Rafting the Source of the Amazon

Apurimac Canyon, Peru

by Toby Fenton

Born amidst the snow-capped peaks of southern Peru, the Apurimac river is the true source of the mighty Amazon. Its descent from the high altitude mountains of the Andes to the steamy lowlands of the Amazon basin is one of the most dramatic in the world. Carving its way through the Vilcanota range, the Apurimac thunders through steep, twisting gorges creating a giant roar, after which its Quechua name was derived: Apu-rimac, "Speaker of the Gods".

Our "put in" point, deep in the remote Apurimac Canyon (the third deepest in the world), was a four-hour drive from Cusco - the magnificent capital of the Inca empire, now the heart of Peru’s burgeoning tourist industry. From here all supplies were taken with us onboard the rafts for our four days of wilderness rafting.

After a safety briefing from Efraín - one of three expert guides accompanying our group, and with green parrots squawking overhead, we set off. The Apurimac affords some of the best rafting in the Americas. The countless rapids come thick and fast, with English names; a legacy from the early rafting pioneers who were mostly Americans - ‘The Pitchfork’, ‘The Dragon’s Tail’, ‘Toothache’ and ‘Purgatory’ are just a few.

Between rapids we paddled upriver into a stiff breeze, Efraín allowing us time out to drift and rest. Gnarled gravity-defying trees protruded from rusty cliffs, covered in a thick black moss which looped down the canyon walls. A family of river otters crawled out of the river and onto its bank. Elusive swifts danced above our heads - disappearing when camouflaged by the cliffs, then reappearing as shadows against the blue sky and blazing sun.

For three nights we camped under the stars on rock-strewn sandy beaches, hemmed in by the canyon walls - it grows dark in the canyon long before the sun has fully set. Having made camp we gazed up at craggy peaks, silhouetted against a deep blue sky that filled with stars as blue became black.

The final day: the best rafting. Its inaugural rapid, ‘You First’, is the result of a gargantuan boulder blocking the flow of the Apurimac. The river narrows and accelerates as it squeezes past this imposing natural barrier. To approach the rapid at the wrong angle would send us spinning out of control. Tensions began to rise as Efraín went through the commands. As the river quickened, his commands grew more shrill and our paddling more frantic. We ducked inside the raft at the last moment as it rushed through the narrow gap between the rocky bank and the boulder. As we exchanged high-fives, Efrain congratulated us on navigating our first, and only, class V rapid.

No time to relax as rapid followed rapid in our descent towards the "take out" point - a track at the side of the river and the first sign of civilisation we had encountered since our departure. The final stretch of white-water was aptly-named the ‘Last Laugh’. We clung to the raft, sweeping over rocks....and then it was over. Exhausted but elated we clambered aboard our bus and headed "home". Gazing across the desolate highlands, as we crawled our way back to Cusco, I experienced mixed emotions - relief that I had survived, regret that it was all over, but joyful anticipation of the hot shower that lay ahead.

Toby Fenton - freelance travel writer and ex Journey Latin America tour leader.