Chile: Northern Patagonia Multi-Sport Adventure CME

9 Days
From $6,400

Chile: Northern Patagonia Multi-Sport Adventure CME

Learn Wilderness & Emergency Medicine in Patagonia!

World-class Futaleufu River whitewater rafting, hiking, horseback riding, mountain biking, and trout fishing in Chile and Argentina! This exciting Patagonia multi-sport Wilderness & Travel Medicine CME Course takes place in the spectacular northern region of Patagonia. This area has some of the most fantastic mountain scenery in the world, including giant peaks with awe-inspiring glaciers, beautiful pristine forests, and the resplendent whitewater rivers of Chile.

The Futaleufu is considered to be one of the most beautiful and exciting whitewater raft experiences in the world! We’ll stay seven nights at the fabulous Bio Bio camp right on the banks of the almost surreal turquoise Futaleufu.

Each day of this Wilderness & Travel Medicine CME course will be a new adventure! Several days will be filled with spectacular, professionally guided whitewater rafting on the Rio Azul, the Rio Espalon, and the Futaleufu. We’ll also do some amazingly beautiful horseback riding and hiking in the Andes.

We’ll also be able to do optional mountain biking and fly-fishing for feisty brown and rainbow trout.

The Wilderness & Travel Medicine CME lectures and workshops typically take place each afternoon before dinner. Each night we’ll enjoy gourmet meals and great camaraderie and stories from the day!

Accreditation – 16 Hours AMA PRA Category

WILDERNESS MEDICINE COURSE CONTENT INCLUDES:
• Altitude Illness
• Hypothermia
• Frostbite
• Heat Illness
• Snakebites
• Travelers Illnesses
• Marine Envenomations
• Trauma Management
• Wilderness Orthopedics
• Water Disinfection
• Swiftwater Safety and Rescue
• Basic Wilderness Survival
• Wilderness Medical Kits
• Wound Management
• Patient Assessment
• Wilderness Dermatology
• Wilderness Pediatrics

CME ACCREDITATION INFORMATION
This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the Essential Areas and policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education through the joint providership of the Center for Emergency Medical Education and Wilderness and Travel Medicine. The Center for Emergency Medical Education is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

The Center for Emergency Medical Education designates this live activity for a maximum of 16 AMA PRA Category 1 CreditsTM.

Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Itinerary Snapshot

Day 1

Arrive in Santiago,Chile. After completing customs, transfer onto a domestic flight to Puerto Montt. Transfer on your own to the scenic town of Puerto Varas on Lago Llanquihue. Overnight at the Hotel Cumbres. (D)

Day 2

Drive to Aerodromo Marcel Merchant in Puerto Montt to take your short scenic flight to Chaiten. We drive through the temperate rainforest, passing countless waterfalls and hanging glaciers surrounded by jagged mountain peaks! We will pause for a short hike and a picnic lunch in Pumalin National Park. Arrive early afternoon at camp; camp orientation, swim, hot tub, and welcome happy hour. (B+L+D)

Day 3

Start the day with a Yoga class, or catch up on some sleep after long international travel. Breakfast of champions and get ready to raft the Futaleufu river! Todays introduction and “warm up” is complete with safety briefing and paddle training on the famous Bridge to Bridge section. In the afternoon you may choose from mountain biking, hiking, fly-fishing class and our popular intro to hard shell, river kayaking clinic. (B+L+D)

Day 4

Step-up the rafting today! Raft from camp through Bridge to Bridge again and add on class V Mas o Menos and Casa de Piedra rapids – class V. After the tough rapids, we switch gear and Kayak Clinic part II starts, you can fish or just ” booze cruise “ as we drift into lunch which is served off the grill on a remote island where we will relax. After lunch resume the kayaking and a most scenic mellow float for 5 kms to Puerto Ramirez take out. Short drive back to camp for hot tubbing, massage, relaxing and dinner! (B+L+D)

Day 5

Short drive up the Rio Azul side valley for an exciting class 3 descent in inflatable kayaks! (doubles and singles!) (B+L+D)

Day 6

Horseback ride deep into the pristine wilderness and enjoy lunch at local Refugio with some of the best vistas in the Futaleufu valley (B+L+D)

Day 7
Back on board our rafts, we are dealt a Royal Flush; a continuous class IV corridor of rapids does not let up until we get to our take-out spot at the Rio Azul footbridge. The rafts are left for the night, tethered on shore.
Early evening is spent in camp getting ready for the evening festivities. Blanca and her partner Umberto, locals from a nearby farm, merrily prepare a delicious dinner called “Curanto” that is typical of the south of Chile and the island of Chiloe.

