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The Pozuzo is an incredible adventure down a seldom visited valley in the
central cordillera. For the first three days the Pozuzo follows a road and can
be boated in one-day stretches via car camping or overnight sojourns from the
town of Pozuzo. The ideal time of year is the month of June but some stretches
can be run at higher flows in earlier months and at lower flows in July. To get
there it is best to go in a private car but service is also available from Lima
to La Oroya, Tarma, La Merced and eventually Oxapampa. Pozuzo is a word in the
dialect of the local Indians meaning “fountain
of salt".
What makes the Pozuzo so special is the emerald green warm water and the local
character of the valley (Valle Chontabomba). Austrians and Prussians settled
the valley a few generations ago. Many of the local people still speak a
dialect of German and maintain the characteristic blonde hair and blue eyes.
Their homes and barns are built in a distinct European style and local cuisine
includes such dishes as Trucha mit Kartofel, (trout with potatoes), and
Schnitzel mit salat. The valley is well known for its abundance of curative
plants such as Uña de Gato, Sangre de Grado and Valeriana. Food and fruit are
abundant with some notable "must try" examples being the local
coffee, yucca and friend plantains, local sausages and Naranjito (a citrus
drink made from a vine crop resembling a tomato).
The first boat-able section lies 20 KM below the town of Oxapampa. The put in
is at the bridge in the town of Huancabamba. During the first descent we
started on June 25, 2000 with approximately 700 CFS. This first stretch of
river starts drops roughly 150 KM in 12 KM and starts out as class 2 and
progresses to 5+. After 12 KM the river Mallanpampa enters on river left at a
place the locals call Tingo. Here the flow doubles to 1200 CFS. Unlike most
rivers in Peru the Pozuzo does not have good topo maps available so gradient
and distances are best calculated using the cars odometer and watch altimeter.
Day 2
From the Rio Mallapampa confluence it is 10 KM to the swinging bridge below the
town of San Pedro. One can make an easy exit here or continue another 5 KM
below town to a mandatory exit at the entrance to the National Park Yamachaga-Chemillén.
This 15 KM class 4-5 day stretch finishes at what I would guess to be 1350
meters so the section drops 225 meter in 15 KM or averages 15 m/km (75 FPM).
There is
no gate at the entrance to the park, only a sign. Immediately below this point
all development stops and the river plunges into Quebrada Honda, a boiling
cauldron of fury that continues to the National Park exit 14.5 KM downstream. The
whole section through the park is a portage, which is best done in an automobile
as the road to Pozuzo parallels the river a few hundred feet above the vertical
walled canyon. In passing Quebrada Honda one gets fleeting glimpses of the
river some 200 meters below. Some of the drops look run-able while others are
out of the question. The thick jungle and vertical walls make running this
section or even scouting it an epic adventure.
Day 3
The put in for section three is 17 KM above the town of Pozuzo. At the northern
exit of the Park is a national park sign and beside this sign there is a road down to an abandoned office building.
Park at the office building and follow the footpath down to a bridge over a
side stream. Since the jungle is so thick we put in on the side stream and
boated some ultra low volume waterfalls until we reached a mandatory portage
down to the Pozuzo River. Here the river is literally squirting out of Quebrada
Honda and has a big pushy feel. The run is class 4+ (5-) until the takeout at
the swimming club 14 KM downstream. This section of river is roughly 2000 CFS
and drops 15 to 20 m/KM over it entire length. With the warm water and
incredible play spots this may be the single best "day run" in Peru.
The run takes roughly 4 hours.
Day 4
Another option on Day 3 is to pass the swim club and paddle right into the town
of Pozuzo which is only a few KM below the bridge. In town it is worth
mentioning the Restruante Tipico, which has great food and fresh fruit juices.
Several KM below town the Rio Santa Cruz enters on the left and once again
doubles the volume of the river to an estimated 3500 CFS. Here there is a good
beach for camping. From this point on the trip becomes a self-supported
venture. After 2-1/2 hours of boating the terraced hillsides of the valley give
way to a jungle character. From here the river really takes on a "Big
water feel". Many small tributaries bump the flow up to over 5000 CFS. The
river crashes through rock walls scoured by the rains with incredible high
water marks. This section of river along with the previous day would make for a
spectacular rafting trip. Sightings of unforgettable birds such as Macaws and
Peru's national bird, "gallito de la rocka" along with cascading
orchids make the infrequent mellow sections equally as exciting. After another
2-1/2 hours of boating a view of a massive and distinct "tepui"
become visible on river right. A tepui is a jungle-coated mountain that stands
alone in relation to its surroundings. At this point we made camp on a nice
beach on river right approx 50 KM below town of Pozuzo.
Day 5
The morning starts out with another 1-1/2 hours of big water boating. The walls
are still formed by housed sized rocks creating huge waves and phenomenal play
spots. After passing under a foot bridge called Puente Pozuzo a tributary comes
in on the left signaling the end to the whitewater. The mountains on both sides
of the river quickly drop to nothing and the heat becomes oppressive. At this
point be on the lookout for the first sign of a "Pecky Pecky", or
small river taxi. This zone is called Codo de Pozuzo (elbow of Pozuzo) and
represents a radical 180-degree turn in the direction of the river. The area,
although not serviced by roads, is connected to the rest of the world by boat.
On our first descent we found a small dugout, motorized canoe leaving for the
road crossing at Puente Constitucion some 50 KM or 3-1/2 hours downstream. We
were on a boat with three government workers who were visiting the region to
inoculate the local people against the recent rabies epidemic. In addition to
rabies, the river, at this point, housed rays, which inflict a severe sting to
people walking in the water. Gergons are large snakes which force people to
walk through the jungle in tall rubber boats and to carry a machete. It is
2-1/2 hours to Porto Mayo at the confluence of the Rio Pachieta and another
hour downstream to Puente Constitucion.
From Puente Constitucion there are two choices to return to Lima. The first is
to seek transportation to Pucallpa which lies deep in the heart of the Peruvian
jungle and from there fly or bus it back to Lima via Tingo Maria and Huanuco.
The other option is to look for transportation to Villarica. Although it lies
less than 180 KM away the road to Villarica takes at least 9-12 hours in a four
wheel drive vehicle. We were able to find a ride for 150 soles ($ 40) in a
Toyota pickup for four people and boats. The road to Bermudez is good but
deteriorates substantially afterwards with dozens of river crossings and giant
mud bogs. From Villarica there is regular service into La Merced and onwards to
Lima. Recommended route is through Pucallpa.