COSTA RICA 2005-1/3 | ||
RIVER | SECTION | DIFFICULTY |
Naranjo(Costa Rica) | NormalEl Chorro | IIIIV |
Savegre(Costa Rica) | Los Llanos-RafikiRafiki-Dique | III-IVIII |
Pacuare (Costa Rica) | ·Lower·Upper ·Upper upper | IVV III |
Reventazón (Costa Rica) | ·Pascua·Florida | IVIII |
Pejibaye (Costa Rica) | ·Upper·Lower | IVIII |
Toro (Costa Rica) | ·Upper | V |
Sarapiquí (Costa Rica) | ·Upper | IV |
Poza Azul (Costa Rica) | · 10mWaterfall | |
Gato (Costa Rica) | ·Gato | IV |
In Dec 2004 I crossed Central America by buses starting at Mexico. I was on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica for winter solstice, in Quepos town and Manuel Antonio beach with pyreneean good friends: Jorge Gomez, Nacho Bertomeu, Laura Marco and Vero.
Here we worked for H2O-Ríos Tropicales rafting company on the Naranjo and Savegre rivers. In this low volume rivers we guided the smallest rafts we had ever seen. 3 metres long, maximun 3 paddlers and the guide. It was a boat between a raft and a kayak, paddling a strong stroke on the back we could make even a boof.
From Quepos we made a expedition to Panama.
Before the end of January I was already in Turrialba, the most classic rafting village in Costa Rica. We rented ‘La Jungla’ big house between 7 kayakers (Bernardo doctor mexicano, Yeti mex, Nacho Bobillo mex, Danny Peled can, Bob Vranich can, Tenzen usa, etc.). We made other good river friends too in Turrialba like the deceased Benny Byrick can, Zack Boles can, Ron Raudelunas usa, Shahara usa, etc.
It rained non-stop for 2 weeks and I had to buy an umbrella. Too much water on the rivers and all the comercial rafting trips were cancelled. Reaching the river was already an adventure, but it was time to kayak: Upper Pacuare the most exigent, Pacuare classic, Reventazón, Pejibaye.
On the classic section of Pacuare, on the Huacas Abajo rapid flooded, the four paddlers went together one after the other (Benny, Zack, Yeti and myself Eneko), all stocked on a hole, rolling around going out 5 metres to the left by turns, and then fell in more holes, each one on his trip for not swimming. We finished the rapid by turns and none swimming, throwing water from the mouth and with a big smile from ear to ear, hehehe, euphoria moments.
On the classic section of Pacuare, on the Huacas Abajo rapid flooded, the four paddlers went together one after the other (Benny, Zack, Yeti and myself Eneko), all stocked on a hole, rolling around going out 5 metres to the left by turns, and then fell in more holes, each one on his trip for not swimming. We finished the rapid by turns and none swimming, throwing water from the mouth and with a big smile from ear to ear, hehehe, euphoria moments.
When the flood that was hitting all the country started decreasing, the descend of the Upper Pacuare went very interesting with 12 keen kayakers. Someone opened his brow and the nervousness was on the mood between the best costarican kayakers and the foreigners. We reached the Bobo Falls rapid (V) and they said it was changed for the flood. Long and dangerous because of the last almost river wide syphon, being a narrow gap on the left the only possible passage.
The respected tico (tico=from Costa Rica) Ferdinand said not, and it was looking everybody was going to portage when came late to scout the crazy canadian friend Benny: "Ah, from there the water goes out, I'm going!", freaking out everybody for his spontaneous decision. He and some other kayakers we were going with playboats, not the best for class V creeking. He paddled the rapid and went through the small last gap nicely, and a couple of kayakers more we followed him. None of the ticos went on the rapid that they knew, although for Benny and myself was the first time we were there. From there downstream was lots of water too, very continuous and everybody enjoyed.
We did a trip to the north to run the rivers around Sarapiqui. We jumped the Poza Azul 10m waterfall with playboats and landing I hit the kayak with the face = knocked and bleeding from the nose. The upper section of the Toro river became the most beautiful in ticolandia for me: starting where created for 3 marvellous waterfalls, with red rocks on the shore cause the volcanic waters, and continuous rapids.
Bernardo was my video teacher and I started learning to edit videos in a machintosh computer. This is the first video I did. Thank you Bernardo!
A tendinitis appeared in my elbow and in March I sold my WaveSport T2 kayak (the one that I recovered risking a lot on the mexican cave of Zimatan, that it wasn't neither a good kayak), and came back to Mexico by TicaBus.
Remarkable info:
Worked rivers: Naranjo, Savegre, Pacuare and Reventazón.
Hardest descended river: Upper Pacuare flooded.
Most beautiful river: Upper Toro.
Best of Costa Rica: Plenty of warm water, flora and fauna.
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