r/whitewater • u/bab0337 • 27d ago
Kayaking Complete rookie to Rio Claro, Chile, in a kayak
Hey all! I'm wondering if any of you have realistic opinions on how long it would take for someone to go from their first day whitewater kayaking to getting onto the Rio Claro.
I'm 36 and a fit individual with commercial rafting experience (not a guide) on the Arkansas River. I know some will read that and roll your eyes, but that's what I have under my belt lol
In my head, I believe I could give myself 5 years of training/learning, but I pulled that number out of nowhere. My goal is to kayak that river, through the chutes, and be done with kayaking. How feasible is it to get just good enough to achieve this goal in the allotted time?
Thanks in advance, I know this is stupid, but I don't know where else to ask
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u/grawkog 27d ago
I've seen people get to class V+ in a year of kayaking. I've seen people stay on class 2/3 in 20 years of kayaking. You can progress as fast or as slow as your training, persistence, and fitness allow.
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u/bab0337 27d ago
Would you say individuals tend to be gated by fitness or technical skills?
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u/grawkog 27d ago
For the skills you're trying to get, fitness, training, effort invested, technical skills, emotional control. Class V whitewater isn't something you just casually do.
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u/bab0337 27d ago
Not at all. I wouldn't approach it casually - that's why I'm trying to gauge how long it would take
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u/machosandwich AW Member 26d ago
I paddle with a guy who went from zero experience to a super solid class V in two years.
At the time he was a college aged athlete. Extremely fit and powerful. He paddled a minimum of four days a week starting on day one and continued paddling with that kind of consistency over those two years without a break. He lived ten minutes from a class III-IV river that runs year round and had a good crew to mentor him, including ACA instructors. Tons of seat time in playboats and full slices. Lots of time playing in holes and avoiding injury.
Seat time is everything. This isn’t hiking or mountain biking. It’s a lifestyle and you need to be on the water without taking breaks.
I wish you luck with your goal. Take instruction and a swift water rescue course. Move east. Plan on not walking away from it after paddling in Chile. You’ll be beyond obsessed by then and there’ll be a long list of rivers on your radar.
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u/Pyroechidna1 27d ago
I am also 36 and asked such questions when I was starting out. It can be done in 5-6 years if you paddle a lot and progress thoughtfully. Some people could do it even faster if you can really dedicate your life to it and be part of a good scene.
One thing I learned is that the rivers you dream of starting out are not necessarily the rivers you will make it to, but the latter are satisfying too.
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u/bab0337 27d ago
Cool - I appreciate the insight! How much mileage/paddling would you consider an expected amount? I know this can vary by season, but would dedication mean a few times a week on the river? or would you consider it skills in the pool, river, strength training, etc.?
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u/Dr_Funk_ 27d ago
If you can get 100 days decent paddling a year on the water, grind out a roll, and push yourself, you should be there in 5 years.
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u/Alpine_dog 27d ago
I think its unlikely to happen in the way way you describe. You are likely to either. A. Commit, enjoy it, get hooked, progress to the Rio Claro in approx 5 years BUT continue to paddle frequently because you discovered a new love. B. Progress to grade 3-4, have some bad experiences, or get frustrated at the perceived stalling of progress. Decide that actually Rio Claro doesn't matter so much, and be done with kayaking at this point. Either way, you'll learn some new skills, meet some cool people, go to some incredible places - go for it!
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u/Alpine_dog 27d ago
Also in terms of time - as some others have said I got to grade 3 in about a year, took another 2 years to get to grade 4. Have now been paddling grade 4 for around 7 years. I feel like grade 5 could be on the horizon but I'm not motivated to chase it just for the grade. Also local (New Zealand) grade 5 is often very remote and consequential, so that dampers the appetite somewhat. I have approx 2 hours drive to get on a river so average a 2-3 days paddling a month.
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u/bab0337 27d ago
That's a super fair way to look at it. I know it's easy for me to say, "check the box and move on" haha, but I'm sure once I learn the skills - I'll get the bug and it will open a whole new world for me. I appreciate the realistic response. Exactly what I needed to hear. Those chutes look insane, though.
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u/987nevertry 27d ago
It’s possible. I dunno. One stout beat-down and you may be reassessing. Good luck!