Day 8

Summit day! Raft from the Rio Azul through the Terminator, Kyburz, and Himalayas rapids. Lunch at camp. Raft from camp again to below Casa De Piedra. Optional hiking, mountain biking or fly-fishing activities available as well. Last night in camp: lamb roast/Chilean “asado feast” and wine tasting! (B+L+D)

Day 9

Early morning drive back to Chaiten and 45 min. flight back to Puerto Montt. Take connecting flights home or to next destination!

Some of the activities can be interchanged depending on your preference for the day.

(Legend: B = Breakfast included , L = Lunch included, D = Dinner included)

Day One
Arrive in Santiago, Chile. Collect your luggage, pass through Customs and then re-check in for your domestic flight to  Puerto Montt: gateway to Patagonia!

After collecting your bags in Puerto Montt, go outside and look for a taxi. Ask the taxi to take you to Hotel Las Cumbres in Puerto Varas. The Taxi ride will be in the ballpark of $40.00 USD, which is $39,000 Chilean Pesos. We recommend having about $100 USD on hand, preferably already converted to Chilean Pesos which would be $85,000.00 CLP. You may experience stunning views of Volcano Osorno, weather permitting. Enjoy strolling the streets, famous for its wooden homes built by German immigrants. Depending on your arrival time, rafting, fishing, or a tour to Lago Todos los Santos and Saltos de Petrohue can be arranged. (Not included in trip price)

We will meet at 7:00 pm in the hotel lobby bar for introductions and a welcome briefing to be followed by a group welcome dinner at one of our favorite restaurants, where you can indulge in a steak off the parilla or try Chile’s famous seafood!   Overnight in Puerto Varas.

Day Two

Hot tub with peopleAfter breakfast we will board our private vehicle for a 20 minute drive to the La Paloma Airport, where we will board one  of the most scenic flights imaginable.  In only 30 minutes we will arrive Chaiten, a small fishing village and a gateway to Patagonia.  Here you will get an immediate sense of wild and scenic Patagonia! Depending on time, we will take a short hike in Pumalin National Park; one of the largest and most diverse conservation efforts in South America.  The 715,000-acre Pumalín Park is located in the Palena Province of Chile, and stretches from the heart of the Andes to the fjords of the Pacific Coast. Protecting a pristine Valdivian temperate rainforest, this is one of Doug Tompkins Conservation Initiatives.

Along our 2 hour drive to Bio Bio basecamp, we pass beautiful Lago Yelcho, multiple hanging glaciers, jagged glaciated peaks, and temperate rainforests. Soon we’ll arrive at the Bio Bio Base Camp, where your private tent bungalows sitting upon raised platforms, complete with river views and comfortable beds, will be waiting for you. Our enthusiastic guides will lead you to your sweet new “home away from home” on the river!

After a short hike or a swim, you may want to soak in the riverside hot tub or enjoy a hot shower.  Then, we gather in the sunset bar for our first welcome happy hour.  We will introduce the entire BBX crew and go over the week’s agenda.  After happy hour, a hearty dinner will be served. It does tend to cool down quite a bit when the sun sets below the peaks so we dress warmly in the evenings.

Day Three
Awaken on the banks of the Fu and enjoy your first morning in camp! We rise with the warmth of the sun and have breakfast around 9 am.  A pre-breakfast yoga class is available on our customized yoga platform with river views!  Mornings tend to be crisp and dewy so prepare to dress warmly – a fleece is perfect. Today is a river day. We will launch our rafts from base camp after a thorough safety briefing. In a safe ‘eddy’, a short distance downstream, we’ll do a set of practice rescue drills. This allows the crew in each raft to hone their skills and prepare to raft as a team.

FuwatersWe use a cataraft combined with ace safety-kayakers as part of our “safety net.” Each raft is captained by a highly trained and intuitive river guide, who guides the boat from a stern-mounted oar frame. Guiding with oars does not detract from the paddling experience. The advantage to the oar frame is greater control in pointing the bow straight through bus size holes and 15-foot high “haystack” wave trains. High siding is also an actively used “paddle” command. This style is consistent with any high volume, strong current river where rapids graded 4 to 5-plus rage on. This is the Futaleufú!

The first section that we raft, from camp down to Puente Futaleufú (the Futaleufú Bridge), is only 10 km, but offers more rapids per 1000 meters than anywhere else on the river. It is the perfect warm-up run and it is non-stop fun! The rapids of note are “El Cojín”, the Cushion, and “Mundaca”, a local family name.

