"The Chilean white-water expert Roberto Currie, made an expeditionary first descent of the Futaleufu in 1991 and figued how to safely navigate what today is one of the most intensive stretches of commercially rafted white-water rapids in the world."
The New York Times

Robert has been a partner with Earth River since 1993 and trip leads  most of Earth River's trips. He has rafted on five continents and is one of the most experienced river guides in South America. Robert has led first descents on Chile's Futaleufu, Peru's Yavero and China's Poe Sang Poe. He has been featured in Outside Magazine, Town and Country, National Geographic Adventure and the New York Times. Robert started the Earth River Land Trust on the Futaleufu in 1995 which has preserved over 20 kilometers of very developable, irreplaceable river. Working with the Chilean government he was instrumental in bringing protection to Chile and Patagonai from water borne invasive species that adversely impact rivers, streams and lakes destroying fisheries and tourism.  Robert lives in Santiago, Chile with his wife Maria Luisa.  

Personal Reflections

"Eric is one of the best in the business - Obsessed with safety."
National Geographic Magazine

I met Eric in 1988, when he almost single-handedly stopped the James Bay II Hydro-electric Project, which would have destroyed eleven major rivers in northern Quebec. I worked with him to save Headwall Canyon in British Columbia and Quebec's Magpie.
Robert Kennedy Jr., Town and Country Magazine

Eric’s guiding began at 16 on a cross country bicycle trip where he met a guide who invited him to row a baggage boat on Oregon's Rogue River. For the next 10 summers he worked on the Tuolumne in California and on the Colorado in the Grand Canyon. He was one of the first to guide paddle boats down the Tuoumne where he invented foot cups to keep people in the rafts which have since become a staple on rivers around the world. Eric invented the concept of using safety caterafts for large volume rivers like Chile's Futaleufu and was among the first outfitters to teach agressive swimming to clients rather than passively floating on their backs. During his early years, when not guiding,  Eric wrote plays which won a number of national awards including a National Endowment for the Arts fellowship. His play “Between Rails” directed by Hal Scott, was produced off-broadway.  (New York Times review).

In 1986, he gave up playwriting to devout his full energy to conservation work and co-founded the Rondout-Esopus Land Conservancy in the Catskill and Shawangunk Mountains of the Hudson Valley which has protected over 3,000 acres.  He started Earth River in 1989 on two core principles; that the company would run the finest, safest trips possible and that it would fight for the preservation of important river resources.

Over the past 23 years, Eric has been actively involved in efforts to stop the James Bay Hydro-electric Project in Quebec and dams on Chile’s Bio Bio and Quebec’s Magpie.  His efforts helped bring awareness to the preservation of watersheds like British Columbia’s, Yosemite like, Headwall Canyon and New Foundland’s Main River, which were both threatened by clear cut logging. Using his land trust experience, he and his partner, Robert Currie, founded, the Earth River Land Trust on the Futaleufu which to date has protected over 20 kilometers of the river’s most fragile and dramatic shoreline.  Eric has organized and led first descents around the world and has opened commercial rafting on a number of classic rivers including Chile’s world renowned Futaleufu which he led the first raft descent of while rowing the lead boat. 

Personal Reflections

Partner/Guide
Santiago, Chile 

Robert has been running rivers around the world with his father since he was fourteen. His experience guiding on the Futaleufú and the knowledge that there were plans to dam all the the rivers in Patagonia led him to pursue a career in environmental law. Robert graduated law school in Chile at the top of his class. For his compulsory government apprenticeship he won the prestigious "Tribunales de Familia" award as the top new attorney in Santiago. Upon passing law bar in Chile, Robert moved to New York to work for the environemntal group, HudsonRiverkeeper.  While at Riverkeeper he submitted a proposal to the Waterkeeper Alliance to launch a Riverkeeper on the Futaleufu. After the proposal was accepted, Robert returned to Chile to make his vision a reality and began developing strategies to address threats to the Futaleufu watershed, assembled a dynamic team to run the organization and worked to establish its legal status as a non-profit in the United States and Chile. As the President of Patagonia's first Riverkeeper, Robert is responsible for leading the organization, overseeing legal strategies, engaging in outreach with Chilean and international donors and strengthening institutional relationships with the Waterkeeper Alliance.  This past year, Robert traveled back to the U.S. with his wife Karime and completed a U.S. Master of Law degree (L.L.M.) from Columbia Law School in New York where he sat on the board of the Columbia Environmental Law Society and interned at the United Nations on the Climate Change Initiative. Robert will be taking the bar in New York in August. When not guiding expeditions on the Futaleufu he is working to protect the watershed and the community that depends on it.  Robert's daughter, Amanda, was born this past November. 