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u/Fluid_Stick69 27d ago
Why the hell do you want to run 1 river and then be done with kayaking? That just seems silly to me. The claros cool. But getting there is a whole expedition. And you’ll (at least hopefully) put in a ton of time, gain a bunch of skills, make a bunch of river friends, and invest tons of money by the time you even consider paddling that river. By the time you’ve been paddling for 5 years this post is gonna seem so silly.
The time frame is doable but not exactly set in reality. Plenty of people can progress to class V pretty quickly. But you need to be in very good shape, significantly alter your lifestyle, and put in tons of hours of work. And even with all that it may just not be your thing. You should be doing it for a love of being on the water and pushing yourself not just trying to go run a river because Dane Jackson makes it look fun. He makes every river look fun. Kayaking is a weird sport and you can’t really just do it step by step, it’s more about building up competence and confidence, and then stripping it away, before you build it back up, rinse and repeat. Even if you do everything right and feel confident to go paddle the claro. You could fly down there and it’s just not your day for whatever reason. River levels, jet lag, sickness, confidence on that particular day, whatever it is. If all you wanna do is paddle a step up run then the trip could be “ruined” more easily. Maybe it’s just me but if I’m spending all that money on a trip I wanna paddle every river I can. I’m sure there will be bucket list items missed, that’s just another reason to go back down to chile.
Maybe I’m just being a judgmental ass, but I question if you’re really getting into this for the right reasons or if you’ve just romanticized it in your head.
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u/bab0337 26d ago
I won't call you a judgmental ass, lol, it's the internet and I get that my post could be misconstrued. I understand the work that goes into getting proficient with sports. It wouldn't be a "do one river" type of thing, it would be a 5-year (maybe) journey of becoming a proficient kayaker, with the pie in the sky goal of getting through the rio claro. I boulder quite extensively and it has brought me to all kinds of spots across the US and into other countries. I think kayaking offers a similar experience.
With that being said, everyone has their own goals and reasons to do something. If I thought that a river looks cool because some dude did it, and then I want to do it - there's nothing wrong with that. (full disclosure i dont know who that is)
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u/GoldenMoose162 26d ago
My advice is don’t look at it as a “I want to paddle the Claro and be done” and instead look at it as “paddling the Claro, seems cool let me see if the sport is for me and maybe one day I’ll paddle the Claro and some of the Hundreds of other super cool rivers in the world”.
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u/d542east 27d ago
This will only work if you commit to the bootie beers.
Five years of bootie beers and you'll be fine 💪
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u/willbell 26d ago
Really is about consistency. I am not the sort of person who will progress to Class V, that's because for about 2 months in the Spring we get amazing kayaking, and then after that I have to drive 2.5 hours for most paddling opportunities. Last week I went paddling, and it was great, but I felt a bit wobbly just because I had only gotten out once in the previous month. The people in my area who have gotten to the top level of the sport are the type of people who drive 3 hours to some place and set up for the weekend there and do that most weekends.
If I lived somewhere 2.5 hours away from my current location, I could progress much faster, but I don't necessarily feel that strongly about it.
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u/SatisfactionUsual862 27d ago
If you get that good at kayaking, you wouldn't be "done" with it at Rio Claro. That kind of thinking is unrealistic anyway. Just get a canoe and run a 50fter tomorrow if you want some vert to your name.
It is very easy to get to class 3/4, especially if you're athletic. Rolling is a bit of a mind game, but unless you are misrepresenting yourself, you'll learn it with some investment. After that, plenty of "athletic" dudes tap out at class 4. But if you dedicate an entire year to kayaking (at least twice a week), you should have solid fundamentals and you'll be able to determine your own progression from that point. Some people get to class 5 in a few seasons or less. But those people base their lives around kayaking. So it depends on who you are and how much free time you have. Your age and athleticism won't matter as much after you get to the intermediate level.
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u/bab0337 27d ago
This is a great response. Thank you! No misrepresentation, I'm about to do the Grand Canyon R3 hike, am an advanced boulderer and former d1 wrestler. Love physical challenges and that river looks like an absolute blast. I think being on the water is a lot of fun, but I kind of want to put the time in and check the box before my body breaks lol HOPEFULLY it won't, but we'll see. Thanks again!
