Peru Kayak Expedition

Kayak the deepest canyon in the world! Join Wet Planet for an adventure through Inca Ruins, non-stop class III-IV whitewater, and the spectacular canyons of Peru's Cotahuasi and Apurimac rivers.

Join the Wet Planet Team this October on a whitewater adventure trip in Peru's Cotahuasi and Apurimac Canyons!

• Do you ever lay awake at night dreaming of the ultimate kayaking trip?

• Do you scour the world atlas or fly through Google earth in search of the perfect muti day expedition?

• Are you in search of the ultimate experience, a once-in-a-life-time adventure you will never forget?

• How about being able to tell your friends that their trip to the Grand Canyon was boring!

If you have answered yes to any of the above questions, then Wet Planet has some good news for you: we have found the Ultimate kayaking expedition and want to take you there, to show you a magical place while helping you to improve your skills.

Where is it? Deep in the Peruvian Andes, in the Cotahuasi River Canyon and the Apurimac River Canyon.

Class III – IV
Appropriate for kayakers with solid Class IV skills and an adventurous spirt

Cost: $2400:
Includes: meals, lodging, river trips, guides, donkeys, and transportation while in Peru. Not included: airfare, extra alcoholic beverages, some in-town meals (see info sheet), and travel insurance.

Our adventure will start in Arequipa, Peru. After a day warming up on the Chili River and preparing for our first expedition, we'll leave Arequipa and travel via bus to the mountain town of Cotahuasi.

The Rio Cotahausi flows through the deepest canyon on earth, serving up continuous class III-IV whitewater, fantastic scenery, Inca history, and great beaches for camping. To run the Cotahuasi, we'll spend a day hiking (donkeys carry our gear) into the Canyon, passing 400 foot Sipia Falls, before camping at the put-in over 10,000 feet below the canyon's rim. We'll spend the next four days paddling non-stop class III-IV whitewater, camping each night in the midst of Inca ruins. Alpine desert weather, awe-inspiring scenery, and classic whitewater combine to make this self-support kayak expedition a life-defining experience.

After experiencing the Cotahuasi River, we will begin our journey to the Apurimac River. After a rest day back in Arequipa, we'll travel via bus to Cuzco, the oldest city in South America and location of the ancient Inca capital. We'll spend a day exploring Cuzco, before making a short drive through the Andean mountain range to the Apurimac put-in.

The Apurimac River is the true source of the Amazon, one of the mightiest rivers on the planet. The name translates as "the Speaker of the Gods", in the native Quechua language. The scenery is so mind blowing that it is hard to concentrate on the class III-IV whitewater. We'll spend three days paddling through stunning rock gorges in the midst of a 3000 meter deep canyon, sleeping each night on sandy beaches. We are fairly certain that you will never want to leave this place.

This Wet Planet expedition will be led by legendary kayakers and instructors Andy Round and Gian Marco Vellutino.

Andy has led kayaking expeditions all over the world and recently returned from leading these and other rivers in Peru, saying that he has never paddled better multi-day rivers anywhere! After a trip down the Apurimac last Fall, Andy had this to say, "I think this is possibly the most beautiful river I've ever run." That's saying a lot: Andy has paddled from the Everest base camp, has 30 first descents, and has led kayak expeditions in countries all over the world.

Gian Marco lives in Peru and is the owner of Cusipata Viajes y Turismo. This amazing paddler actually completed the first descent of the Cotahuasi River in 1994, and Gian Marco and his brothers easily know the rivers of Peru better than any other paddlers alive.

To see images from our Peru Trip, visit our Photo Gallery!

Check out this year's Peru Itinerary (itinerary subject to change due to conditions beyond our control):

• Oct 5th: Fly to Lima and then on to Arequipa.

• Oct 6th: Run the Rio Chili, a great warm up and training run.

• Oct 7th: Depart for the town of Cotahuasi and hike to the Rio Cotahuasi put in. Hiking past spectacular 400 foot Sepia falls.

• Oct 8th, 9th and 10th: Kayak the Rio Cotahuasi through the deepest canyon on earth.

• Oct 11th: Finish paddling the Cotahuasi, drive from the take out to Arequipa.

• Oct 12th: Sight seeing and resting in the Colonial city of Arequipa, then travel to the Beautiful city of Cuzco.

• Oct 13th: Sight seeing in Cuzco.

• Oct 14th: Travel to the Apurimac River and put in.

• Oct 15th and 16th: Paddle the Apurimac. On the Afternoon of the 16th return to Cuzco for a celebratory dinner.

• End of trip: Fly to Lima from Cuzco or continue your travels and adventures; Cuzco is the gateway to Machu Pichu. While a visit to Machu Picchu is not part of the Wet Planet trip, we can easily put you in touch with the best guides for visiting these legendary and sacred ruins and help you plan your trip there.

For more information on our Peru Trip or to make reservations: contact us now, or download the printable versions of our Peru Expedition 2008 Info Sheet and Peru Expedition Packing List.