THE JOURNEY IS WORTHWHILE
Story by Sara Fry. Photos by Steve Fassbinder.
Class III rapids scare me. A lot. Class II rapids used to scare me. Now I actually enjoy them. Sometimes, as I enter a rapid, I remind myself out loud: “This is supposed to be fun!” I often even say, “Yippee!” to encourage a positive mindset and release my fears. But I haven’t been able to enjoy class IIIs – yet.
Despite my fears, I am determined to improve as a Class III packrafter. Not because I want to do Class IIIs for the sake of doing Class IIIs, but because I want to be able to go to remote, beautiful places that require some Class IIIs. For example, our recent January 2026 trip to Patagonia.
To get to the other side of uncomfortable – where Class IIIs don’t scare me, or at least scare me less – I need to keep working on my packrafting skills. A lot. Even if I never reach the other side of uncomfortable and remain intimidated by Class IIIs, the journey is worthwhile.
My husband’s essay about entering uncomfortable spaces inspired the title for this blog. After a long work week, he persevered to join me and others for a weekend of camping and an epic trail run. He couldn’t leave town until after 5p.m., so he had a long solo drive on mountain roads through snow and rain, all the while knowing the forecast for the morning of our 18-mile trail run was bleak. Morning dawned nicer than anticipated, and his experience was profound. His words about proceeding through discomfort reminded me why it was worth it to keep working on Class III rapids:
I do not think it an overstatement to say that we do not like to feel uncomfortable. Most of the technological developments over the last two centuries have focused on maximizing comfort while eliminating discomfort. This natural development is understandable since discomfort and pain usually indicate some very real problems that can even be life-threatening. Ironically, I have discovered that there are certain discomforts, uncomfortable moments, that are actually wondrous passageways to awe-inspiring moments that cannot be realized or experienced otherwise.
FINDING INSPIRATION
Beau’s words and my own experiences with the beauty of nature reminded me that it would be worth it to work through the aspects of packrafting that made me uncomfortable – hence the Patagonia course. The trip description felt like a good balance of things I already could do and a manageable amount of new challenges. I had taken intermediate classes with Doom, so I knew his teaching style was perfect for me. I knew that he paddled incredibly quickly and would able to help me with wet re-entry. Having confidence in a trip leader makes it easier for me to push myself to take on the uncomfortable.
Doom also designed a fantastic international trip to warmer climes during North America’s winter. Before starting a backcountry expedition, the course would include two warm-up days on front-country rivers, giving folks who haven’t paddled in a while due to winter weather the chance to warm up, get to know one another’s skill levels and develop rapport with and trust in each other.
The highlight of the Patagonia course was four nights into a remote area that my husband and I would never have identified as a packrafting destination. Doom learned about the route from co-guide, Chilean packrafting instructor Waldo of Scouting Rios. Although I hadn’t paddled with Waldo before, a dear friend took a course for women of color that he taught. I got to see her paddling for first time ever in a packraft and first time in whitewater in nearly a decade. Waldo’s teaching developed her skills and confidence. She told me she had the time of her life.
Packrafting in Patagonia: Pre-Trip Adventures & Practice Days
My husband and I were able to come to Chile before the class began to backpack and packraft in Patagonia National Park and other areas. We experienced Patagonia’s reputation as stunningly beautiful and incredibly challenging. Between inclement weather and difficult trails, many of which haven’t been maintained in years, our trek on the Ruta de los Pioneros was some of the most beautiful and challenging backpacking I have experienced. The rewards for entering the zone of uncomfortable were, as always, worth it.
To reach the Park, we traveled by bus on the road that goes along the Rio Baker. I knew our upcoming course included a day of practice on this river. I rejoiced thinking there was NO WAY we would run the HUGE rapids I saw from the road. I also thought: “If that stretch of river is what Doom plans to take us on, there’s no way I’m doing it! I’ll opt out.”
Day 1 Rio Baker
I was wrong on both counts. We paddled that same stretch of river on our first day. Doom and Waldo explained the run clearly, including that while the waves are huge (14 feet), there are no entrapment hazards or strainers. The rapids end with calm water and eddies for recovery. To my amazement, I felt willing to push the limits of my comfort zone and enter deep into the uncomfortable.
