Broken back and recovery

My time in Chile came to a halting stop after dropping off a waterfall just North of Pucon, Chile. We had spent about 2hour sussing out whether we were in the right place for the run and eventually put on the river. After some medium flow white water, a few portages and some clean drops we arrived at the drop.... Some careful consideration resulting in opting into the descent.... Which ended very abruptly.

I have no clear idea as to why the landing was so sudden, however i think it is due to a combination of hard blue water and shallow angle.

With a broken back and herniated disc I stumbled to the side, with assistance of fellow kayakers, including Ari walker, I made my way out of the river valley and up to the road. The pain was extensive I nearly spewed a few times and was stoked to find my toes still wiggled.
An ambulance was called and 40min of resting on the base of by dagger nomad kayak, went by. 30min of chilean gravel roads took me to pucon hospital where i was x-rayed. After about 3 hours (still in wet kayaking gear) and plenty of visits from friends I was told I had broken my back and would be transferred to   temuco hospital 1.5 hours away. Cheers Ari for getting clothes and accompanying me on the journey. 6hours later around midnight I was stripped of my kayaking gear with the results of my ct scan, mri scan, both showing the damaged I had done.


7 days in hospital
2 nights in a hotel
and an early flight home
1 month in a brace

I quickly found out that a broken back is nothing to joke about. After aying in the hospital bed making plans to travel around south America, and finding out I could barely walk to the reception desk; I was quick to realize the damage. Although I had a first class flight home thanks to insurance, the novelty quickly disappeared by flight turbulence.
The long recovery had begun..... the next few months would be some of the most challenging in my life. No physical activities for three months, no impacting activities for 6 months (20th june 2013)
P.S. thanks Hazel for putting upwith me :P and cheers for the support.

I am now mostly recovered with the odd niggle. Planning on having a full season of skiing, kayaking, and running a half marathon in the coming months.

Misson to Futa!!

Pucon Chile - Through Argentina - Futalefu Chile

As I said before we had an interesting 48hrs, so here is the run down.

First hour - We had previously decided to head south for the grand prix white water kayaking champs (wwgp) for the following day. Our first issue was insurance for the van , the current insurance only covered Chile and covered Argentina in four days time, so simply (or not) needed to add on another four days of insurance to get over the border. We left the hostel at 10am spent the day in Pucon, after five different places we found no insurance, and also found that to legally drive a van in Chile the driver requires a bus licence. We soon departed and headed for Osorno to resolve the insurance issue. After three different places we found the insurance we needed.

From here we got to the border after many hours spent travelling. The border took us about half an hour each side; including meeting up with some friends hitchhiking in no-man's land. Seth and Caleb needed to renew their Chile visa, which require an overnight in Argentina. For them however after being dropped off at the Chile side of the border and walking for an hour in the rain, they were stoked to see us on the road. We picked them up and drove the additional 20 odd km to the Argentina border patrol. We passed through with NO required paper work for insurance...(which meant Nick and I won the bet)

Caleb and Seth hitching in no-mans land between Chile and
Argentina, (After 1 hour and 20km to go)

We drove through some nice Argentinean rural ski towns to arrive hours later at Bariloche..... After driving on the wrong side of the road in winds that literally blew us across the road, we stopped for some cheesy olivey pizza dinner at 11:30pm. We were lucky enough to find some of the locals getting a bit close to the van, after chasing away one, another pulled up with a knife... threatened us but managed to scare him off, called the police and followed up as best we could.

Our van after a visit from the locals, apparently you need
to break two windows to get in ..WTF

 Currently we have two cardboard windows in the van covered in packaging tape for waterproofing. We were actually lucky to have another local from the restaurant help us out with temporarily fixing the window and offering shelter and beer :)  we decided to push on finishing in the middle of nowhere at 330am. We slept in the van for the night avoiding the rain and wind outside. Some locals on a moped pulled up at about 4am in need of assistance to inflate a flat tyre, which we couldn't help at all. they continued on with their flat to ... well I have no idea.

Our van getting searched at the Chile border patrol

After a few hours sleep and 24hrs since we left Pucon, we arrived in Esquel and attempted to find a replacement window. With a bit of a wild goose chase we had little / no success. So onward with cardboard windows... We came to the border crossing again at around 7pm and were completely searched and had food confiscated.

the local campground

After 32 hours of travelling we found Fudalafu, and began the search for the cabin...... With no luck and darkness arriving we bailed for a local campground. 

                                   

The next morning we found the cabin about 50m from where we were searching. The cabin had been ransacked and had big braches on the roof, so required a bit of cleaning. After the clean we headed off to meet the wwgp and go for a paddle... The paddle was sweet big white water, with pushy moves and huge holes.

Photos and Story from Ari Walker, and Greg Allum 

So the last 48hours have been pretty eventful. We have been lost multiple times, crossed four border patrols, been broken into, threatened by knife, searched, and slept in the middle of no-where. full story and some photos to come.. But all is well and had an awesome paddle on the flooded futaleufu River today.

The back drop to Pucon, Chile. 

After spending a week in the rain with rivers on the rise the sun finally came out. An epic day on the navados with the grand prix race. Ari and I ran some safety with no action, which is a relief. We hit town last night with the athletes, for some stunning performances. Headed off for another lap on the palguin, and feeling amazing... Fuda is our next destination, southern Chile, and returning to Pucon for an orphans christmas and new years. 

Day 1 - Nevados
Day 2 - Nevados
Day 3 - Palguin
Day 4 - Maichin
Day 5 - Turbio
Day 6 - Plata?????

Everyday has been stacking up!!!. Got on the Turbio today due to the constant rain since we arrived. unfortunately not so much footage due the rain. Turbio was a 3km walk in shouldering boats to a 30foot waterfall that drops into a class 5 slide. Ari Walker and I both hit sweet lines.
We have just moved out of the kayak hostel and into town to a local hostel. hopefully heading to the rio Plata tomorrow.

Day three in Chile 70ft waterfall middle palguin

So far all is going well in Chile, laps on the navados river for the first two days and a palguin for day three. Kayak hostel is treating us pretty well, running shuttle for a few mil ($$$). We meet up with some friends and joined them for the last few trips. From here we are hoping for some more rain, but otherwise we will head south soon following were the flow is.

just arrived in Pucon after a rather long travelling ordeal. Flight into Sydney, 18 hour lay over, 12 hour flight to santiago - chile where Brian Urmson was disallowed entry(hopefully sort this out asap), bus into santiago city, 8 hour layover at the bus station, 12 hour bus ride to Pucon..... Boats collected and should be paid for soon. meet a few local paddlers and got out onto the Rio Navada, a few 20foot drops and some tights moves to warm up for the next few weeks.

looking forward to some epic kayaking over the next few weeks