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I was prepared for all the difficult rapids up to the ferry-boat and I first scouted the Rapid {27P} [4.2/178] and the Rapid {27P} [23.4/135], which I had read are the most tricky ones. In the end, I passed all of those paddling but the next day, I was surprised by Rapid {27P} [47.0/104]. I tried to avoid the shallow water on the right and I went to the center but I soon realized that was the worst possible line I could choose! I paddled over a huge tree trunk perpendicular to the flow but the huge wave formed right after the trunk, capsized me! It seems the left side of the river would be the best choice. Anyway, better scout this one first because there are trees everywhere. There were a lot of other wild rapids all over the river, where I had to focus to keep the raft perpendicular to the waves but I achieved that and I had no other problems. I could usually identify submerged trees from the little wave formed around them, so I was able to avoid them. It was only a couple of times that the water was too shallow, so I had to disembark and lift the bow of the raft to carry it over the little water that was flowing over the rocks.
* <span style="background-color:aqua;">'''2024 Jan-19 to 2024 Jan-23 / txrx / Palena to Puerto Raúl Marín Balmaceda (27P & 28P) / 5 Days / Party of 4'''</span>
I want to thank everyone who contributed to this article. All the information provided here was very useful to plan and prepare for the trip. As a packrafting beginner I absolutely loved this route. Here's a list of comments that might be useful to use as reference:
- We had 5 sunny and hot days with many moments of strong headwinds. Never underestimate how taxing is to paddle against the wind on a packraft, optimize your itinerary to paddle in the calmest moments of the day.
- It took us about 32 paddling hours for Palena to Port RMB.
- At the water level we had it was very easy to find a suitable camping spot along the whole river.
- Checking the tide charts was very useful to paddle with less effort on the last 25km to the sea.
- At the end, the normal route takes you through the Garrao Canal into the Pitipalena Estuary. We had a calm morning so we decided to continue on the Palena River, access a small canal east of the Isla de Boca and end up landing near "Mirador 2". From there we walked a trail that took us to the town in a little bit less than an hour.
* <span style="background-color:aqua;">'''GPT 27 and 28P/ Alto y Bajo Río Palena/ Packrafting Route / 2024 Jan-02 / 4 days / Jordan Jennings'''</span>
The descriptions in the writings below are very accurate in describing Rio Palena. My only comment is to describe the rapids a little more - all but one rapid are class II wave trains - not complicated. The rapid shortly after the ferry at c 22km has more obstacles and requires the choosing of a “line”. Was not difficult.
* <span style="background-color:aqua;">'''2023-Dec-04 / 2.5 days / Packrafting / SOBO / RR / Tom Pieper'''</span>
==Season 2022/23==
* <span style="background-color:aqua;">'''January 16-21 2023/ Zach / Packrafting / Palena to Puerto Raúl Marín Balmaceda (27P & 28P) + Rio Frío (75P) / 6 Days easy'''</span>
As Shaun mentioned, Kara Davis and Jen Ni described this section quite well. I combined 27P, 28P, and the Rio Frío which was totally worth the added transport effort. If you enjoy the rapids of the upper Palena, you’ll love the Rio Frío. La Junta was a nice lunch stop and upon meeting some familiar cycle tourists, turned into an afternoon off. Note that the take out/camp here is a popular swimming spot, so take care of your belongings when going to town. I left my headphones in the sun to dry and they were gone when I returned. Despite that and rain the final day, I have nothing but good things to say about Rio Palena. The termas are aptly named. The surrounding moss and tannin in the water make you feel like a gingerbread man soaking in a forest gnome’s tea kettle. After seeing no one on the river except 1 fishing tour, I was very surprised to encounter a group of 50 paddlers as part of the Decenso Colectivo Ruta de Palena. This is an organized group that paddles from Palena to Puerto Raul Marin in 4 days this time each year. The ferry still runs Thursdays and Sundays, although it left around 11:30, not 9:40 as the website states. No problem to buy a ticket upon boarding.
==Season 2021/22==
==Season 2020/21==
==Season 2019/20==
