Estero Coilaco

Another run in Pucon area this one is pretty small and is therefore called an Estero instead of a Rio. Apart from the Ojos de Carburgua and the infamous “MP” this is probably the most popular park and huck.

From Pucon cross the Trancura over Puente Meterenehue and continue 8 KM and make the turn to Huife. From here it is 4.8 KM thru town of San Pedro to takeout bridge over Coilaco. To reach put in continue towards Huife 500 meters and take right turn towards Laguna San Jorge. Go approximately 2 km to where bridge crosses the creek.

It is 1 KM of meandering flatwater from here to “duck and huck” which is a 9-10 meter falls that requires you to duck at the lip under a tree growing out horizontally. The approach to the falls needs to be portaged due to log jam so best to seal launch in just above the lip.

Below the falls the river passes through a colihue thicket (bamboo) than begins a screaming 1 KM super continuous rapid with almost no possibilities of any eddy. Be very very careful in this section due to logs and by no means flip over in the razor sharp jumble of rocks.

an option instead of taking out at bridge is to continue another 2 plus km down to Liucura and run several km’s of nice class 3 whitewater to takeout at Puente Liucura.

I am going to call the creek class 5 but not sure if that is really the right call. Volume is low around 150-300 CFS and creek is usually running after intense periods of rain, in winter, or in peak spring run off (October-november and sometimes December)

Creek was found and first run by Robby Dastin on a scouting mission in 2004.

Nearby rivers include Desague, Carhuello, turbio, Palguin, Trancura, Liucura, Maichin