Rio Pozuzo

Alex powering down

07/07/2012 – 08/07/2012

Having run the Huancabamba a few days before we were keen to experience how the river developed further down the valley. The 50km stretch of the Rio Pozuzo (the Rio Huancabamba changes its name as it passes the town of Pozuzo) proved to be a great warm up multiday for the team. 

Day 1

We rolled out of our hostel and got on the river at Pozuzo enjoying 15km of large volume grade 3 water in relatively open jungle. After a bite for lunch we entered what was to be a stunning 20km long grade 4 jungle corridor, reminiscent of the Sun Kosi in Nepal, until we emerged finding a perfect beach to set up camp on at about 3.30pm. Large cat prints in the sand and the sight of a couple of Macaws were enjoyed by all.

Alex and Tom 

The river gorges up a little

We devoured a dinner of sardines and spaghetti and spent some time stargazing by the camp fire before hunkering down in tents pitched under the watchful eye of a huge Tepui – a sharp mountain which protrudes the surrounding flat jungle. 

Day 2

One Thunderstorm and a somewhat soggy night´s sleep later we rose to a breakfast of porridge and Manjar and got on river again. Within an hour of similarly friendly whitewater the river flattened out completely and we had arrived at Codo del Pozuzo – the elbow of Pozuzo – where the river does a 180 degree bend and continues to meander towards the Amazon.

A happy team at the end of day one

The camp under the watchful Tepui

 We were met at the river bank by a friendly restaurant owner and his family who fed us our first Cuy (guinea pig) and kindly arranged a collectivo for our return to Pozuzo.

Our first taste of Cuy

The return journey was an epic undertaking in itself. The thunderstorm the night before had caused all of the tributaries of the Pozuzo to flash and much of the road seemed near impassable. Three hours of nail biting ferry glides in the collective across brown torrents covering the road and driving across some questionable ´pedestrian´ bridges we arrived back at the hostel glad to be home.

Crossing one of the swollen tributaries after the heavy night of rain