At take-out, we meet our vehicles for a 20-minute ride back to camp. Those who would prefer a “lower body” workout to complement their paddling are welcome to run back or ride one of our mountain bikes from take-out to camp. When we get to camp, you can choose to go fly-fishing, try out a kayak, practice yoga, nap in a hammock, enjoy the sauna, have a massage, go for a hike, or soak in the hot tub. Taking a hot shower, either indoors or under the big sky, feels very luxurious while camping in the remote wilderness of northern Patagonia! Of course, for the hardy, the river provides a cold bath and refreshing swim.

As the sun sinks behind the mountains, enjoy a game of chess or cards at the sunset bar. small bar shot Every late afternoon is “Happy Hour” with an open bar stocked with beer, wine, soda, and fresh juice.  Then, we gather together in the open-air kitchen/dining area, the “Galpon”, for a candlelight sit-down dinner featuring fresh locally grown produce and fresh-baked breads.  After dinner, enjoy the campfire and the stars before retiring to your cozy tent on your private platform. The sound of the river will lull you to sleep and send you off dreaming of the next day of adventure in Chile.

Day Four
Officially day two of our rafting extravaganza. Our aim is to settle into a river rhythm that will be utilized in order to successfully raft the next few sections the Fu.  yoga outdoorAfter Yoga and  breakfast, we will launch our rafts from camp and run the Bridge to Bridge section one more time. When we get to the 2nd bridge, you have the option to hop out and ride the bus around the next two big rapids, or if you are feeling up for it you can continue down river. We pass the Puente Futaleufú (yesterday’s take-out), we immediately round the corner to meet a big stomping continuous cascade of waves known as “Mas o Menos”, translated, “More or Less”.  This is a good stepping-stone towards our first true blue class V technical rapid, “Casa de Piedra” (House of Rock) which is right around the next corner. We will get out of our rafts to scout this massive boulder choked rapid from the banks of the Fu. It is formed like a series of water wheels that channel all of their fury into a final churning pit with a dragon’s back highway through it. Its great fun!

After this rapid, we will run the remaining class 3  rapids as our hearts resume beating at their normal rates. We will drift into a nice long calm section that offers perfect fishing from the rafts as well as a great place to get into some hard shell kayaks. The next three miles is a time relax, and enjoy our stop on one of Futaleufu’s most beautiful beaches. Here we enjoy a hot lunch over the grill, play games, siesta, swim and take in the tranquil afternoon along side the Futaleufu.  Later in the afternoon we continue our float a few miles, and reach our take out spot just above Lago Yelcho. Upon return to camp, we will continue to celebrate the day, enjoy the spa and get ready for another fabulous dinner prepared by our jovial crew and talented chef.

Day Five
Today we become experts at navigating our very own river crafts, known inflatable kayaks, IK’s or duckies. We venture up canyon to the Rio Azul, one of the main tributaries to the Futaleufu and is one of the most scenic canyons in Patagonia. kayakers2Challenge yourself on the class II and III rapids and depending on your comfort level, either walk or take-on the Class IV rapid, ‘Cheese Grater’.

There is something deeply satisfying paddling your own boat down river, knowing that your destiny is in your own hands. Of course our highly trained guides will be there to coach you, watch over you and provide safety should you need to be rescued. Fishing, mountain biking or relaxing around camp are always options in the late afternoon.

Day Six

After yoga and breakfast we take a short drive to the stables where we will find our trusty steeds saddled up and ready for adventurous riding. After a safety briefing, we ride alongside some local expert equestrians and our own river guides who will gladly join the posse up to a beautiful overlook of the Futaleufu Valley and one of the larger rapids – ‘Throne Room’. This is a full day and you will be glad to return to camp, enjoy the soothing hot tub, a cold beer or glass of wine as you wait your turn to get a well deserved massage!

Day Seven
We will have an early breakfast in camp then travel 25 kilometers up the road to Rio Espolon to launch our rafts for the Inferno Canyon day!

On the Rio Espolon we have a chance to warm up on this low volume river before it joins and helps form the mighty Futaleufu as it gets squeezed into the narrow Inferno canyon. This upper canyon requires aggressive class V paddling and is potentially the most intense section of white water on the river. Many other options exist for those who choose not to participate in Inferno Canyon.

Five distinct rapids form a narrow sinuous river passage creating a wet surge and a “full on” adrenaline rush. The fourth rapid was until recently the smallest of the 5, but due to road building debris landing in the river, has now become nearly impassable at most water levels and requires a walk around and “lining” the rafts through it.  As we come out of “Exit”, the last rapid, we enter into a long calm. The current remains swift and we cruise many miles downstream arriving at the mandatory portage around the fierce “Zeta” rapid. We have lunch on the rocks as the crew “ghost” boats the rafts through this treacherous rapid.

