I’m kicking off this entry with what I think is a really fun group shot that captures the feel of Ecuador; equatorial sunlight filtering through the trees of a lush, vegetated side-canyon.

Our Feb 2-10 group in Slot Canyon, tributary to the Jatunyacu.

This side-hike is accessed from the river and if you didn’t know where to look, you could float right past it. There must be many of these little canyons that snake their way into the rivers we run. You could spend a life time looking for, and exploring them. Impossible to get them all, but how fun it would be to try.

While our paddling began in the Quijos valley, the real story begins on the other side of the Guacamayo Mountains in the Tena area. Once upon our time, many years ago, the upper reaches of the Rio Misahualli experienced a slide that dammed the river, cutting off all flow downstream! When it finally gave way, the resulting wall of water damaged bridges, flooded roads, and greatly rearranged the river’s rapids. Fortunately, no people were killed and the damage to homes and property was minimal. In the river channel itself, classic boofs were robbed of their abrupt gradient, rocky labyrinths were straighten, eddies were silted in and wood was left high and dry, with the occasional piece choking off a drop. Thankfully over time, the river began returning to it’s classic character. It has been a reliable friend, providing many with their first taste of continuous, technical creekin’. The Upper Mis invariably ends up ranking quite high on everyone’s List Of Favorite Rivers.

Imagine our surprise when we arrived in the sunshine to a find the Mis raging! According to locals, the river had peaked the day before. What we were looking at was the tail end of a mini-version of that long ago event.

High water transported plenty of wood downstream leaving most of it high and dry.

Our first glimpse of the Mis came from the Cotundo bridge. Our gauge rock was nowhere to be seen and a screaming wave was just downstream of where it had been! The muddy water and stripped logs, stranded 12 feet above the waterline and along all the banks and bends, indicated just how much higher the river had been.

Pat W. scouts a newly changed rapid on the Upper Mis. near San Francisco.

As with many natural events in Ecuador, the effects were isolated to the headwaters where several creeks branch out in different directions. This gave us an option normally available only to local kayakers, who await such storms with the anticipation of jumping on the Rio Tena. So we did too! We had a super level and clear water to boot. This is only the second time we’ve been in the area with enough water to boat this delightful, steep creek.

We often talk about “room to grow” when deciding which run to do, especially if we think there is the chance of rain upstream. So, with the smaller rivers still full, we opted to give them a chance to settle down while we surfed up a storm on the Grand Canyon-like wave trains of the Jatunyacu. We have never seen a more playful level!

Thursday night we stayed at our jungle lodge along the banks of the Lower Misahualli, above the confluence of the Rio Napo. By the time the Misahualli gets here, it is a big river as it includes flows from the Rios Jondachi, Hollin, Upper Mis, Tena and Pano. I always walk down to the beach to check the water level. While it doesn’t necessarily tell me which one of the tribs is full, it does let me know if rain is falling (or not) somewhere upstream. This shot shows the river a meter higher than “normal”.

Atahualpa, the Shaman from the local community of Pununo, paid us a visit as he does every week. Each time I learn a little more about shamanism and his role in healing. Whether or not you are a believer, it is very much a part of this culture in Ecuador, and many gringos (that’s us) have opted to have their immune systems fortified with the cleansing that he performs.

Unlike the last trip, this group was made up of many first-timers. Konrad P., Bob M., Janet H., and Ann M. were all from our home state of California. Pat W. represented Oregon, while Brad M. of Chicago, down for his fifth time, brought his sweetie, Karie. Additionaly, Arianne M. decided to stay on for another week. Once she starts flight training with the Air Force in April, her kayaking will take the back burner. But you can’t take the kayaking out of the girl! She’s already scheming that once she’s a pilot, she’ll volunteer for a post in Ecuador in order to be closer to the rivers!

Future Air Force pilot Arianne M. -loving her second week in Ecuador.

We’re not surprised by people’s desire to return to Ecuador, we’ve been coming back since 1995! This place is amazing. And our Jan 26th trip was dominated by Ecuador alumni, some from previous years and two from the prior week (you’re allowed to do that you know).

