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

MÉXICO 2010. OAXACA (eng)

       @euskara             @hispano


At the beginning of Dec 2010 Lalo, Txomin and I, Eneko, went by "La Golfa" car from Chiapas to the state of Oaxaca. Running out from the bad weather we went down the warm Pacific coast, to Mazunte and San Agustinillo beaches. Old chapters friend Rafa "Laparca" took us in his La Empanada restaurant and accommodation. Barefoot and with just shorts all day, around Rinconcito beach, sunset in Punta Cometa and beers in Luna Llena singing I smoke two joints song of Sublime.


     Venezuelan Daniel Miranda El Pana (friend from Argentina 2008) and mexican Janet Lopez (travel mate in Mexico and Canada 2005) had opened Ola Verde Expediciones raft company, because in the surrounding area the Copalita river has 3 rafting sections, which I met in 2002.

     With them Lalo Ruiz, basque Txomin Abadia and I did 2 good kayak expeditions. ALTO COPALITA IV-V from Pluma Hidalgo to the start of the comercial section of Alemania, 8 hours non stop. 3 times all the river disappears under the rocks, 3 complete syphons, little nasty and arduous expedition. Since I was working on the Copalita in 2002 I wanted to descend this section. Was a shame that Janet destroyed their truck wheel at the lonely shuttle roads, and that Lalo had to pay 2 beers to each of us.

     ZIMATAN IV-V pretty white granite canyon, little water but mother-rock riverbed with special water movements. At the end of the section is the El Chorro waterfall with undercut caves and syphons, where in 2004 I swam and next day came back to rescue the kayak from the cave behind the waterfall. This time I did a good run of the rapid-fall El Chorro and felt great.

     If you need information of this rivers (put in, take out, etc.) you can ask Rafa in La Empanada in Mazunte, or Daniel-Janet in Ola Verde in San Agustinillo.

     Daniel Miranda El Pana edited this video using my images. The last fall of the video is El Chorro.    Link to Oaxaca video

     And that way arrived the dissolution of the team ZORRIAK MEXICO 2010 kayak expedition. The trip was awesome, participants elegants and amazing rivers, waterfalls, friends and experiences on the way. Lalo came back by "La Golfa" car for working in Jalcomulco, and Txomin and I went to Mexico City and Toluca to celebrate the last party with a big concert accompanied by our friends Gerardo, Miriam and Noe.

     From there each individual to its personal way.

Waterfalls TRUCHAS 18m + TOMATA 23m (MEX,eng)

@euskara                        @hispano


     --> Last mission to finish the Mexico 2010 Zorriak chapter. I came back to Tlapacoyan area in Veracruz decided to jump 2 waterfalls that couldn’t run the last visit cause an ear damage.

    --> I arrived to Aventurec campsite and joined with 6 Pyrenean kayakers (Eric, Bastien, Fafa, Thomas, Gael and Aniol). I didn’t have much time so after kayaking Alseseca Roadside section the engine was heated and the blood looking for an adrenalin shot.  

TRUCHAS WATERFALL  (18m) 

     -->      Dec. 20 we started the mission to run Truchas waterfall on the Alseseca river. Holed road trip, trekking through the jungle, rappel from a tree, cross the slippery river bed and finally we arrived to the pool above the fall, where the heart starts pumping faster. 

-->      Beautiful place and not much water. The rapid above the 18m fall was interesting too. Analyze the water movement, choose the appropriate line and I left first running the 2 rapid-falls straight. All good except I landed with a bit of angle and felt it on my back because there wasn’t much water. Next time I’ll go one with the water. 

-->

      --> Chente the local boy was the next one: freewheel on the first drop and landed in Truchas with the face! Me watching it close. He is strong and all good. 
     -->     The next one in Truchas threw his paddle, leaned forward, took position like jumping headwards to the pool and went into the water like 2 parallel arrows the arms-head and the kayak. Flipped took out the helmet under the water, he grabbed it from the ‘gopro’ and made the roll with the helmet on the hand! Uau! I’ve never seen this technique before.  

-->      Nobody was hurt, and everybody can be seen happy in the photo: Bastien, Chente, Gael, Eric, Fafa and myself. With the photos Netta and Thomas. For celebrating, each of us ate a trout at Truchas restaurant, the one with chipotle being the hottest. 

Eclipse Solstice

-->      Dec. 20-21 night was special for terrestrial beings. A natural cycle finishing and a new one to start. Winter Solstice in the north hemisphere, the daylight is in the shortest. The Gregorian calendar we use in our society doesn’t take in mind this, it is an artificial invention out of the nature. The calendar should base in natural rules and cycles like our ancestors used to. 


