ABOUT US
SINCE 1992 RUNNING THE Futaleufú…
We have been running the Fu in Chilean Patagonia with guided trips and adventures for 30 years, with an impeccable safety record!
We are amongst the very first to pioneer rafting the Futaleufú with self-bailing paddle rafts, rowed by world-class river guides with a “safety net” of rescue catarafts and expert kayakers. The volume of the Fu and the swift current put this river in a league of its own for white water rafting! With our vacations and tours in Chilean Patagonia, we have established the safety bar and are raising it as we gain experience and perspective and innovate safety practices. For example, at medium to high flows, we typically will have a ratio of one cat shadowing a raft paddled by six guests and their guide, with a safety kayaker roaming the perimeter and getting into position should a guest fall out of the raft and need a rescue.
Bio Bio Hosts, Lorenzo and Terry Alvarez-Roos
“We look forward to meeting you!”
What sets us apart from other tour and vacation options in Chilean Patagonia is that from the moment you arrive, we will welcome you with open arms, and very soon, you will start to feel like family. Your layers will peel back, and you will leave the outside world behind in part because there is no internet, or cellular phone service, and thereby, we disconnect in order to “reconnect” with the people we are with. The other reason is that you will be surrounded by breathtaking natural beauty during your Chilean Patagonia tour. This provides a reset and allows you to tune into your more natural selves. Your guides and camp staff are eager to get to know you and love sharing their passion for the beauty and power of the Futaleufú and their culture. We have a large staff of international and locally raised superstars ready to help you on your unforgettable Chilean Patagonia tour. This allows us to let guests pick the activities and a relaxation path to fulfill their dreams and let their hearts sing with joy.
Meet Your Guide Team
Terry Owens-Alvarez
Yoga and Sommelier
How can you best describe the woman that is the Moon that rises and the Sun that sets? Terry is our sommelier, yoga leader and camp host. She welcomes our guests with her warm smile and immediately makes you feel at home in our beautiful camp. She has run her own interior design business for 30 years called THID https://www.thid.net and has lent her design eye to camp. If you like your 600 count bedding you can appreciate the little touches that she has added that are huge when it comes to your guided adventure in Chilean Patagonia. She has raised four children and has the patience of a saint.
Lorenzo Alvarez-Roos
Founder and CFO (Chief Fun Officer)
The founder of Bio Bio Patagonia in 1992 in Chile. He was born in Mexico and grew up in the Netherlands but fell in love with white water when he moved to California at the age of 12. He was captain of team California rafting team that represented the USA in 5 world championships from 1995-2000. He has raft guided and expedition led in Africa on the Zambezi, in Peru on the Apurimac and Cotahuasi, all over the western United States on most rivers with the steepest having been Cherry Creek and Middle Fork of the Feather. His outdoor cooking skills have grown over the years as he like Malman loves to cook with fire! Make bread and harvest from the local gardens! His passion for Espresso drinks have put our kiosk with its Espresso maker in league with the finest coffee being served in Patagonia! Desire for a hearty beer led to his creation of “Fu brew” brewery on campus where delicious IPA, Pale Ales and Stouts flow!
River Guides
Diego Ibanez
A Peruvian super hero whose life mission has been leading people on treks and guiding them down rivers! He has been guiding on the Fu with us since 2004 and is just as happy in Kayak, Raft or Cataraft and loves to show off his salsa dance moves on the dance floor! He is the proud father of 2 darling girls!
Santiago Ibanez
One of the funniest Peruvians and sweetest humans you’ll ever meet! He loves the outdoors with a passion and guides all over the planet but his favorite river in the Austral summer is for sure the Futaleufú! He has been on our team since 2003 and deftly manages any rivercraft! Proud father of young Akelu, a charming little lad of 3!
Stanford Ricketts
Legend. Those who have rafted with Stan can proudly say they have been down a river with a world class professional guide who takes every single aspect of running an expedition seriously and manages the complex logistics of rivers in Nepal, Africa and the Americas with seeming ease and charm. He is a great cook, makes fine curries, and boerewors! He flyfishes with the best, is a birder, a sea kayak coastal explorer and leads canyoneering and river guides in Switzerland. Proud father of young mister Charles! When not on a river, he can be found studying maps to plan his next exploration or having a pint with his mates in a bar!
Derik Pritchett
A South Carolinian gentleman with a true heart for adventure and looking after people. When you are in his raft you know you are his crew and are working together to dance with the waves and run sweet lines! He strums the guitar and sings around the campfire or at our wine tasting. He is also a masterful brewer who makes our very own Fu Brew at our on campus microbrewery! He gets after the fish and also loves to explore the Chilean coast by Touring Kayak. He bought land up the Rio Azul valley so is deeply vested in the area and has been on the Fu crew for many years! Everybody loves Derik!
Mirko Moreno
A studly local river running Gaucho from the Argentine side of the Futaleufú that grew up in Trevelin only 50 km from our bio bio camp. He is a consummate kayak instructor/ buddy/ coach. His style is beyond a doubt suave and he gets you to the next level! He cooks with fire (the Parilla is his domain) and loves to bird watch, fly fish and mountain bike. You will enjoy spending time with this kind human!