Mike W. and Mark B. staying on for week #2.

Mike W. and Mark B. used the afternoon between trips to relax and site-see in the Quijos Valley. They ventured, sans kayaks, to San Rafael falls. At 435 feet, it is the tallest waterfall in the country.

Joining us from our neck of the woods in California were Scott B. and Nini R. This was Nini’s second trip to Ecuador and she brought her husband Mike P. along. They celebrated a double birthday with a warm water run on the Quijos! Here for his seventh time, Bob B., a C-1er from Arkansas, was accompanied by his partner Jonna, yet another Ecuador alum! Last minute additions, Matt C. (alum) and Arianne M. rounded out the group.

Four guides and two vehicles allowed each member of the group the flexibility to choose the river option that was best for their daily energy level and mood. Team DAK was supported by guide/instructors Matt Terry and Jaime Dalgo. Lucky us!

Weather-wise, it was starting to feel as if the “dry” season had really arrived. Water levels registered at friendly flows and choices abounded. Our warm-up run was part of Chaco Canyon of the Quijos River. The following day we all had fun on the warm-up section of the Cosanga. Part of the group continued downstream through the Cosanga Gorge with Jaime Dalgo and Phil, while Mary and the rest of the gang headed back to finish off and play our way down Chaco Canyon. The full day left everyone feeling tired and super satisfied.

The group heads to the put in for the Rio Cosanga

On the Tena side we first hit the Upper Misahualli. The higher you go on this run, the steeper and more technical it gets. Multiple access points allowed everyone to choose the degree of challenge desired.

The Lower Jondachi/Hollin, Jatunyacu, Piatua, and an optional jungle tour rounded out the rest of the week in the Tena Valley. Returning to Borja, some of the group repeated the Lower Cosanga at a much higher flow. The group compared the difference in water levels between the two runs to the height of a large bottle of Pilsner!

Best of all for us, at the end of the week there was talk by many of returning next year for more of what Ecuador has to offer. Bob B., tired of lugging his C-1 through the airport year after year, left it here with us in storage. It looks like he’ll be hitting trip #8 soon!

Off loading the bus for a trip on the Piatua.

During our week off between trips, we found ourselves answering the call of some of Ecuador’s finest! Jaime Dalgo and Gaston Sanchez, two stellar kayakers and instructors, were looking for an ACA Instructor update. These two are a part of the future of the sport here. Along with Tarquino Yanguez, these professional young boaters have taken ACA Instructor, Swiftwater Rescue and Wilderness First Responder Courses and keep current with their CPR from the Ecuadorian Red Cross.

Jaime and Gaston, part of the future of kayaking in Ecuador.

Looking forward to time on the river together, we volunteered and spent a fun and informative day. Classroom work completed, we headed to the excellent Class II teaching stretch of the Middle Misahualli to review strokes, discuss progressions, and answer as many questions as we could for them.

Mary, Jaime and Gaston discussing some of the classroom topics covered in a kayak course.

Discussing strokes and progression on the Middle Misahualli.

Mary, Jaime, Phil and Gaston after our on-water session.

These guys are a wonderful asset for the up-and-coming kayakers of Ecuador. We are really proud and privileged to have them as friends and psyched that we can rely on them as guides for Team DAK when we have the opportunity!

Photos and content ©DeRiemer Adventure Kayaking, all rights reserved.

A pleasant start to this trip for us came in the form of a box of handmade truffles brought down by Deb C. of Seattle. Espresso, lemon-rosemary, orange, pure chocolate and mocha were the mouth watering flavors found within the handmade box that contained them. I’d show you a photo of the truffles but they met with an unfortunate feeding frenzy accident.

The inspirational cover to our box of handmade truffles.

Another treat for us was having Ben T. along. Not only did Ben travel outside of the U.S. for his first time, but he took his first flight ever to get here! Needless to say, he was often wide-eyed during the trip and the group was more than happy to show him the ropes. His enthusiasm reminded us all of the thrill and wonder of being a first-time traveler.