Twice we ran a 5-mile stretch of river with the biggest waves I have experienced. Hitting the worst wave straight on, I swam the second time through he craziest rapids. A lateral turned me around to face upstream before my packraft flipped. I lost my boat for the first time, but Waldo caught it quite easily. I held on to my paddle and actually enjoyed swimming through this crazy set of waves, partly because I knew there were no hazards.
At the bottom of the rapids, another member of our group called to me firmly to hold on to her packraft and hand her my paddle. I think she could tell from the look in my eyes that I was enjoying the swim. But I followed her firm direction to stick with her because I could have gotten tired or very cold if I’d continued. Our first day of practice built my confidence in our team of paddlers, which left me excited to head into the expedition part of the class.
The Windy, Flooded Backcountry Adventure of a Lifetime
We thought our hardest part of packrafting in Patagonia behind us when heading into the backcountry. Doom described the biggest Class III rapid that we would run as “underwhelming.” However, Mother Nature had another plan in mind. As Doom wrote in his Instagram post:
The rivers have pounded us, and the notorious winds have tattered us, but this crew, although shaken, was not deterred from the goal of finishing with smiles on faces. The quotable take away was “did not die”. This might sound a bit extreme but there were real moments of potential. All mitigated with a solid respect for the powers of nature, and a large helping of training and guidance.
We knew rain approached; we just did not know how much. It’s hard to get good forecasts for Patagonia. Our inReach weather forecasts proved wrong repeatedly, telling us the weather was calm, though gusts of 20mph winds blew.
“All Patagonia forecasts are lies!” A local told us. We knew our basecamp town expected two inches of rain on the third day of our five-day trip. So we would likely get more on our expedition since it was on the coastal side of the mountains. On day two, the storm hit, filling cooking pots we left out with six inches of water! And then the 40mph winds picked up.
They flattened our tents, two sustaining damage. We couldn’t relax. And we couldn’t leave camp until the wind subsided: camp lay two-thirds of the way along a glacial lake with no portage options on our side. The winds did subside and we started to cross. So, of course, winds picked up again while we were in the middle, forcing us to apply new skills like bracing with another packraft to create more stability as well as paddling hard into the wind and the accompanying waves when gusts came. Doom and Waldo offered clear, meaningful instructions on these skills before we left camp. Though new to me, these specific skills felt instinctive in the moment. In the end we crossed safely, my arms reaching a level of fatigue I didn’t know was possible.
Day 5: Big Waves, Big Swims
The next morning we paddled the Class III that Doom had found underwhelming two years earlier. The eddies and boat scouting opportunities were under water and the shoreline was part of the river. Doom estimated the waters were double or triple the CFUs that he experienced before. However, there are no official gauges to check. Waldo took the lead on a “read and run” through the lengthy rapid.
One big wave threw four of us out of our boats. This time I got back in as soon as I passed through the worst rapids. A fifth member of our class ended up swimming as well; only two class members and our two teachers made it through in their boats. Before long we were all reunited in an eddy and Waldo reassured us subsequent rapids would be gentler. Though right, I still had to remind myself more than once when entering the big Class IIs that this was supposed to be fun!
To get through the uncomfortable rapids, I also used strategies I learned from Julia Yanker. Paddler and Four Corners Guides co-owner with Doom, Lizzy Scully, interviewed her on the The Packrafting Life podcast. Impressed with Julia, I booked sessions with her. She taught me cognitive strategies to use when I enter the uncomfortable. The most relevant for this trip was the mantra: “You can do this. You’ve been preparing for years.” I repeatedly said these words out loud while packrafting in Patagonia. They reminded me I do have the skills to work through uncomfortable Class IIIs. And if I swim, I have the skills to get back in my boat and continue.
And when I take trips that push me to the edge of my skills, I choose great teachers and a supportive community. Because I pushed back against my fears and moved into the uncomfortable, I saw some of the most beautiful places in my life on the Patagonia expedition – and shared the experiences with an incredible group of people. Without a willingness to enter the uncomfortable, I’d have missed it all.
To see a particularly windy video from this packrafting in Patagonia adventure, please visit Doom’s Instagram feed.