Tracy Hartenstein
from: Chile
Colorado River Project
by Lars Holbek
American Whitewater Affiliation
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Tracy Hartenstein. The Rio Colorado is the last major tributary
of the Maipo described here. The put-in is by the check station along the
road that ascends the Colorado canyon. It had a 7 km class IV run at 1,000
cfs at 23 mpk when I ran it in 1983. Now, however, a landslide has created
a huge sieve 1 km above the take-out which has little or no warning before
it, and even less of an escape eddy.
In 1991, at least two kayakers ran the 3 meter pourover at the top of the
sieve and swam under the entire thing!! Tracy Hartenstein was under for
30-40 seconds while spiraling through 30 meters of dark underwater- world.
His boat never came through. A Brit survived the same nightmare, and his
boat made it through. Tracy reports a dirt road that takes off from the
main road and dead-ends near the sieve. If you insist on doing this run,
scout it well. WITH EVERY RUN IN THIS GUIDE YOU MUST APPROACH IT AS IF
YOU KNOW NOTHING. RIVERS CHANGE AND GUIDES CANNOT SERVE AS A REPLACEMENT
FOR COMMON SENSE AND PRUDENCE. Learn from Tracy's miraculous survival and
don't let this accident happen to you.
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