Ben’s grin was never ending.

At the other end of the spectrum was Ben’s good friend Steve F, who claimed the prize for paddling eight seasons with us in Ecuador, followed by Dick S. with six trips here! Rounding out the group were veteran travelers, yet Ecuador first-timers, Deb C. and Arn S.

Having had the privilege of paddling with everyone before on either the Rogue, Middle Fork Salmon, or Ecuador, we counted up a total of twenty-five DAK trips amongst the group members!! Thanks you guys!

Deb, Arn, Dick, Ben, Mary, Steve, and Edmundo during the Jan 5-13 class III+ trip.

Steve and Dick used their knowledge and experience to lead the way on many of the sections we paddled. Arn, Deb, and Ben enjoyed discovering the variety of rivers found here. Midweek the group opted for a “rest” day. They paid a visit to Pepe Tapia’s mariposario (butterfly farm), followed by a 40-ft, motorized canoe trip down the Napo River to tour virgin jungle. Pepe always shares a wealth of information during his time with each group.

An enthusiastic and self-taught teacher,

Pepe explains the life cycle of a butterfly from egg to flight.

An example of some of the caterpillars found

in the area around the Rio Napo, Ecuador.

One of many species of butterflies raised by Pepe.

Deb display great confidence while navigating the trail to the put-in.

A kayaker prepares to put in on the big-water fun of the rio Jantuyacu.

A monkey with a drinking problem- he uses his eye.

A kayaker pauses near the mouth of Slot Canyon, a side hike on the Jatunyacu.

Paddlers enjoy one of the many waterfalls that flow into the lower Jondachi.

Thanks, all, for a wonderful time week! See you next year?

Photos and content ©DeRiemer Adventure Kayaking, all rights reserved.

I first started using a waist sling many years ago after taking a river rescue class from my good friend Eric Magneson. At that time it was mainly suggested as a simple means of having an anchor system for a river rescue situation with you at all times.

A waist sling and locking carabiner.

Not just for anchors:

Since then I have found that I use it less for an anchor (It would be a reflection on my judgment and that of the people I paddle with if I was setting up anchors all of the time.) and more for simple tasks like lowering a boat down a steep trail at the put in, corralling boats in a eddy at a portage or scout, keeping all of my gear clipped together at the take-out, or improvising a means of carrying gear.

Henry L. lowers his boat with a waist sling,

put in for the lower Jatunyacu, Ecuador.

When to bring it:

It’s low cost, light weight and versatility make it an essential part of my kit when teaching, guiding, and running challenging water with friends.

How to make it:

Mine is made of 1 inch nylon tubular webbing which can be found at most climbing and outdoor shops. Since this might be used as an anchor for z-drag systems, it is recommended you not skimp on strength. The length you need will depend on your waist size and your clothing layers. Mine is somewhere in the neighborhood of 13 or 14 feet long before knots. The webbing is tied in a closed loop using a water knot. Some people prefer not to have the closed loop so that they can thread their sling through cracks and gaps in rocks when setting up anchors. If you decide to go that route the length will be different and you will want to tie a small loop at either end of the sling for a clip-in point. I recommend a figure 8 loop knot in this case.

Where to put it:

You want it easy to reach and out of the way at the same time. Mine is doubled up, then worn around my waist on top of my spray skirt tunnel, but underneath the outside tunnel of my paddle jacket or dry top. In this way it maintains a clean profile, yet I can undo it with one hand. It is clipped together with a locking carabiner that serves as a sort of belt buckle. If I am out of my boat scouting, portaging, or assisting another boater in some way I have it with me.

This sling has been doubled and is ready to wear.

Caution and care:

If you are using it in a rescue situation know what you are doing; take a class. If you are using it for any of the many other reasons I mentioned above, your creativity is the limit. Check the wear and tear on the webbing and the status of your knots. If you see any abrasion or weathering that would compromise the integrity of your sling, replace it. Check the tails on the knots to make sure they are long enough (2 inches minimum.). These can creep into the knot over time and eventually come untied.

