Peru Raft & Kayak

2012 Dates:  October 7th (arrival day) - 19th (departure day)

Raft or 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 rafting and 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 rafting and 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 beginner rafters or kayakers with solid Class IV skills and an adventurous spirt

Cost: $2495:
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 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 guides and instructors Todd Collins, Brian Lee, Drew Parker and Gian Marco Vellutino.

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.

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

• Day 1: Fly to Lima and then on to Arequipa.

• Day 2: Run the Rio Chili, a great warm up and training run.

• Day 3: Depart for the town of Cotahuasi and hike to the Rio Cotahuasi put in. Hiking past spectacular 400 foot Sepia falls.

• Day 4, 5 & 6: Raft or kayak the Rio Cotahuasi through the deepest canyon on earth.

• Day 7: Finish paddling the Cotahuasi, drive from the take out to Arequipa.

• Day 8: Sight seeing and resting in the Colonial city of Arequipa, then travel to the Beautiful city of Cuzco.

• Day 9: Sight seeing in Cuzco.

• Day 10: Travel to the Apurimac River and put in.

• Day 11 & 12: Paddle the Apurimac. On the Afternoon of the 16th return to Cuzco for a celebratory dinner.

• Day 13, End of trip: Fly to Lima from Cuzco or continue your travels and adventures; Cuzco is the gateway to Machu Picchu. 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! You can also download our Peru Information Packet, for trip details, Peru travel tips, and a detailed packing list.

Take a look at our article on Peru Expeditions from the blog!