The first few adjectives that come to mind about paddling in Ecuador in 2012 include: high water, amazing surfing, great boaters, Harvey, really cool side trips, the Quijos Lodge, and smiles. Lots of smiles. 15-year Ecuador guide Craig finished up a day on the Quijos...
Adventure Travel
Dia del Oriente Celebration in Ecuador
The Quijos Valley is celebrating “Dia del Oriente.” The celebration is in recognition of the day that Francisco Orellana embarked on a journey that eventually sent him down the Amazon River, February 12, 1541. Orellana was part of a group of conquistadors headed up by...
Kayaking in Ecuador: It’s all in the Details
When you are a kayaker in the southeast - probably the best year-round place to live and kayak, there is hardly time to paddle everything available to you. So why do we move shop to places like Costa Rica and Ecuador for the winter? 1. If a cold front hits home, it...
Kayaking in Ecuador: It is more than just the river time!
We always encourage our kayakers to enjoy more than just the rivers in Ecuador. It is such a fascinating country that just one week of kayaking is not enough to take it all in. A number of years ago, we headed out to do some exploring on our own, including a trip to...
Kayaking in Ecuador: Taking the Upper Mishaulli Home with You
If there is one common remark that comes out of Ecuador it usually follows a day paddling on the Upper Mishaulli. “I wish this run was in my backyard.” The Upper Mishaulli varies any where from a Class III-IV to a Class IV+ run depending on water levels. It is not...
Quijos River Ecuador: the Immensity of a Dam Project
To stand at the site of a dam construction project elicits conflicting emotions: a sense of awe at the engineering feat man undertakes; as well as an overwhelming sense of despair knowing that the ground you are standing on will one day be enough concrete and rebar to...
Kayaking in Ecuador: where las chicas sólo quieren divertirse!
Las chicas sólo quieren divertirse - translated: "girls just want to have fun." And the Girls Seven + keith did it in style for the last week of paddling of 2011 - making Ecuador their destination. Over and above six days of awesome boating, this group can claim...
The Rivers of the Oriente: Inspiring a Language in Its Poetry
So how/why did kayakers end up in the area of Ecuador they did - the area called "the Oriente?" Back it up....the country of Ecuador is a divided into three geographic regions: the Sierra, the Costa and the Oriente. The Oriente starts on the eastern slope of the...
Kayaking in Costa Rica: Once, Twice, Six Times, More!!!!
What is is about Costa Rica that brings people back again and again?!? Father & daughter Team Kari and Art helped us finish up our 2011 Costa Rica season. Their sixth trip together - and every year brings something new, different, familiar, favorite! There is the...
Missing: Confusion Rapid in Costa Rica
MISSING Name: CONFUSION RAPID, SARAPIQUI RIVER, COSTA RICA Was last seen in a more subdued capacity than years past on November 23, 2011. Two weeks later, it has disappeared. Suspicious activity included jumping to the far river right channel - leaving but a small...
Whitewater Kayaking in Land-Locked Costa Rica
Heading to the beach is now a favorite part of our Class II and Class III trips here in Costa Rica. Surfing the waves at the beach is a great warm up! For many Class II-Class III paddlers, by late November/early December paddling time has slowed down. To jump...
And a Nobel Prize for saving rivers should go to…Matt Terry
If there was ever a person whose entire destiny became saving rivers, it might be Matt Terry. The founder of Ecuadorian Rivers Institute (ERI), Matt has dedicated the past 15 years to promoting environmental awareness in Ecuador—a country that struggles to balance...
If there was a Nobel Prize for Saving Rivers let it go to….Matt Terry
Matt Terry is the Executive Director of Ecuadorian Rivers Institute (ERI)--whose manifesto is "Helping to protect and conserve unique watershed resources in Ecuador." His herculean efforts have been going on for 15 years. It was a near-herculean effort to get Matt to...
Costa Rica Kayaking: Class III play boating, Class IV boofing…there are so many options to chose from!
How to chose between a Class III and Class IV international kayaking trip...between play boating and river running....this is the challenge of Costa Rica. For Class IV river running Costa Rica can be all out--especially with a little rain. Be it a high water river...
Costa Rica Kayaking: 21 Years of Awesome!
Twenty one years ago we loaded up our kayaks on Miguel's van and headed to the river here in Costa Rica. This past week of Class IV paddling- great rivers and great boaters is why the fun never stops! Check out all the photos from this past...
Kayaking in Costa Rica: A Guide’s Job
Give someone a boat, transportation and a week to paddle a whole list of rivers in Costa Rica. Sounds tough doesn't it?!? But it is part of the job for a guide to know all the runs. And while doing multiple rivers in one day may actually be exhausting, it...
The Pacuare River of Costa Rica: Kayaking’s Crown Jewel
Why is the Pacuare River of Costa Rica the crown jewel of whitewater? On the way in, the way out and the way downstream there is no shortage of scenery. Toucans squawking in the trees, hawks, sloths, iguanas hanging out in the branches, lush green flora...the list...
Going International
Going International Sometime in your paddling, you get the bug. The bug to paddle new rivers in new places – rivers with rapids you have never seen, with put-ins and take-outs you don’t know. The bug to paddle in countries you have only dreamed of visiting, where...
Rafting World Championships on the Pacuare River
The Pacuare River of Costa Rica will host more 35 countries this month for the 2011 World Rafting Championships. History The World Rafting Championship takes place every two years. The event started out under the auspices of Project RAFT. Project Raft was initiated by...
High Water Season in Ecuador
It is always a wonder as to what one of your favorite paddling destinations is like in the off-season. Ecuador in off-season is similar to Ecuador in-season: it is either gorgeous and sunny, gorgeous and about to rain, or gorgeous and raining. Only difference is that...