Photos and content ©DeRiemer Adventure Kayaking, all rights reserved.

Two trips, two skill levels, two different years…and at first, too much water! These were characteristics of our concurrent trips that ran through the New Year.

Locals here believe that the phase of the moon strongly influences the amount of rain. And why not, since it affects the tides of the oceans? The belief is that a full moon will bring dryer weather. That theory was literally and figuratively blown out of the water with the full moon that occurred just before Christmas day. As our Class III and Class IV trips searched for appropriate put-ins, the rivers of the Quijos Valley raged. Fortunately, the Tena area was not affected, so we juggled our schedule (so as not to miss out on any paddling) and left the near-flooding rivers behind. We headed over the Guacamayo range for some good fun on the Upper Misahualli. The Class IV group put in at Cotundo, while the Class III group put in lower down. After just 1 km. of paddling we felt the volume grow due to rains somewhere up in the headwaters. Fortunately, the rate of increase was reasonable enough to allow us to continue. We finished the day on a high note rather than on high water!

24 rainless hours later, we jumped on the Lower Jondachi/Hollin. Flows were about perfect- but the mud on the hike down was the worst we had ever seen! One of the truly great things about this run is that the spectacular scenery and outstanding whitewater quickly makes one forget any suffering that might have been endured during the grueling hike.

Guiding with us on these trips were Dan Dixon and Matt Terry. Both make their homes in Tena and have done more first descents and exploration of Ecuador’s rivers than just about anyone. Matt heads up the Ecuadorian Rivers Institute (ERI), an Ecuadorian version of American Whitewater. These two also work side by side to bring about the Napo River Festival, which is intended to raise awareness of the Napo watershed and it’s importance to locals and tourists alike. This year’s event is January 11-13th. Make sure to check it out if you are in the area.

Kayakers aren’t the only ones who love the Upper Misahualli.

Photo courtesy © Jen Hirsh.

Our last night in Borja we experienced New Year’s Eve “Ecuadorian style”. The tradition is to create an effigy and burn it at midnight. The figure can represent any number of things; a politician, a friend you want to tease, or yourself with an ailment, addiction or just plain old, bad luck. The idea is that you leave behind with the old year, all those things you burn. We burned our “muñeco” before midnight, but I am sure it was midnight somewhere in the world! An additional custom involves jumping over the burning figure three times for luck. I think the jumping might also serve as a sort of sobriety test for some!

This cigarette-smoking, tomato-eating

effigy’s hours are numbered.

January 1st, 2008, was rung in with one last kayak run. This was followed by a luxurious soak in the Papallacta hotsprings en route to Quito. Before parting company, our last group activity was a festive farewell dinner.

At either the beginning or the end of our kayaking trip, almost everyone scheduled time to explore more of Ecuador. Birding, market towns, Galapagos, and the jungle were all destinations visited by group members.

Photos and content ©DeRiemer Adventure Kayaking, all rights reserved.

Some folks may consider it blasphemous to say this but there is more to being in Ecuador than just kayaking. Each season we take time between trips to explore other areas of this diverse country. From the coast to the jungle, the Andes to the Galapagos Islands, there’s a lot packed into this wonderful land. One of my favorite places is the mountains, birth place of rivers and home to spectacular views.

Freddy Ramirez takes in the views of El Altar.

It was with this in mind that after our Dec 1-9 kayak trip, Jack M, Julia G, myself, and my very good friend, Freddy Ramirez of Sierra Nevada, set off for five days of trekking in the El Altar region of Sangay National Park to the south of Quito. El Altar is an extinct volcano whose top and western flanks were blown open during a large eruption some time ago. The remaining shape is reminiscent of a tiara, with a multitude of summits, a wide open valley to the west, and the emerald green waters of a lake in the center of what was once it’s crater.Leaving Quito, two bus rides and a truck taxi landed us in a comfortable night at Hacienda Releche, a sort of self-serve guest house at the edge of the park.