-->      In addition, in this 2010 Winter Solstice we had Full Moon, special. And apart from that, from this Mexican side of the planet we could see a Total Eclipse of the Moon. So we were under the influence of various elements.

      -->      I couldn’t miss this appointment with Gods, and while the others were sleeping I was on Aventurec swimming pool watching the sky. The full moon total eclipse in winter solstice started, the shadow growing and turning red. Inside my mind visualizing next day’s 23m Tomata waterfall in kayak. With this I’d say bye to the kayak for a period of time, the end of a cycle and the beginning of a new one. After the shade of the earth the rays of the sunlight started directing to the moon and illuminating my eyes.  I am ready.  

 
TOMATA WATERFALL  (23m)  

-->
     Dec.21. We went to Tomata 1 waterfall. Low volume of water, we knew it, the day before Aniol broke here a rib. Eric Deguil and I said yes.

     It took time to organize everything well. Bastien did the rappel and was down the fall kayak safetying. Above it Thomas and Potrillo with the video, Chente with photos. Fafa down to help going out the canyon before Tomata 2 waterfall.

     Eric and I are on river left viewing the line from there. In this moment I should have my mind right here, and I have it.   
                         Eric asks me:   -“Y tú con qué lado vas a buffear?” 
                                             -“Yo con la derecha, soy canoísta de derechas, jeje” 
                                             -“Yo de izquierdas! Jejeje”

     He goes into his kayak and tells me “Ahora o nunca!” (now or never!). ‘Ready’ signal to everybody. He is going. Left last. Throws the paddle. A bit separated from the water and a bit of angle. Pum! Hard landing noise. Didn’t flip. I ask him signalling: All good? And he: All good.           It's my turn.

-->
     This is the present. My existence is here. Another visualization of the line and movements.

     The characteristic of this waterfall is that from flat water passes in 90 degrees to a 23m free fall. Difficult to control the fly, and with few water the landing is hard. For that reason I want to be with no speed on the lip; and in the fall one with the water, body forward and control the direction with a long right paddle overcoming the water speed; after that protect holding the paddle, tense the body stiffly and pass the landing hit like an arrow coming back to the horizontality.

     I’m going into my BlissStick-Mystic kayak. Something wants to explode from my inner tubes, but I’ll not let it. This is the fear for some. I think the victory of controlling the fear is what makes us addicted.

    I’m concentrated.                          Something asks me: Eneko, where are you? And I answer: Here. 

Eneko, what time is it? Now.  

Eneko, who are you? This moment. 

-->      I’m going to the horizon line. Back strokes loosing speed. One meter from the horizon line short left stroke with proper angle and body forward to overcome the 90 degrees. In a few hundreds of a second of this moment have to be taken all the necessary information, take decisions and react, testing the nervous system to the maximum. 

     --> Body and right blade forward searching for water. Eyes well open I see where I’m going. Wait, I’m going good. Wind on the face and dreadlocks on the air. Free fly feeling. Wait a bit more. Now! Right controlled stroke to the goal, my speed overcomes the water’s, body very forward and eyes opened; I’m going good, the landing soon; defence position: head inside, close eyes, stick the paddle to the kayak, cover the head with left elbow, and tense all the muscles of the body stiffly!

-->      I felt inside how all the falling movement passed to the horizontal forwards, and I surfaced straight down the river, but with not hit?  EXCELENT jump! And not feeling the landing hit, incredible.

     --> What was in my inner tubes before the jump exploded now, it has been a pleasure explosion.







     --> However this pleasure sensation lasted only for a single minute. Bastien and I went to Eric in the rocks in the middle of the river. Eric wasn’t feeling well, had big pain on the lower back.

      --> When we went out of the canyon to the road Eric fell to the ground. In ambulances to hospitals. Eric had broken a lower back vertebrae in many pieces, although the inside nerve tube was fine. He’ll be good after resting some months.

                      --> Viva Eric good heart champion!!

 
       --> Thanks to Toño owner of Aventurec and the insurance company Eric and I flew by an air ambulance to Mexico City. 

     From here Eric was brought to France by another airplane and I came to Brasil without kayak.  







     --> An Eclipse marked the highest waterfall we ever jumped. I was touched by the light, and for Eric was the shadow.  I don’t think we’ll look for higher waterfalls for now.  



     --> Beginning of winter… marked cycle change.