MAIPO RIVER ENDANGERED PARADISE

You know when you stumble across a paradise while traveling? A place you can imagine yourself living? The Maipo River Canyon is one of those places. With massive canyon walls and a backdrop of the Chilean Andes, this is a hidden treasure just an hour outside of Santiago, Chile. Yet as in so many places around the world today, traditional lifestyles and river-related livelihoods in the Maipo Valley are threatened by large-scale hydroelectric development.

Words: Tino Specht - Photos: Eric Parker

The Maipo River Canyon, known locally as “el Cajon del Maipo,” boasts some of the most continuous whitewater runs in the world, with options ranging from high-volume boulder garden drops to low volume creeks hidden in the foothills of snowcapped mountains. On the streets you see the faces of hardened cowboys and young river guides, both saying “Hola!” without hesitation. Each of these locals has an undeniable connection to the water that the Maipo River provides the valley. But not all is well and good in this paradise. Big-money international energy companies are spearheading a hydroelectric super-project designed to collect the water from every major tributary of the Maipo River to generate energy for privately owned mines and international sale of electricity. THE OLDEST LOCALS STILL WORK BY HORSEBACK IN THE…

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Kayak Session (Digital) - 1 Issue, KS#54 (summer 2015)

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