Hacienda Releche, Candelaria, Ecuador

The following morning we loaded our packs on our backs and set off on the 8 mile hike. This included a 3,000 ft. rise to the refugio (cabins) located in what is called the Collanes Plains. Due to the clouds shrouding the landscape, we weren’t treated to any views of the mountian but we did have pleasant weather for hiking. The guide books warned of exercising caution around the many wild bulls that graze in the area.

Jack M. reconsiders his color choice during a lunch break.

Apporaching the Collanes refuge.

Arriving at the refugio at 3:00 pm, El Altar began to reveal itself a little bit at a time. The various summits have names such as the Bishop, Nun, Tabernacle, Friar and Canon. Looking up the valley toward the crater you are struck by the contrast of grassland meadows and scoured, boulder-strewn scars. It seems that in the year 2000, a huge slide of rockfall or ice crashed down the inner slopes of the crater and into the lake. The resulting wave (known as a GLOF, glacial lake overflow) was estimated to be over 160 ft. tall. It roared over the lip of the west end of the crater and sped across the valley. Estimates are that it took less than a minute for it to reach the far end of the valley and the refugio. Needless to say, the cabins were destroyed (and rebuilt in 2002). Since no one was in the refugio or the valley at the time, there was no loss of human life. I’m sure it was a different story for the cows and horses that were grazing in the valley.

The resulting scar from the flood of 2000 can be seen in this view looking

west across the Collanes plain. The refugio is at the far end of the valley.

Lunch break overlooking Lago Collanes in the crater of El Altar.

Using the refuge as our base, we spent the next three days doing day-hikes to the lake and surrounding ridges. The views were spectacular, although the clouds continued their pattern of partial clearing then covering the mountain throughout our stay.

El Altar doing it’s best to break out of the clouds.

Back at the refugio, Julia provided us with the morning “ag migration report”, an update of the movements of the cows and horses visible from the front porch of the cabin. We added human voices to what we surmised the livestock must have been saying as they ran, butted heads, mooed and whinnied. We also concluded the cattle that grazed on the higher slopes were survivors of the 2000 flood, while the ones down in the valley were obviously newcomers. Freddy told us stories of his early years of serious climbing, and of his successes and near misses on the slopes of El Altar. He has a wealth of experience in the Ecuadorian Andes, as well as having made climbs in Peru, Bolivia, Alaska, and Nepal. Freddy also has a gift for languages. He is fluent in English, French, German, Spanish, and Quechua- the language of the Incas that is still spoken in many regions throughout the Andes.

Freddy finding his way around the Andes.

Above timberline is where you find the paramo. This zone is made up of tall grasses, mosses and lichen, unusual sponge-like ground coverings, and bogs. Rubber boots are highly recommend, as is good rain gear. The reward for traveling here is the ability of hiking cross-country in almost any direction you desire while being surrounded by amazing scenery. We had the place to ourselves up until the last night of our stay. The hikes we did took us up to the 14,000 plus ft. with the refugio nestled at 12, 800 ft.

Hiking along the Rio Collanes.

Some of the unusual ground cover found in the high country of the Andes.

Hikers amongst the paramo grasses found above treeline in Ecuador.

The fog moves in on Jack M. in the Rio Collanes valley.

Photos and content ©DeRiemer Adventure Kayaking, all rights reserved.

Prior to our arrival, early reports had warned us of an extended rainy season in Ecuador. This certainly seemed to be the case during our scouting week as well. We were happy to have the rain subside in time for the December 1-9 class III+ group, our first trip of the season!

Some of the gang at the Hollín Take out.

