Guatemala Update: Yesterday was a Best Day Ever kind of day with evident fear painted on everyones face, solid high-fives, big hugs and big adventure. We nailed the first raft decent of Llutbol Canyon of the Cahabon River and paid the heavy price for taking a 14ft raft with 7 people down a forbidding shear-walled canyon. The local Mayan tribes people gave us thumbs up and awkward smiles as we floated past them on the riverbank towards the gates of the limestone jungle canyon; most likely thinking these Gringos are on a death wish. All the locals believe that the river goes underground and through the mountain in the heart of the canyon, as it does 10km upriver at the pools of Semuc Champey. We believed differently. And it was easy to as we were nursing our brains from heavy celebration the night before. Our line over the first 6ft waterfall was perfect. The same for the next Class III+ rapid. Then came the drop that Ive since dubbed Stuck in Lodi Again. The river squeezes and chunders over an eight foot horseshoe ledge. The far right chute being the intended line as long as the bottom lateral wave doesnt kick the boat into the monstrous recirculating ledge hydraulic that churns 3/4 of the drop. One mistake here and a swimmer will be recirculated in the monstrous boil. If the God-blessed soul can make it out of the hydraulic by swimming to the bottom of the river, the highly aerated water below wont allow any access to oxygen until the water exits the mini slot canyon far below. Kyle, Dave, and me weigh the risk versus reward and decide that one small mistake in a boat of seven souls isnt worth it, CPR is never enjoyable for either party. We have to portage a raft, gear, and people, in a slot canyon. Its obvious, the fear, on everyones faces. We have no way out but downstream so we have to make it through here, and soon. Its 5:00 and the jungle darkness will set on us in two hours. In all the initiatives and team-building activities Ive done in the outdoor recreation realm, none could compare to the teamwork that was about to be accomplished with this group of people. We huffed the heavy boat in two foot burst up the sloping cliff wall, to the shoddy anchor held by the only flake of rock we could find. The raft had to be lowered 20ft to the boiling pool below and I climbed down to guide it onto a rocky ledge where the powerful surge kept it in a constant dance of bending and bouncing on the rocks. The thunder of the tumultuous water reverberates in my brain and makes any oral communication impossible; I signal to Kyle to send people and gear down. Slowly, meticulously we traverse the polished limestone wet from the spray of the chunder. Every handhold counts. We help one another when we can but there are points where it all depends on the individuals climbing skills to get them through. A slip and fall from the amazingly slick rock and a teammate will be lost to the river. Gear is passed down from one set of hands to the other, then the crew one by one jump into the raft from the cliff face where the handholds disappear. Portage complete, we celebrate with cookies and cigarettes to calm the hour of adrenaline weve all just experienced. The walls squeeze the river to 15ft wide just below us as it disappears in a bend. Kyle and me work over the slick-as-snot rocks to see our next initiative. The river opens back up and calms, thank God. Were in no shape to Hit The Meat right now. A quick Captains Meeting and its decided to ghost ride the raft through the squeeze and everyone will jump off the cliff below once the raft clears the rest of the rapid. The cliff jump reminds us that were having fun again. Around the next bend lies the Great Falls. The river dumps into huge sieves then finds routes through the cracks between house size boulders before taking plunges to the pool 35 feet below the entrance. I count 5 different waterfalls and the sight is spectacular. No room for a raft here though. As a solid team we huff and heave the boat with precision around the kill-you-dead falls just as the sunlight fades away. By moonlight now, and not knowing the best lines, we follow the main current and crash through waves. The canyon walls are receding and soon we are joined by the Rio Lanquin and a footbridge spans across the river signaling our exit. The stoke is high and we met our transport who had warm beers for us. They would have been cold had we exited 2 hours prior as planned. But you have to take what you get when youre Stuck in Lodi, Again. youtube/watch?v=w0VDnQv-rLA
Posted on: Sun, 03 Aug 2014 16:12:55 +0000
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