After lunch, our first obstacle is “Throne Room,” a class V+ rapid for kayaks, a ghost boat rapid for rafts. By walking around this rapid, we get a great bird’s eye view of an almost ‘river wide’ hole that could destroy a raft. Back on board our rafts, we are dealt a Royal Flush; a continuous class IV corridor of rapids does not let up until we get to our take-out spot at the Rio Azul footbridge. The rafts are left for the night, tethered on shore.

Early evening is spent in camp getting ready for the evening festivities. Blanca and her partner Umberto, locals from a nearby farm, prepare a very special treat for us. vino1They merrily prepare a delicious dinner called “Curanto” that is typical of the south of Chile and the island of Chiloe.  We spend the evening by the bonfire on the beach singing and dancing the night away.

Day Eight
Today, we must be mentally and physically well prepared for the river. We call it the “summit day” as we aim to top our already great paddling days with the best day of white water in the world. After a nutritious breakfast, we head up river to the footbridge where we left the rafts yesterday. As our day on the river begins, the blue glacial run-off from the Rio Azul River merges into the Fu from the right. The views of the snow capped mountain peaks and jagged ridges of the mountain “Las Tres Monjas” (translated, “the three Nuns”) are absolutely breathtaking.  A six-kilometer stretch of warm-up rapids leads us to the longest and toughest rapid that we will raft, “The Terminator.”Whitewater12 We scout and study our line, then we take the plunge and drop in. “Left turn, right turn, dig it in — hard forward!” are a few of the commands that might be heard.  The next three miles are non-stop rapids. After an aerobic workout, we pump through the enormous haystack wave train known as the “Himalayas”.  Just when we need it, a calm returns, we float gently into lunch, served at our base camp.

After lunch, we return to the river to complete the last task for the day, tackling as much white water as possible. We raft the whole section of river from camp to below Casa de Piedra. At take-out, cold beers and tea are waiting.  We make a triumphant return to camp to celebrate our days spent exploring Futaleufú valley and river.

For the evening’s festivities, Rolando and Nelli will prepare a typical Chilean Asado — lamb roasted over a bed of coals, ensalada, potatoes and farm fresh bread. We toast the river and give thanks for our safe passage. Under a bright starry sky, we will spend our last night together as a group on the banks of the mighty Fu with the guides and crew.

Day Nine
We start early today as we have to travel back down to the coast to catch the puddle jumper flight from Chaiten back to Puerto Montt and transfer to the larger airport for flights home or to your next destination. You will want to leave a comfortable “window” to make it back in time, so book connecting flights from 17:00 hrs onwards. You may also choose to spend another night in Puerto Varas on your own. (See below if you are interested in the Torres Del Paine Extension.)

We hope that when you board the airplane you will look back upon your time in Patagonia and think of the friends you have made and the beauty of the Futaleufú River and Patagonian wilderness. Ciao amigos! Ciao Ciao Chile!!

ENCHANTING…

Stay on the river in the most exquisite adventure base camp imaginable! Overlooking one of the most beautiful canyons on the Futaleufú River, our base camp proves that camping can be luxurious. Amenities include: our riverside sunset bar where we enjoy Chilean wines, a wood sauna, 5 hot showers, flush toilets, 2 massage studios, a stone riverside hot tub, a fireside sit down dining area where we enjoy delicious meals made with locally grown produce, and indoor and outdoor yoga decks with spectacular river and mountain views.

Your “home away from home” is a private, spacious safari-style tent bungalow with amazing views of the river. You will sleep in a comfy bed with soft linens and fluffy comforters to keep you warm as the river lulls you to sleep and into sweet dreams.

Our camp provides natural areas of private, quiet reflection and beautifully hand built structures such as the open-air library or cozy yoga pagoda. We are ideally situated for river access and smooth shuttle logistics – jump in a raft and float down to the famous “bridge to bridge” whitewater section just a mile downstream from camp. We are right in the middle of the most continuous whitewater on the river! This translates into more river time and less driving time.

The deluxe facilities at our Futaleufu River Camp  include:

  • Open sunset bar overlooking the river with unlimited drinks, relaxing and dancing
  • A hand-crafted wood sauna
  • 2 private spa/massage rooms and professional masseuse
  • Free daily yoga classes with mats on a cliffside yoga deck or the new indoor yoga loft with stunning mountain and river views.
  • River rock hot tub with beautiful river, mountain, and sunset views
  • Hand crafted wood hot tub with river views and downstream from our main camp to offer a place for private soaking and relaxation.
  • Hot showers and flush toilets
  • Private tent bungalows with roofs for shade or rain complete with roomy, walk-in, safari-style tents with river views, coffee table, real mattresses, pillows and sheets, down comforters and morning coffee service by your own personal “tent captain”.

