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Program: Xmas Tour de Stouts (III to IV+) + Video Production

Cost:  $US3900 
Dates: Dec 17 – Jan 3 (18 Days)

Arrival Airport, Dec 17: Temuco Airport (ZCO) between 11 am to 5 pm.
Departure Airport, Jan 3: Santiago International Airport (SCL) after 7 pm.
Want more? Ask about work exchange trip extensions. 

Credits / Course Hours: Principles of Video Production (3 / 48 hr.)

Course Description: It seems every kayaker has a camera on their helmet today. But do you know how to compose and edit that makes you employable? Or script and tell a compelling story? Time lapse? Shot composition? This course will focus on concept and skill development when producing digital video media. Students will learn how to produce their own edits. Final projects consist of partner biography productions. What will your story tell?
Tour de Stouts Description: Half of this program will be at our Pucon base charging the local stouts and honing skills. Pucon attracts the best kayakers in the world to it’s spectacular rivers and features. Those rivers are what we call our back yard. You’ll kayak daily on the Upper and Lower Trancura, Maichin, San Pedro, Puesco, Palguin, Fuy and there are even more.  The road trip leg is highlighted by Rios Nuble, Maipo and Claro AKA Teacups whitewater experiences of a lifetime.

A trip to the Teacups is a kayaker’s experience of a lifetime. A chasm has been cut by water through the basaltic flow for 57,000,000 years. The cascades bank, curve and plop into blue pools making for photogenic shots and drops. Our trip will also focus on the river sustainability challenges facing Chile’s rivers. Rivers like the Nuble and Maipo are currently being dammed and it is our stance to explore these rivers every year we can. Students will meet and interview activists within the river community.

Highlights

• Kayak world famous Teacups. Rio Claro has over 80 clean cascades. Youll be camped in the heart of the worlds best waterfalls.
• Kayak. Kayak. Kayak. Get to kayak Pucon’s classics.
• Practice your Spanish constantly. Eating meals, taking the bus, shopping and just meeting Chileans mean youll step out of your comfort zone and practice your Spanish.
• Road trip experiences to Nuble and Maipo valleys.
• Produce your own video of your Chilean adventures. As part of your video class youll go to beaches and peaks late at night to capture time lapses, setup shots on climax rapids, interview, capture, edit and produce your own video.

What to Expect

Students will spend the first half of this program at the world famous Pucón Kayak Hostel base. You’ll commence your video classes followed by daily kayak training and session on the Pucon Classics. Its December. Its sunny. Everything is running. And you are in CHILE! You’ve dreamt of this so long and now you get to capture your own footage and learn how to make quality videos.

Christmas Day Stoutings Were Full!

As tradition has it we get together and choose our Christmas day stoutings to be had. Maybe its the Middle Palguin, the Upper Palguin, laps on the Nevados, Salto Coilaco, or a road trip to the Fuy. No matter what your group chooses you can trust it’ll be a Christmas day worth celebrating. That night back at the quincho guests gather around the fire for the annual Christmas party and asado. Theme is tacky Christmas costumes. Of course, everyone calls home to say, “I love you Mom and Dadn and thanks for sending me on this fantastic trip.”

Post-Christmas Tour de Stouts and Logistics Leg

It’s

Now, is the time to hit the open-road and see other parts of Chile. Where will you go? Until now you’ve had the luxury of a base, scheduled meals, transportation to rivers, nearby runs and reliable levels. You will be given a set budget for your group to budget and plan. This is a real-world budget. Meaning your not going to be able to afford to stay at the Marriott. Luckily, where you’re going there aren’t any. When properly planning for every challenge it seems another three arise. What is safely running? How will you get there? Will you cook, eat out, contract a cook? What about transporting your kayak? How much will that cost?
Planning and executing your trip is when the adventure begins. We actually make a practice of celebrating failing. Thats right. We believe having the confidence to fail encourages you to try new things outside of your comfort zone.

Highlights: Rio Nevado Playground

The Upper Nevados has become the local favorite. And with over 25 classic 6 to 20 footers to hone your boofs, smears, stomps, and grinds you’ll see why we make it our top priority. Names like Sweet Love, Cali Slide, Pinch 20, Auto Boof, and Wall Falls keep us coming back for more.

If you get good enough then we’ll enthusiastically teach you the fundamentals of creek boating on the Upper Nevados. Creeking is about communication, being aware, knowing your abilities and limits, scouting and assessing, playing and challenging self, and exploring. As we say in Pucon, “Nevados while it’s in.”

Highlight: Palguin Laps and Palguin Extreme Race

The Upper Palguin is the area classic goto run. Just minutes from your base you can drop into a canyon with half a dozen gorgeous clean cascades. Lapping each individually or as a run is one of our favorite workouts. If you want to get a feel for extreme racing then well tie together the drops into race segments eventually building up to racing the entire waterfall section. You are going to get real good. Real fast.

Highlight: Exploring Pucón

By day you’ll be occupied with running rivers. You’ll learn how to use the bus system to get back and forth to Pucón and check out the favorite kayaker hangouts. The Pucon volcanos, lakes, hotsprings and lagunas attract 100’s of thousands annually to it’s natural beauty. By night Pucón attracts travelers from around the world. The holiday season is a super fun time for students and nomadic kayakers. Come see for yourself.

Highlight: Backyard Trancura Runs

Our backyard Trancura is where youll hone skills and build aerobic capacity for extreme race events. Sprinting rapids, timing boofs, and even running big water rapids are all offered on our backyard run. Imagine finishing a lap and walking up the river bank to your outdoor shower. Now, thats a sick day.

Highlight: Your Chile Road Trip

We cant say where you’ll go because you haven’t planned it yet. Road trips are special in that they are all about exploring the unknown. Going to a new place you have not yet seen. And departing with those experiences as yours. What place will you discover?