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*This information was kindly submitted
by www.ecuadorexplorer.com
where it was originally published in their White
Water Rafting and Kayaking Guide.
Rafting & Kayaking in Ecuador
| Rafting & Kayaking | Eastern
Andes |
| Western Andes | Choosing
the Best Trip |
Rafting &
Kayaking in Ecuador - Overview
In Ecuador the massive Andean range
gives birth to scores of rivers east and west that carve their way
through spectacular gorges, canyons, valleys and jungles leaving
behind hundreds of miles of breathtaking world class whitewater.
Ecuador holds the headwaters of the Amazon river and as a result
the country has one of the highest concentrations of rivers per
square mile in the world. Add to this warm tropical waters, year-round
flows, excellent accessibility, and an opportunity to paddle in
the Amazon jungle and you have perhaps the world's best whitewater
playground.
Whether you are a whitewater rafting enthusiast or a kayaking aficionado,
Ecuador is an unrivaled whitewater destination that you should not
pass up.
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Eastern
Andes (Amazon Basin)
The jungle rivers of the Amazon side of the Andes are by the most
part bigger and have more year-round water than their west Andes
counterparts.
Besides exceptional whitewater they provide an opportunity to experience
the Amazon jungle and the rhythm of life of its native inhabitants.
Between rapids indigenous groups of Quichuas are often seen going
about their daily life.
Rafting trips can easily be combined with a variety of jungle excursions
lasting from 1 to 5 days. From Quito, travel time is about 4.5 hours
to the jungle town of Tena, which is where most trips start from.
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The Upper Río Napo (Class
III) - Big waves and pure fun! In almost every sense, this is as
perfect a rafting river as could be asked for. It has the perfect
combination of exciting rapids, calm pools, and exuberant jungle
scenery. Being one of the two major sources that form the Amazon
river itself, it always has plenty of water to be rafted year around.
From the months of March through October the Upper Napo is usually
at it's full splendor with a steady medium to high water flow. It
is typically run as a one day trip which consists of a full 25 kilometers
of rafting and only one hour of driving time round-trip from Tena.
The Río Misahuallí (Class IV and IV +) - Usually addressed
as the Misahuallí River Experience, this is the most challenging
rafting trip presently offered in Ecuador. It has some big class
IV rapids, set in a deep and majestic canyon with virgin jungles
all around it. The trip involves tackling a challenging gorge filled
with back to back class IV rapids, portaging the rafts around a
spectacular 30 foot waterfall and subsequently running the single
biggest rapid commonly rafted in all of Ecuador called "the
Land of the Giants" . This river can only be rafted from mid-October
through mid-March of normal years. During other times of the year
this river is typically to high to be run. It is an outstanding
1-day trip for people in good physical shape.
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Western
Andes
The Western side of the Andes offers two popular rivers: the Río
Toachi and the Río Blanco. These two rivers run practically
parallel each other until the town of Valle Hermoso where they come
together forming the lower Rio Blanco.
The Río Toachi (Class III - III+) - The Toachi has become
Ecuador's most rafted river due to the fact that it is the whitewater
trip closest Quito. As far as rapids are concerned, the Toachi is
an excellent river and makes for excellent rafting during its medium
and high water season from January to the end of May.
Due to increased pressure from civilization, Toachi is no longer
considered among one of Ecuador's most pristine rivers, though it
continues to be the most viable rafting option for travelers that
do not want to stray far from Quito. The round trip drive to the
river and back takes an average of 5 1/2 hours and trips are offered
about 4 days a week.
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The Upper Río Blanco (Class
III) - Running parallel and just north of the Toachi is the pristine
Upper Río Blanco. If run in medium to high water the Upper
Blanco is a rafting delight. Non-stop, continuous rapids keep the
crew awake and having fun for the entire length of the trip. The
scenery and surroundings of this trip are lush and beautiful. The
best time to run this river is during the period from January through
May. At other times the water levels of this river can get so low
that you might find yourself lifting and pushing the raft over rocks.
The drawback to the Upper Blanco is that it makes for too long a
day of driving to make it an enjoyable 1-day trip. The ideal way
to enjoy this river is to do a 2-day trip from Los Bancos to Valle
Hermoso where you camp on the river.
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Choosing
the Best Rafting Trip
Water is the single most important element in making a river trip
fun. No matter the magnificence of your surroundings or the lack
thereof, if the river has a good water level, the ride is going
to be fun. Extreme high water can be dangerous and unforgiving while
a very low water trip can be somewhat lacking in excitement and
laborious if you end up having to carry the raft over rocks that
should have had water running over them. Consider the optimal season
for the river you are looking to run and ask around to make sure
the water levels are good. There are also other rivers in Ecuador
that are good for rafting but are not as commonly run such as the
rios Anzu, the Quijos and the Upano.
*This information was kindly submitted by www.ecuadorexplorer.com
where it was originally published in their White
Water Rafting and Kayaking Guide.
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| Rafting &
Kayaking | Eastern Andes |
| Western Andes | Choosing
the Best Trip |
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