Our camp includes areas for private, quiet reflection, such as our peaceful open-air loft library and cozy yoga pagoda, as well as group gathering places for games, sit-down dinners, and happy hours.

Your adventure vacation on the Futaleufu River also includes:

  • Friendly service from your tent captain who delivers tea or coffee to your tent each morning
  • Free use of our fleet of 14 suspension mountain bikes, whitewater kayaks and catarafts, and a variety of fishing equipment
  • Yoga classes every morning and private yoga sessions on request
  • A full range of multisport adventures…
  • Fly fishing on the Futaleufu River – either from shore, or from a cataraft in the calm canyon in front of camp. First timers and experts welcome!
  • Gourmet cuisine including freshly baked bread and fresh vegetables from an adjacent farm
  • Candlelight dinners in our “Galpon” an open air log structure hand-built by our good friend and talented Chilean carpenter Rolando.
  • Inflatable kayaking on the Azul River and Espolon River – the Futalefu’s two largest tributaries
  • Horseback riding
  • An evening of Chilean wine tasting
  • A sunset “float” downstream to a beautiful beach for a riverside BBQ and campfire
  • Visits to local farms to soak in the Patagonian culture
  • Mountain biking or hiking on nearby scenic trails
  • And, of course, whitewater rafting one of the most exciting, beautiful rivers in the world!
Departure Dates:

2026
January 27 – February 4

Trip Length: 9 Days
Trip Price:

$6,400 per person, based on double occupancy, plus $250 internal airfare

Additional CME Cost: $789 (16 hrs AMA PRA Category I CME)

Deposit: $1,000

View the full trip handbook here:

https://travefy.com/trip/6yw9rqqeaaxwqz2abz68lhsh7bxuksa

Add a review

3 reviews for Chile: Northern Patagonia Multi-Sport Adventure CME

  1. Customer
    Marian Ma
    Activity
    A10126
    one guest on No. Patagonia Multi-Sport Adventure CME leaving 1/27/23 for 9 days
    Completed
    2/8/23 3:29AM

    Clear Response
    Please comment on your overall impression of the trip. Did it meet your expectations?
    Exceeded
    What did you think about the quality and the knowledge of your guide staff?
    Off the charts amazing

    Would you consider traveling with Bio Bio Expeditions again? If so, which trips interest you most?
    Yes-hiking to Patagonia
    If you were to tell a friend or colleague about your overall experience on this trip, what would you say?
    Beautiful, pampered

  2. Please comment on your overall impression of the trip. Did it meet your expectations?
    Amazing. Beautiful spot with guides and staff who become your friends for life
    What did you think about the quality and the knowledge of your guide staff?
    Off the charts- fantastic!
    Please share with us any improvements you would suggest for future trips.
    Perhaps add a hiking option to the Alpine lake
    l
    Would you consider traveling with Bio Bio Expeditions again? If so, which trips interest you most?
    Zambezi
    If you were to tell a friend or colleague about your overall experience on this trip, what would you say?
    An experience of a lifetime !
    Your comments about the trip are extremely valuable to us, and others who are considering this adventure. Please select “yes” if you consent to us using your positive comments on our website or trip information. Thank you!
    Yes

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  3. Please comment on your overall impression of the trip. Did it meet your expectations?
    This trip was fantastic. One of our best trips ever. Totally met expectations and exceeded them. The river was amazingly beautiful with turquoise clear water abutting granite cliffs and green snow capped green mountains. I loved every second on the river! The duckies were an unexpected pleasure- I loved being able to guide myself. It was all so fun. Every moment!
    What did you think about the quality and the knowledge of your guide staff?
    Off the charts- fantastic!
    Please share with us any improvements you would suggest for future trips.
    1. More diet coke please.

    Would you consider traveling with Bio Bio Expeditions again? If so, which trips interest you most?
    YES!!
    If you were to tell a friend or colleague about your overall experience on this trip, what would you say?
    Amazing staff. Lorenzo sets a great example of a wonderful host. I loved the interaction of the staff with the guests. Amazing people! I loved the yoga- what a view every morning. The food was perfect. Howard was a delightful CME lecturer- interesting stories and a lot of fun. We loved it all!!

    Your comments about the trip are extremely valuable to us, and others who are considering this adventure. Please select “yes” if you consent to us using your positive comments on our website or trip information. Thank you!
    Yes

Extensions available:

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    Trekking to FitzRoy Massif, Cerro Torre and marveling at the jagged surface of Glacier Perito Moreno is a truly Southern Patagonia experience not to be missed!

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