Earth River History

Our 35 year history is the foundation of Earth River. The following company history includes; company initiated river conservation projects, relevent first descents and exploratories, new destinations discovered and pioneered, televison pieces and magazine features. We are especially proud of pioneering commercial rafting on the Futaleufu., turmning what was considered at the time to be an unraftable river, into one of the premier commercial rafting destinations in the world.

 

Futaleufu rafting history:

1986: First raft descent of Upper Futaleufu River  (12 major rapids):  Currey Expeditions. Steve Currey (trip leader)

1991: First raft descent of entire Futaleufu  River (Upper & lower Canyons - 24 major rapids): Earth River Expeditions.  Eric Hertz (trip leader)  

1992: First commercial Futaleufu rafting season by any company: Earth River Expeditions:   

1993: First rafting/multi-sport Expedition on ther Futaleufu:; Earth River Expeditions

Summary of the first complete raft descent:

"Intrepid kayakers who had ventured into southern Chile said the Futaleufu could not be rafted.(1) "It was rapids like Terminator that prevented a successful raft descent until 1991.(2) “In 1986 a rafting company attempted to run the river... and for the next five years the Futaleufu was deemed unraftable.(3)

"Driving through the remote mountains of Southern Chile, Eric Hertz saw what appeared to be a narrow tongue of the Caribbean Sea. Hertz, the owner of Earth River Expeditions, had paddled down wild rivers all over the world, but he'd never seen anything like it. In those days, virtually no one in the rafting business had even heard of the far-off blue river with the melodic name, pronounced Foo-ta-lay-oo-foo. "I knew in an instant that this was the most beautiful river I had ever seen." (4)

Aimed with 20 years of rafting experience, Hertz and a small team of Earth River guides and intrepid clients spent the next couple of years, in the early 90’s, making exploratory runs of the Futaleufu. In the beginning Hertz only allowed experienced guests with class 5 experience to join them on those early commercial trips." (5) "Thanks to a new kind of raft, designed by Hertz and his invention of the safety cataraft that stays with the guest boats in case of a flip or a paddler is ejected, those early trips - and every Every Earth River descent since - were without incidence." (6) "Today most of Earth River's clients on the Futaleufu are beginners.(7)

Footnotes:

(1) New York Times, (2) American Way Magazine (American Airlines), (3) Robb Report, (4) Travels Along the Edge (40 Ultimate Adventures for the modern Nomad) by David Noland, (5) Robb Report, (6) American Airlines Magazine, (7) Robb Report.