Whitney Fisher
This fine Canadian is the epitome of a strong leader with a gentle smile that immediately wins you over. Her river running skill is superb and she handily steers her craft through the stout white water of the Fu, whether raft, kayak or rescue cataraft! She guides year round from the very North of America to the deep south of Patagonia! She quietly is easily the hardest worker on any river crew I have seen her on! You will love running the river with her!
Alex Obregon
Our Tico (Costa Rican) guide extraordinaire who not only gracefully glides down the river in any craft, but also knows quite well what roams just below the surface! He is our fly fishing guru that cheerfully gets you face to face with the beautiful trout of the Fu. If you catch that is up to you but he will get you to where they live! He owns Fu riverfront where he and his family have a Yurt and a rustic campo for their guests. He has been guiding with the OG’s on the Fu for 20+ years! While being a Patagonian settler you will rarely see him without a heartwarming smile and laugh! Proud father of Sol y Luna! Creator of Solsa, a delicious salsa picante!
Elena Louder
This Phd holding river guide will charm you with her wit, good humor and contagious smile. She is a masterful white water champion in any craft and her raft guiding style is amongst the most effective I’ve seen with the sweetest voice asking you to do your bit as a paddler in her raft. From Idaho with equestrian skills, she was on her way to professional dancing till the river stole her heart and now she is just your basic all round badass awesome human being!
Garret Locher
He was born in Placerville in the foothills of California and had a childhood of camping, swimming, playing guitar and backpacking the Sierra Nevada Mountains. At 16 he went to guide school and found his first international guide role in Costa Rica. He returned to California and began teaching guide schools, exploring harder whitewater, and began working on one of his favorite class V runs, Cherry Creek. In 2021 he joined us on Futaleufu where he spent a winter being humbled by the mighty river! The love was at first bite and quickly upped his big water game in rafts, catarafts and his kayak! He is a bright star amongst our constellation of Fu guides!
Logan Smith
One of our youngest crew, a.k.a Kayakerdude, was just a kid who grew up in Coloma California. He grew up with parents that were river guides and ran the Fu in their 20’s. He has spent the past 15 years paddling some of the most sought-after whitewater in the world, bringing him to 5 continents, and 12 countries. He is not only an ace kayaker and instructor but has become a budding film maker and nature photographer. He is currently working on a documentary about the Fu and how Bio Bio Patagonia has blended into the fabric of the local community.
Abby McCartney
A rising star you will find in young miss Abby! She absolutely loves rivers, people and challenging herself. She is one of our newest guides who gives us hope that the art of guiding is alive and well. She has been guiding rivers all over the western United States for OARS and we are pleased she is now making Bio Bio Patagonia her winter home!
Skye Ellison
A California boater who grew up with parents that love rivers and how they create transformational experiences. She is an amazing and calm raft guide that has the confidence you need to settle your nerves going into huge rapids. She is comfortable in any river craft and loves to kayak as much as raft guide or provide safety from her rescue cataraft! Her kind and supportive personality make her an asset on any team!
Benny Marr
This Canadian world class kayaker has taken the sport further into the realm of art and magic than anybody I know. His self expression is how he launches off the features in his whitewater spectrum and defines his style and endless ability. He is a sponsored and pro kayaker that loves to share his passion for the sport with eager students. He is one of our resident kayak gurus and humorist. @Bennymrr instagram.
Valentin Concha
A young Chilean kayak super hero who grew up one mile from the bio bio camp with only eagerness to get on the water! He started at 3 by floating with the bio bio crew to the lunch island where he started messing around in the kayaks in the calm eddy. By 7 he was rolling kayaks and paddling along on the kayak clinic. He now is expanding his kayak skill by driving the safety cats and starting to do some raft guiding. He is eager to start his own outfitting business one day but humbly admits that while he can learn with his mentors at bio bio he will carry on on our team!
Lorenzo Vellutino
Our Peruvian son of legendary guide and expedition leaders Piero and Patty @Terra Explorer Peru, is a truly gifted athlete that has taken kayaking to the next level on world wide missions to find the stomp and optimal flows. He has been on the Fu crew with bio bio from his early fire tending days to now leading safety from kayaks and catarafts. His raft guiding is blossoming with his true desire to have his guests have the best time on and off the water!
Ayalen Barria Ojeda
Ayelén lives up to her name, which means “joy” in Mapuzugun, one of the original indigenous languages of Chile.
She is currently a student of adventure tourism with a mention in high mountains at the Universidad de la Frontera, Pucon campus.
She lives on the banks of the Futaleufú River, and her life, passion, and connection with the river have increased.
Besides being proud to be a local guide, she has worked hand in hand with other powerful women of the territory who live and develop local enterprises such as horseback riding, handicrafts, and orchards. Her connection is strong because she ensures that the future of young people is to return to the essential, simple, and true.
Additional Support
Massage Therapists
Amal Perrotin
Isabel Medina
Cocineras
Oreo Roussis
Silvia Roa
Loli Barrera
Dany Barrera
Drivers
Edgar Concha
Carlos Roa
Bryan Roa
