz Drop. The first D of the drop was made last year and it is an impressive 50 footer with a stout lead in. I watched couple guys go to learn the lines and then it was my turn :). Hard right to the small eddy, catch a breather, peel out, boof and the edge which comes pretty fast. 50ft of waterfalling and high fives with the friends in the pool below... :)

Demshitz drop, Evan Garcia, photo by Candace Sanders

Demshitz drop, LJ Groth, photo by Candace Sanders

After this, the Diablito follows.  An interesting 15 ft drop leading into a right angle drop in a crack. Boof it and turn hard right. This drop threaten to pin you if you do not turn fast enough. Well all was good and we found ourselves smiling in the eddy above the sive piled rocks above Nutrients.

EG at the Diablito, photo Candace Sanders

Nutrients drop is a combo of two sweet boofs into another 15 footer. Hold on to your paddle and boof hard.

The Nutrients, photo by Candace Sanders

After that there are 2 more drops and you get out of this impressive gorge.

One of the best days on the river I can remember. running the stouts with friends, no carnage and almost no scouting :) Thanks for the lines boys.

Thanks Candace for the photos. At our trip there was no cameras so those are from the previous trip, well the river hasn't changed and it does deliver the same :)

             The next day I slept in and enjoying the beautiful weather I left to town to find out what is going on. Well Aniol and Nico were up for the Palguin Medio and I felt it is a good timing to celebrate 3 months in this amazing country. Well off we were for some more goods.

Aniol " The Spanish kayakista model" / yep that's a photo of him

 Me and Aniol ran the Stout 10ft drop right  above the main fall...

Aniol styling the Stout 10, check oput how close hte odge of the big one is...

My turn going far left...photo by Nico

Taking a deep breath in the microeddy, photo by Nico

... and off the big one...photo by Nico

...and Nico lined up nice line through the medio. 

happy crew (photo Isaac Lewinson)

The spanish rata mobile

...and back to Pucon for the beers

all the other photos by me :)

Back in Mystic

Just a few photos from Pucon area rivers, back in the Bliss Stick Mystic. Thanks to Hans Denk and mainly Manfred Riedel to get the boat here to Chile for me. More on http://www.bliss-stick-kajak.de/2010/01/28/chile-update/.

Pictures are from Palguin

First rapid combo (photo by Logan Greyling)

(photo by Tyler Curtis)

Exportacion (photo by Chris Baer)

Middle Palquin waterfall (photo by Chris Baer)

...and Nevados...

Nevados slide (photo by Logan Greyling)

Nevados crack drop (photo by Chris Baer)

Nevados (photo by Chris Baer)

Nevados del Amore (photo by Chris Baer)

Cascade Idaho River Kids road trip

Life should not be only about hardcore kayaking and I spent the first week of January working for Cascade Kayak school coaching Idaho River Kids trip to Chile. There were 9 kids coming down to Pucon, Chile to kayak as much as they could and have fun. I joined the kids for their road trip up north and couple days after that. After a day spent on the Liucura, we packed a truck, van and filled up a trailer for the next morning early leaving. The next day we left to Pichilemu for 2 days of kayak surfing and some typical chilean discotheque experience. The wave were pretty big and there were some cool moves as well as beatdowns to be seen.

After 2 days in Pichilemu, we packed all our stuff again and went to paddle the rivers around Los Quenes again. Perfect weather and kayak conditions for all the kids on the trip.

The last day of the roadtrip was dedicated to infamous Siete Tasaz section of the Rio Claroa and after a short hike most of us went over the super clean lips of this section. The short but steep hike in was a little mission with group of this size but all went without problems and was well worth the fun.

Back in Pucon I spent couple more days coaching and paddling with the group on the Trancura river.

It was cool to see the kids super fired up to paddle and motivated to kayak as much and as often as possible as possible. I had a great time and hope to see them on the water around the world soon.

Upper Palguin Kayak Cross

Yesterday was the first Upper Palquin boater cross race. The competitors meeting was set up around 10 AM in Kayak Chile. After we signed up for the race and after some time we all head up to the Upper Palguin put in.

TC and Logan signing up

There were 9 heats of 3 people with the fastest kayaker going to the next round. The Upper is amazing for such a race. There is a technical double drop (where most of the carnage happens), followed by a left hand 12ft waterfall with a nasty hole. After clearing those, there is a nice clear fall and couple rapids to the finish. Mix it with 3 racing kayakers and you get an amazing racing course. There were 9 heats of 3 kayakers with the winner progressing to the next round.

Evan Garcia leading his heat

The "carnage" heat, Aniol, Jared and Ian

 

I was doing quite well until the first double drop where I touched a rock that messed up my line and was passed by Ian Garcia. Overall the race was great with a lot of action and carnage. Six more swims were added to this years Pucon swim club.:)

Ian/ Skirt implosion

Ladies support

The second drop

Finals- EG dropping on Keegan

After getting through the rounds, EG (USA), Aniol (SPA) and Keegan (CAN) made it into the finals and Keegan took the gold. Congrats.

The race was followed by a BBQ at the Ben's house right at the Take out/ Put in and a crazy night in down town Pucon...

Andy shooting a bootie...

Todd...

Just chilling afer a great day...

Overall this was an amazing event. Today I have been just chilling and getting ready fro a road trip with TC, Logan and Anton. Still waiting for the car- today or tomorrow, then we should finallu hit the road...