"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 Currie is one of the main trip leaders on the Futaleufu and Yavero Rivers. He has rafted on five continents and is one of the most experienced river guides in South America. He 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 and has spear headed and effort which to date has preserved over 20 kilometers of very developable, irreplaceable river shore line. Working with the Chilean government he was one of the key palyers to stop an invasive species, didmo Phenia from destroying the fisheries of multiple rivers in Patagonia anf throughout Chile. Robert lives in Santiago with his wife Maria Luisa and his two children Robinson and Cathy. 

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. During the other months Eric wrote plays which won a number of national awards including one from the National Endowment for the Arts. 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 Mountains of the Hudson Valley which has protected over 3,500 acres.  He started Earth River in 1988 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 20 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 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 scenic shoreline.  Eric has organized and led first descents around the world which have opened commercial rafting on a number of classic expeditions including; Tibet’s Upper Yangtze, China’s Great Bend of the Yangtze (since damed), Peru’s Colca, Quebec’s Magpie, Peru’s recently discovered Yavero and Chile’s Futaleufu which he guided and led the first raft descent of.

Personal Reflections

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 a 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
Chillan, Chile

"Having been a raft guide once myself, I can't imagine anyone I'd feel safer trusting my family with than Abner. His patience and the attention he paid to the children and my nine year old daughter, Kira, helped make this a truly remarkable experience for the children and the parents." 
- Mary Kennedy Richardson 

Most guides train on class 2 or 3 rivers but Abner literally learned to guide on the class 4/5 Futaleufu.  He began his guiding career with Earth River on a training cataraft over 12 years ago, graduating to class 5 rapids like Infierno and Terminador in only his second season. It would take another three years on a safety cataraft, before he would take his first commercial guests down the river. Abner has guided rivers in Peru, Italy, Canada, the United States and of course Chile.  He is fluent in Spanish and English, is a wilderness first responder and lives in Chillan with his wife, Carolina and their new baby boy.

Personal Reflections

Expedition Leader
Futaleufu, Chile

"I ask Peter how many times he's rafted the Futaleufu. He pauses, mentally ticking off the years in his head, before answering, "Maybe 300?"  This trip has been just another week in the office for him.  For the rest of us, it's created memories that will last a lifetime." 
- Rob Mcfarland, Escape Magazine

Peter began his guiding career over 25 years ago on the Trancura River in Pucon, Chile. Within a few years he had graduated to the now destroyed class 5 Bio Bio River.  He is considered by many to one the finest river guides in South America having commercially guided rafts on some the continent most difficult rivers including Peru’s Colca and Apurimac.  He has guided the Futaleufu hundreds of times in thirteen seasons and probably has one of the lowest flip to trip ratio of any guide who has ever run the Futaleufu.  In 2010 he did the logistical work to set up Earth River’s first raft and commercial descent of the newly discovered and future classic, Rio Yavero in Peru.  Peter is bi-lingual and a Wilderness First Responder. He resides on property he purchased just upstream from Terminador Rapid on the Futaleufu. 

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 which was covered by Outside Magazine. He has just entered his sophmore year at Humboldt State college in California. He splits his guiding between Earth River, Tributary Expeditions and OARS. This past summer he rowed a commercial baggage boat down the Grand Canyon.

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