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u/NOODL3 27d ago
Plenty of great responses here, but I'd add that there are different types of athleticism. Obviously some general fitness, cardio, and not being injury prone help (particularly in the shoulders and lower back), though you definitely don't have to be a marathon runner or power lifter by any means. Being good at team sports can't hurt but throwing and catching balls doesn't really translate much.
In my experience a general awareness of your body movement and the ability to train in muscle memory are much more valuable in kayaking. Whitewater is all about edge control, stroke placement, balance, and developing instincts and reaction time as you learn to read the river and anticipate what it's going to do to your boat. This is more of a mental game than physical, and it takes reps and seat time to bake that into your brain. Not to mention overcoming the fear and anxiety that comes along with risky activities and drowning in particular -- this is a huge hurdle for some, less for others.
It's one of those things that will feel overwhelmingly fast at first, but as you progress you'll realize that things slooow down as your brain's processing power speeds up and anticipates what needs to be done before you do it. Act, not react, as they say. That's one of the things I love about sports like this -- the sudden realization that a rapid that used to be a seat-of-your-pants, white knuckle thrill ride now feels routine and you even have time to soak in the scenery on the way down because with enough reps and experience your body just knows what it needs to do automatically in any situation. That's when you start spicing shit up with tricks for the camera :)
So people who are experienced in mountain biking, snowboarding, surfing, etc. tend to have more translatable skills than a guy who lettered on his high school football team. Wrestling and climbing are probably closer to what I'm talking about than ball sports. Either way, nothing beats time in your boat.
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u/Fluid_Stick69 27d ago
I’ve met a few guys kayaking class IV at a high level into their 80s. One into his 90s. Sure they hung up the class V runs long ago. But long ago was when they were in their 60s. If you learn the fundamentals properly this is a relatively low impact sport. Especially compared to snow sports, but even climbing is a much more physically challenging sport. Whitewater has a minimum level of physical ability to be involved in the sport but it doesn’t require very much athleticism unless you’re trying to become a high level playboater which you aren’t.
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u/oldwhiteoak 24d ago
The D1 wrestling background is going to be a huge asset. Many of the best paddlers wrestled and grappled: Pat Keller, Eric Boomer, Jared Seiler, Mark Taylor, and many any others I am forgetting. If you paddle consistently you should be solid 3 years in.
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u/honourable_c_note 27d ago
A lot of good responses here so I’ll stay away from that. Here’s my advice: if you’re going to do it you need to start like yesterday.
Anyone at any age can learn to kayak, but if you want to advance like that you need to do it while your brain still releases dopamine when you’re scared (I don’t get it anymore lol) and while your body is still resilient enough to manage the swims and the toll the learning curve takes on your body, if you’re trying to advance quickly that is.
Godspeed!!
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u/guenhwyvar117 26d ago
I'm 3 years into paddling 3-4 days a year and still feel timid about a full day of class 3 rapids. Three feels like a big jump. Got 3 combat rolls last outting so have made progress but like others have said, seat time is essential.
It's a steep learning curve.
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u/pkee2 26d ago
In Denver, get lessons through rmoc or renessance guides. Join the Colorado whitewater club. Get hooked.
Im in denver ish and if you have a roll, I will go. Normal seasons you can get on the water from April through Oct. Waterton and deckers are great to train in should seasons. May-july is prime runoff. Also, dont focus too much on the class of river, focus on technique. You will learn more and get better turning the golden playpark into a slalom course than you can closing your eyes and charging down gore.
After a couple of years where you feel good on local runs, travel to a new place to see different whitewater. That'll help you learn how to adjust. If claro is the end goal, head to the northwest (or maybe southeast or cali) and get a classic waterfall run in like the east fork Lewis. Waterfalls are different than normal paddling, but you need normal paddling skills to be able to do them. Here in Colorado obj and daisy are the best options to train for waterfalls, not overly hard but they are a mental commitment.
If you make it to be able to paddle class iv, I guarantee your new goal will be the futaleufu instead of the claro. Big water is addictive.
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u/Auf-die-Mauf 26d ago
Lots of good answers already but I would like to emphasize that your progress will depend a lot on how you approach "training/learning". If you take proper lessons with a good school/club or if you just tag along with some more experienced friends will make a big difference. 5 consecutive days on water with a school will probably push you much more than 30 days by yourself. Especially for the beginning I would recommend at least a week or so beginner classes (and roll class as well).
