MEXICO WATERFALLS 2010 (eng)

                 @euskara                    @hispano

(This is the same video but with one different song, because of german copyright matters.)

     In october 2010 Txomin Abadia, Fermin Perez "Mino", Lalo Ruiz and myself, Eneko Yarza, started "ZORRIAK MÉXICO 2010" kayak expedition tour. In 2 months 2 parties and a single tourist day, the rest kayaking to the full in different rivers, dedicating for that a lot of time on the road too.

The bedroom at the shore of Rio Verde.

     We began kayaking around Ciudad Valles in San Luis Potosí state. Here the rivers bring a lot of lime that is deposited building regular walls (travertine) and offering pretty turquoise blue waterfalls. Micos waterfalls, El Salto, Minas Viejas and Rio Verde (2 days) the most remarkable. The base-camp in Ciudad Valles, and local kayakers and friends Enrique Aguado "Patas", Charly Morones and Amilcar. Contact them for river info, logistics and transport, for example in Aventura Huasteca rafting company.



     After that we went by bus to Veracruz state, like a paradise to practice creek kayaking. Base-camp, and for a longer time, Aventurec kayakers camp at the town of Tlapacoyan. Nearby are Alseseca river with many sections, Jalacingo, FiloBobos and San Pedro. We kayaked with the mexicans Misael, Rafa Ortiz, Iker Beristain and Chente. Also with the Norwegians (Marian Saethar, Benjamin Hjort), with kiwi New Zealanders (Mike Dawson and brother James), with Germans (Seppi Strohmeyer, Anne Hubner and Permin), with the Pyrenean French (Eric Deguil, Fabrice Pouyeto "Fafa", Bastien Dantin and Thomas Tabarant), with Aniol Serrasolses and Gael Caride. Almost all world known.

The Pescados river bridge in the village of Jalcomulco.

     Another base-camp in Veracruz state is Jalcomulco village. Lots of rafting companies and very cool people, PURA BANDA! Here the Antigua river flows with its Pescados and Barranca Grande sections, although what this area is missing is adrenaline class 5 whitewater.

With Lalo and Txomin in pirate Lazarillo's cave.

      The Oro river is located in the south of  Veracruz near San Andres Tuxtla. It borns in San Martin Tuxtla volcano and through volcanic mother-rock (with 12 and 10m waterfalls) it flows into the Caribbean in a few kilometers. Short but nice finishing with kayaks at the sea. For the logistics ask for Don Fernando at the coast Roca Partida village. It is a good plan to have cocktail de camarones breakfast in his beach restaurant and kayak through the coastline to visit Pirate Lazarillo's cave.

Tacos al Pastor, delicious mexican food.

     We kayaked in Tabasco and Chiapas rivers. The info about the rivers in this mayan area appears on the  www.mayanwhitewater.com web page. Jatate, Santo Domingo and Agua Azul rivers are the jewels from Chiapas, but the rain and bad weather didn't allow us to venture in these multiday expeditions. The base-camp in Chiapas was the colorful colonial town of San Cristobal de las Casas, and the local friend was the comic character Alejandro Quiroga.

    In Oaxaca state we stayed in Mazunte, with good beach enviroment. Departing from there we descended Alto Copalita and Zimatan rivers. You'll find Rafa Heredia in Mazunte at La Empanada restaurant and hostel, and Daniel Miranda and Janet Lopez in Ola Verde Expediciones rafting company in San Agustinillo. Talk with them for river info and logistics.

     In Oaxaca the ZORRIAK Team was dissolved, that in euskara or basque language means 'louse'. I gave an IRF rafting guide certification workshop in the Tampaon river (the third one in this mexican chapter) and came back to Veracruz, to descend Truchas 18m and Tomata 23m waterfalls on the Alseseca river in the winter solstice and the morning after the full moon complete eclipse.  Although my run was awesome, Eric Deguil broke a lumbar vertebrae in 3 pieces landing from Tomata waterfall. Luckily the nerves were fine and after recovering in the mood for living in June 2011 he finished 4th in the world freeride championship. You are a Winner!

     I had an injury too when my eardrum almost blow out cause landing sideways in La Vaselina waterfall on the upper Alseseca. Lalo opened his eyebrow in Chiapas, Aniol broke a rib and nearly burst his innards, Thomas had a shoulder dislocation, etc.

     Even so, the Mexican whitewater is paradise like and deserves at least one visit in each live. Was an amazing and unforgettable kayak chapter.

"Gizonak badu inguru latz bat menperatzeko premia,
burruka hortan bizi da eta hori du bere egia.
Ekin ta ekin bilatzen ditu, saiatze hortan ezin gelditu,
jakintza eta argia; bide ilunak nekez aurkitu
lege berriak noizpait erditu, hortan jokatuz bizia."

Man needs to dominate a hostile environment
he lives this fight and from it takes his truth
he Looks hard for wisdom and light
And in this quest he doesn't know rest
Guided by dark paths
And inventing new laws, risking his life 

From "Izarren Hautsa" (The Dust of Stars) by basque Mikel Laboa.

MÉXICO 2010-10/12
RIVER	SECTION	DIFFICULTY
Ojo Frio (SanLuis Potosí)	El Aguacate-Damian Carmona	III
Cascadas de Micos (SLuisPotosi)	From Chorro	IV
El Salto (San Luis Potosí)	El Salto-El Meco	IV (5)
Gallinas (San Luis Potosi)	El Carpintero-Tamul	III (4)
Minas Viejas (San Luis Potosí)		IV
Rio Verde (San Luis Potosí)                    (2 days)	Pinihuan-Puente Puente-Labor de Zapata	IV-V (16m) IV-V (14m)
Santa Maria (San Luis Potosí)	Upper, La Boquilla-Tamul	IV-V
Tampaón (San Luis Potosí)	Tampaón	III
Barranca Grande (Veracruz)	Bca Grande-Pte Pescados	III+
Pescados (Veracruz)	Puente Pescados-Jalcomulco	III-IV
Antigua (Veracruz)	Jalcomulco-Presa	II-III
Filo Bobos (Veracruz)	Pimiento Tatempa Tescapa-Pte Filo Pte Filo-El Encanto From El Encanto	IV IV III+ III III
Alseseca (Veracruz)	Upper, to Rancho el 7 Rancho el 7-PteTablazos La Trucha waterfall Big Banana-Pezma-PteTomata La Tomata 1 waterfall Tomata-Pte Cochota	IV-V IV 18 meters V 23 meters V
Jalacingo (Veracruz)	Bukaki rapid San Rafael	V V
San Pedro (Veracruz)	San Pedro waterfall	15 meters
Rio Oro (Veracruz)	To the beach	IV (12m, 10m)
Almandro (Tabasco+Chiapas)	Huitiupan (Chiapas) - Oxolotan (Tabasco)	IV+ , 29km
Sierra (Chiapas)	Middle	IV (5)
Mazantic (Chiapas)	Upper, ElBosque-Pte Mazantic Lower, PteMazantic-Huitiupan	IV+ III
Copalita (Oaxaca)	Uper,PlumaHidalgo-Alemania	IV-V
Zimatán (Oaxaca)	El Chorro	IV-V