DAY 1: UNITED STATES /
QUITO
This evening we fly from the United States
to Quito.
DAY 2: QUITO / MACAS
We arrive in Quito this morning and transfer to the midday (1/2 hour) flight to Macas,
where we stay at a comfortable hotel. In the evening we have a group dinner at a
restaurant.
DAY 3: MACAS / RIO UPANO
A short drive this morning takes us to our launching spot on the Upano where we begin
rafting. The rapids today are fairly gentle and a good warm-up for the wilder ones in the
canyon below. In the afternoon we reach a large beach where we spend the night. A
professional Ecuadorian cook will prepare all the meals on the trip.
DAY 4: RIO UPANO / CAVE
OF THE
SACRED WATERFALL
In the morning we take a short hike into the jungle to the mouth of a cave. Donning head lamps, we enter the cave and follow a
beautiful stream, past massive stalactites and up and over small waterfalls to the base of
a spectacular 75
foot cascade. Shooting
from the outside world into the cave, through a narrow slit of rock and sunlight, the
powerful torrent crashes into the semidarkness in a dramatic crescendo of sound and spray.
We spend the evening at the same river camp.
DAYS 5-7: RIO UPANO/
CANYON OF
SACRED WATERFALLS
During our journey through the magnificent Canyon of Sacred Waterfalls we will run wonderful Class 4 whitewater and
witness over a dozen breathtaking tributary
waterfalls, some as high
as 800 feet, spilling from the canyon walls. No river trip anywhere boasts more impressive
waterfall viewing than this stretch of canyon. Because parts of the canyon are fairly
continuous whitewater, a large stable safety cataraft (similar to the one we use on the
Futaleufu) will accompany the small 14 foot paddle boats to insure that no one takes an
unnecessarily long swim. There will also be a number of spectacular side hikes to
virtually unexplored
tributary waterfalls. In
order to reach these practically inaccessible spots, it will be necessary for the native
Shuar Indian guide that accompanies the expedition to go ahead (in a gear boat) with a
machete and carve a path through the nearly impenetrable jungle (within a
few months the insatiable jungle takes back these paths). There will also be an
opportunity to visit with the Shuar community that lives along the river. Until fairly
recently, the Shuar were headhunters and many of them still use blow dart guns for
hunting. Our guide lives in this isolated community and is familiar with the local customs
and traditions as well as the natural history of the area.
DAY 8: RIO UPANO / MACAS
This morning we raft out of the canyon to the small town of Santiago where we board a
small plane and fly a half hour back to Macas. Arriving in Macas in the early afternoon we
transfer to the hotel. This evening we have a group dinner at a restaurant.
Next
Day CalendarContents |
