THE REST OF OUR WEEK OFF--EXPLORING A NEW REGION OF ECUADOR
We love going exploring Ecuador´s whitewater whenever we get the chance, and we are continually amazed at how many hundreds of rivers there still are to be explored in this small country. After taking the Pueblo rafting and a spending a few days in Quito taking care of business, we only had 3 days left to get out there and see some country. We headed off to a region that was entirely new to us. We managed 3 new runs in 3 days, and saw some amazing whitewater, scenery, and wildlife. Besides the excitement of exploring new rivers, it was fun to just take a road trip with good friends.
The departure.
Some of the rivers in this region have great access, while others leave a little to be desired. BUT, the challenging put in on day 1 added to the sense of adventure!
Here is our brand new Jefe Chico taking the plunge.
Here is our brand new Jefe Chico taking the plunge.
But it was well worth it. We arrived at the put in to find a perfect water level, a few toucans, and a beautiful canyon to paddle.
Steiner, Ricky, Larry and Don navigating one of the many boulder garden rapids in the canyon.
And there were a few Oro Pendula nests in the area...
Day 2, for a change of pace, we opted for a little big water fun.
Steiner relaxing after another great day of paddling. Nothing better than a cold Pilsiner after surfing big waves all day long.
Ah, some of the wildlife we encountered. Don´t worry, in Don, Larry, and my combined 32 years experience in Ecuador, this was the first time we ever saw one of these guys. THEY ARE NOT COMMON and the locals assure us they are friendly:)
Day 3: Now this is a river canyon! I love this country.
Check back in with us over the summer for a full report on this epically-whitewater-endowed area. We are all super psyched about it and can´t wait to post more about it. I plan on putting up a full report in June or July. We hope we can show some of you around this area in the near future...it´s absolutely amazing.
PARTING SHOT (PARTING VIDEO)
It´s always good to start your day with a hearty breakfast!
posted by Darcy at
1:01 PM
4 Comments:
Looks like a great week off....nice to see an update from the Chi-Chi monkeys, they're looking fat (or pregnant)...
So Darcy, what kind of worm is that?
Hey Bryan,
Glad you appreciated the Chi Chi update, it's good to keep tabs on those little guys. I don't think they are too fat or pregnant, it was just a chilly morning in Tena (80 degrees) so they had their fur all fluffed up to stay warm.
As for the worm, it's bascially just a giant earthworm. Locals call it "El Capitan" and say they are great for fishing--must be some big fish they are after. I'll tell you one thing, it's the biggest damn earthworm I've ever seen!
Next year we'll take you night crawler hunting if you want:)
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Here's a photo of a snake we encountered about a third of the way down the Jatunyaku on April 23.
http://www.ruderockfamily.com/ecuador
This ominous looking fellow was about 4 feet long.
Our Ecuadorian paddling buddies got a bit worried and wouldn't get out of thier boats.
One of them grew up in Archidona and had only seen this kind of snake once before... he also said they will go into the water.
We think it was a hog nosed pit viper.
Thanks for the Kayaking in Ecuador book, it is great.
cheers,
Chris
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