Earth River History (time line):
  • Jan. 1988 - Earth River is founded by Eric Hertz .
  • Aug. 1988 - Earth River completes first raft descent of Quebec's class 4 Magpie River (Expedition leader, Eric Hertz).
  • Feb. 1989 -  Earth River completes first descent of Mexico's Lacanja River. (Expeditipon leader, Eric Hertz).
  • Aug. 1989 -  First commercial descent of Magpie River (Expedition leader, Eric Hertz).
  • May 1990 -  Eric Hertz scouted (by float plane) 6 major rivers in Quebec threatened by the James Bay Hydro project, looking for a river to run conservation awareness trips on. (James Bay hydro-electric project threatened 11 major rivers in Quebec, proposing to flood over 2,000 square miles) (see library).
  • Jan. 1991 -  First complete raft descent of the Futaleufu. ( Expedition leader Eric Hertz) 
  • Mar. 1991 - Eric Hertz and the Natural Resources Defense Council organized and ran conservation awarness expedition on the Bio Bio River in Chile (see library). 
  • Aug. 1991 - Aug. 1993 -  Earth River organizes and runs 8 conservation awareness trips on Great Whale River in Quebec to expose policy makers and media to the threats from the James Bay Hydro project. Participants included; The Natural resources Defense Council, The National Audubon Society, Members of the Cree First nation and Grand Chief, National Geographic Magazine, Conde Naste Traveler, Turner Broadcasting, Nickelodeon and politicians from New York and New England who were negotiating to purchase power from the James Bay project. (see library for articles).
  • Jan. 1992 - Earth River completes the first commercial rafting season on Futaleufu.
  • Oct. 1992 - Great Whale river conservation participants, Senator Franz Leichter and Assemblyman William Hoyt hold Legislative hearings in New York against James Bay Project. Assemblyman Hoyt proposes legislation in New York legislature to stop the project. New York Governor Mario Cuomo pulls out of the 13 billion dollar James Bay Hydro-electric contract dealing the project serious blow.
  • Jan. 1993 - Earth River, working with G.A.B.B. (Grupo Action Bio Bio) organized and ran a conservation awareness trip on Bio Bio River with Chilean actors, artists and media.
  • Feb. 1993 - Earth River runs the first multi-sport expeditions in the Futaleufu Valley.
  • Oct. 1993 - Men's Journal Magazine features Earth River on Futaleufu.
  • Jan. 1993 - Earth River pioneers the use of the  safety cataraft among other safety measures on the Futaleufu River (First time catarafts had been used this way on any river)
  • Dec. 1993 - Eric Hertz founded the Earth River Land Trust on Futaleufu River to help ensure the Futaleufu did not meet the same destructive fate as the Bio Bio River to the north.
  • May 1994 -  Earth River runs first commercial descent of Peru's class 5 Colca Canyon.
  • July 1995 - Earth River scouted two river systems in Labrador looking for a place to bring media to gain attention to the sonic booms from Nato jet fly overs that were destroying the bush culture of the Innu native culture.
  • Nov. 1995 -  Earth River began running commercial trips on China's Great Bend of the Yangtze.
  • June 1996 - Eric Hertz and Chinese partner Jiyue Zhang, organize first descent of Tibet's 8,000 foot deep class Shuiluo Canyon featured in  National Geographic (yellow) Magazine and National Geographic Explorer television (Expedition leader, Joe Dengler)
  • Feb. 1997 - ESPN/Men's Journal television special featuring Eric Hertz leading an expedition on the Futaleufu.
  • July 1997 - Earth River runs descent of the Yukon Territory's Primrose River (Expedition leader, Eric Hertz).
  • July 1998 - Sunday Boston Globe features Earth River on the Futaleufu (see Futaleufu library).
  • Sept.1999 - Earth River does first descent of "Yosemite like" valley, Headwall Canyon in British Columbia with tributary waterfalls as high as 1,800 feet. (Expedion leader, Eric Hertz).
  • May 2000 - Earth River run conservation awareness trip on New Foundland's Main River, threatened by the clearcutting of it's old growth forest.
  • July 2000 - Earth River organized a conservation awareness trip through Headwall Canyon threatened by clear cut logging. Expedition members include: National Geographic Explorer, the Natural Resources Defense Council 
  • Jan. 2001 - Discovery Channel special "Don't Forget Your Passport" aires, featuring Earth River on Futaleufu.
  • Feb. 2001 - American Airlines Magazine (American Way) features Earth River on Futaleufu River (see Futaleufu library).
  • Dec. 2002 - National Geographic Adventure Magazine features Earth River on first sea kayaking expedition into the remote Lakes of Patagonia, Chile (see library).
  • Oct. 2003 - Outside Magazine feature on Earth River's Futaleufu trip. (see Futaleufu library).
  • Aug. 2004 - Eric Hertz organized and led conservation awareness trip on Magpie River threatened by a series of dams. Participants included, Canadian environmental groups and National Geographic Adventure Magazine.(see library).
  • March 2005 - Earth River runs a conservation awareness trip on Futaleufu River with  Chilean Senator Antonio Horvath (head of the Chilean senate environmental commission).
  • May 2006 - The New York Times features Earth River's Futaleufu trip (see library).
  • May 2009 - Earth River completes first raft descent of Peru's class 4 Yavero River.
    Jan.  2014 - First descent of Patagonia's Rio Ventana (Expedition leader Eric Hertz)
    Jan.  2015 - Earth River runs first multi-lodge Expedition on the Futaleufu.

 

“Earth River made an expeditionary first descent of the Futaleufu in 1991 and figured out how to safely navigate it."
"Earth River is the premier river runner in the world. Their staff includes the finest guides to be found."
“Earth River is more than a great whitewater outfitter. Their contributions have made a real difference in our efforts to preserve some of the world's most beautiful rivers in Chile and Canada."
"I want to personally thank Earth River for helping us stop the hydro-electric projects on our land preventing the destruction of one of North America's last great wildernesses.
“I’ve rafted with Eric Hertz down some tough rivers—the Futaleufu in Chile, the Colca in Peru. He's one of the best in the business—obsessed with safety."