Expedition Leader
Ashland, Oregon

"Just wanted to let you know that Brent and I had another amazing trip with Greg (Our fifth). His passion for the outdoors and wanting to share it with others is only surpassed by his attention to detail, friendly demeanor, conscientious nature and concern for people's safety and well being. We can't wait to do another trip with him."
- Shanna Chan, Futaleufu, Colca, Yangtze & Magpie

Greg has been guiding expeditions around the world for 25 years, working as an Earth River trip leader for the past 15 years on the Colca, Yangtze and Futaleufu Rivers. He is among the most highly respected and experienced whitewater guides of our time.  He has rafted on five continents and been an integral part of Earth River's conservation efforts on the Magpie River and British Columbia's, Yosemite like, Headwall Canyon. In addition to guiding rafts he spent five years on the U.S. National rafting team.  Greg received his EMT and Wilderness EMT certification in 1988 and continues his medical training to the present. He has taught numerous guide schools in California, Oregon and Australia. When not guiding for Earth River, he runs his own fly fishing company on the Rogue River in Oregon and works as a general contractor.  He lives in Ashland, Oregon with his wife Susan.

Personal Reflections

Partner in Tibet
Expedition Leader
Syracuse, New York

"Steve's incredible energy level is only superceded by his enthusiasm to share incredible places with others. His eyes light up when he talks about his work with inner city kids and photography."
- Dick Shiro, Futaleufu, Upper Yangtze 

Steve has been guiding for over 35 years and has been with Earth River since it’s inception. He has run rivers on nearly every continent including 10 years on the Grand Canyon, 9 years on the Upper Yangtze and 5 years on the Futaleufu.  He guided on the first ever descent of Tibet’s class 5 Poe Sang Po and on many of the earliest Futaleufu expeditions. Steve is an accomplished photographer and his work has appeared in National Geographic Adventure, American Airlines Magazine and Conde Naste Traveler. He is an associate professor of photography at Syracuse University where he founded the PAL project which connects university students with inner city school children through photography and creative writing.  He lives in Syracuse with his wife Mary Lynn and their two daughters.

Personal Reflections

Expedition Leader
Davis, California

Aaron started guiding as a student at the University of California, Davis where he received a degree in civil engineering. After graduating, he continued to guide on the Grand Canyon, Cherry Creek and the Middle Fork of the Salmon.   Internationally Aaaron has guided in New Zealand, Peru through the Colca Canyon and for 5 years in Chile on the Futaleufu. He has taught numerous guide schools and worked as an instructor for Outward Bound. When not guiding he has worked as a math teacher and water polo coach at Wagner College. Aaron has been a an EMT for ten years and is currently applying to medical school.  His interest is emergency medicine which will allow him the flexibility to continue guiding.

Personal Reflections

Guide
Videographer
Accord, New York

"Cade is an exceptionally mature and sensitive young man. We were amazed by his competence at such a young age. It was hard for Natalia and I to believe he was only 18."
David Larkin, first descent of Yavero River

Cade Hertz has been running expeditions since he was 7. At 10 he was on the first exploration of the Lakes of Patagonia, featured in National Geographic Adventure Magazine. At 12 Cade began paddling a kayak down the class 4 Magpie River in Quebec and shot video to sell to the guests. That same year, he became active in the fight to stop multiple dams slated for the Magpie, testifying at a government hearing in Sept Isles, Quebec and showing a video that contradicted the developers claims that the River’s most impressive and soon to be flooded rapid was not runnable. His Magpie footage was shown across Canada on CBC Television. In 2010 he shot video on the first raft and commercial descent of Peru’s recently discovered Yavero River. He is a senior at Humboldt State in California. Cade is an avid kayaker and splits his guiding between Earth River, Outdoors Unlimited on the Grand Canyon and Echo on the Middle Fork of the Salmon. 

The following guides also work with Earth River; Jiyue Zhang, Chengdu, China (Partner China/Tibet), Juan Gabriel Acero (Colo), Bogata, Columbia (Guide - Chile & Canada).