If you’ve read the previous post, you’ve already been introduced to Pete. Others on the trip included another long-time friend and paddler, Henry L. We know Henry from our days at Otter Bar, as well as having shared his company on the Rogue, Middle Fork, and Grand Canyon. In addition to being a true gentleman, Henry is whip smart and my go-to guy when I’m stumped (I keep an open line to him in case you were wondering how often that is). Also along was 72 year old Paul H. We first met Paul on the Grand Canyon a few years back where he earned the name “Pocket Rocket”. Paul can’t be much more than 5′3″, but he smoked us all in his Dagger Crossfire for straight-out speed on that trip. John P. joined us for the first time and his first trip to Ecuador. Rounding out the trip were Julia G., who was my main training partner for the California Death Ride this year (a masochistic bike ride that left me with such bad hamstring cramps that I needed cable cutters to straighten my legs) and finally, Jack M. a super boater and delightful fellow from Mt Shasta whose company I have always enjoyed, but never really got to spend much time with. Edmundo, who has driven for us for the last twelve years, picked us up at our lodging in Quito and drove us over the 13,400 foot pass to the Quijos valley. As always, we hoped some of the snow-capped peaks of the Andes would show themselves during the drive, but it wasn’t to be. After settling into our rooms in Borja and outfitting boats, we headed to the river to warm-up. The day finished off with our group’s first taste of short, but heavy tropical rain. For the next three days we used various stretches of the Quijos river as our playground.

Vulcan Atisana rising up from heavily vegetated slopes.

Day two dawned clear. We knew that Antisana, a 19,000 foot snow and ice covered volcano and the source of the Quijos River, would only be visible early in the morning. We took the opportunity to pile the gang into the van and drive the short distance to where we could get views, we were not disappointed.

At the end of our third day we headed over the Guacamayo Pass to the Tena side of the range. The weather had improved there as well. With an early morning start we made the 40 minute, porter-assisted hike into the Lower Jondachi/Hollín. As I mentioned in an earlier post, this is an incredible run for it’s quality of rapids and scenery.

72 Year old Paul Holmes at the end of his “best day of paddling, ever”

At the end of the day, we were greatly rewarded when Paul, who has paddled for thirty- some years, announced that it was his “best day of paddling. Ever!” With 5 consecutive days of kayaking completed, folks sometimes want to take a break to experience what else Ecuador has to offer. That was just what Pete, Paul, Henry and John did. They spent the day with Pepe, who is not only the most knowledgeable, jungle guide, but also runs a mariposario where he raises butterflies through the complete cycle; eggs, chrysalis, caterpillar and flight (only to release them in the wild). After the fascinating visit to the mariposario, they joined Pepe for a motorized, canoe trip down the Napo river. Here they explored a trail system in the virgin jungle where Pepe pointed out a variety of medicinal plants, insects both friendly and foe, and anything number of interesting items that popped up during their walk. Meanwhile, Jack and Julia took Phil up on an offer of a paddling day on a Class 4 section of the Upper Misahualli. We all regrouped at a Jungle Lodge at the end of the day. After dinner we were joined by a local shaman who calls himself Atahualpa, after the great Inca ruler. He explained some of the practices and beliefs of shamanism, how he came to be a shaman, and performed a “cleansing” on those members of our group that were interested.

Henry L. receives a “cleansing” from the shaman Atahualpa.

One more day of kayaking on the Tena side of the range gave us a chance to paddle the wide open and fun wave trains of the Jatunyacu. Once the boats were loaded we headed back over the hills to Borja. Our last day we paddled, followed by a soak in the luxurious hot-springs of Papallacta and a spectacular farewell dinner with a top-of-the-world view of Quito.

Kayakers float amongst the columnar basalt walls of the Chaco canyon stretch of the Rio Quijos.

The sign at Papallacta hot springs. Some things are lost in translation.

After the trip, Henry, Pete and Paul (who was now joined by his wife and daughter) flew to the Galapagos for a week aboard a boat, island-hopping. Jack, Julia, and Phil headed off to the mountains for some trekking in the El Altar area with our good friend and mountain guide Freddy Ramirez. Mary used her time off to travel to Panama, her birthplace, to visit her brother and his family. What a great way to start the season! Next trip is our “Friends Classic” over Dec 25- Jan 2.

Photos and content ©DeRiemer Adventure Kayaking, all rights reserved.