T r u f u l  T r u f u l

 Character

The Truful Truful is a sporty but fair river with some longer open rapids. The difficulties concentrate on the beginning of the run. Nevertheless the current is always fast and strong.

  Before you run the river go to see the Saltos first, to check the put-out for the portage...

How to get there

From Temuco drive the S51 to Cunco, then take the S61 in direction to Melipeuco (approx. 100 km from Temuco, most of the time on good but gravel roads ). In this village you may get some basic food if necessary. 2 km after the village there is a road on the left to the Parque Nacional Conguillo las Paraguas, the put-in. Following the S61 you will come the bridge which is the put-out.
Some 200 m after the bridge a small road on the left is going up to the Salto Truful Truful, which you will portage on the run. It is worth to see it before, to check the put-out. 
One hint: Once you are in this corner, go up another 70 km to Lonco Luan in Argentina and paddle the Rio Alumine. The landscape on the way over the Paso Icalma (1298m) is quiet beautiful.

Put-In  / Take-Out

Put-in: behind the waterfall in the Parque Nacional Conguillo las Paraguas (38°46'42.12"S,  71°37'59.13"W). From the junction of the S61 go up some 9 km to a Ranger Station. From there you have to carry some 400 m over a lava field and search for a trail down to the river.
Put-out at the bridge of the S 61 (~ 1,7 km after the Saltos)

  At the end of the lava field you have to search for a trail down to the river - not very easy and steep.

Distance

Approx. 8 km 

Gauge              
LW  /  MW  /  HW

No reference 
Most likely the level on the photos represents normal MW in January. Most likely the water level has no big impact on the difficulties, with higher water the river will most likely only become faster.  

Difficulty

Beginning with WW IV, then reducing to III- (X)
Very rapid and pushy current, if you swim, it will be long.
After 6,2 km don't miss the put-out before the cataract of the Saltos. Watch it before the run !  The last drop of the cataract was already run several times (famous picture from Arndt Schaeftlein) whereas I have not heard that the cataract itself was ever run.

    From the beginning it is continuously going down with a constant and steep gradient... 

                            ... through long but open and clear rapids.

    When it seems that the difficulties are over, this little cataract appears very unexpected !  

    After that, the difficulties become less...

    ... and the only think you have to concentrate on is the put-out before the Saltos !

   The final drop - some of us have thought (very shortly ;-) to run it from the eddy above.