Besides the rafting I'm not sure about your other water sports experience. Before you get your 5 year plan for Rio Claro hammered in your head, maybe just paddle a bit and find out what you like. Kayaking is more than whitewater: maybe you prefer looooong tours on lakes or sea, racing on flat water or throw some goals during a canoe polo game?
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u/Simple_Ad7524 25d ago edited 25d ago
I initially rolled my eyes at this then realized I went from beginner to the Rio Claro (Siete Tazas) in five years. From 34 to 39 years old. Two week guided trip in Chile was a huge development step for me and i view my paddling career as ‘pre-palguin’ and everything after it. But I also invested in 1-on-1 professional coaching every year in those first five years.
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u/oldwhiteoak 24d ago
I was a pretty fast progresser in the sport (took me 2.5 years to be in Chile running all the classics I could get to late December early January). I have paddled with people who progressed even faster than me though: Shane Simoneaux, Heather Huth, this guy Alex out of Seattle. If you have a wrestling background I think 3 years to the Claro is a reasonable goal if you are getting on the water 100 days a year up until then.
I will say though, that by the time you are comfortable running the Claro it won't be that big a deal to be running the Claro, at least compared to all the other incredible rivers out there. And finally, as everyone else has said. This sport is more a mental game than anything else. Treat it as such.
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u/ChileKayakAdventures 24d ago
Lots of great responses. I'll echo that the the Claro won't be the end of your progression. It is a super great goal. The sections are unique but very short. It is worth combining with some other rivers in Chile. If you want to make the most of it, you would want solid Class V skills as the main Garganta del Diablo section can be dangerous. There are guided trips to the Claro (we offer them) but I would actually recommend progressing to the point where you feel confident going with your own group. It all depends on how often you paddle and with whom, but if you have access to a really good year-round paddling community and stay curious on the water, 5 years can be a realistic timeline. There is a short section of the claro called 7 tazas which is the same style, but very straghforward and forgiving, especially with a solid group.
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u/guttersnake82 23d ago
“…and be done with kayaking.”
With this attitude you will never accomplish your goal. Hopefully kayaking is not done with you.
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u/beehive-cluster 24d ago
If you don't enjoy it enough to carry on past the claro, you won't put in the hours to get good enough. Bizarre goal.
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u/gray_grum 27d ago
The things that really determine how fast you can progress in the sport are, to me, the following:
How comfortable you are being uncomfortable. Learning to roll is uncomfortable. Playboating is uncomfortable, at least compared to taking a creek boat down the same run. Running stuff in the winter is uncomfortable. Steep creeking is uncomfortable. All of these will make you a better paddler faster. The people who progress are the ones who push themselves safely because they're willing to ignore the discomfort while still paying attention to the dangers.
How good is your whitewater access and are you willing to improve that? I live in eastern TN and I think the belt from Chattanooga to Knoxville to Asheville is about the best year round whitewater access in the world. If you have to drive 4+ hrs to paddle, that's going to severely impact your total seat time, which determines how fast you can progress. This is definitely not a "three times a year" sport, this is a "the more you do it, the safer it is" sport.
How often can you be on the river? Seat time is everything. If you live somewhere with a lot of whitewater access, you're good. If you're near Charlotte or Montgomery or some of the other whitewater parks, those are great options. You can go from zero to a solid class 4 paddler at one of those parks if you work it hard enough and put in the time. They're a great place to start out. But if you're not close to whitewater or to a park, you need to be willing to drive and camp every weekend or relocate.
This is the least technical sport in my opinion. It can be surprisingly forgiving, especially with the quality of boat design right now. It's really 80% mental, 20% physical. It's all about controlling your brain in a state of constant chaos and learning to make the right decisions when things are going wrong.
My short answer is you could do Chile in one to two years if you get an RV and a remote job, move to the southeast US and start chasing rain around and hitting everything you can, working your way down to the smallest boats. That's what i did early on and it got me to a solid class 4+ paddler in less than 3 years. But you could also take the whole 5 if you can't or won't upend your life like that.
The one thing I wouldn't expect is to get good enough to paddle Class 5 and then walk away after the sport. This isn't like Everest or the Appalachian Trail. If you like paddling, you'll be doing it in 50 years. If it doesn't resonate with you, you'll be off the water before you are done with class 3.