Why get fit for Kayaking? All you are doing is sitting on your butt floating downstream, not much effort involved in that now is there?

The answer is “no” there is not much effort in just sitting on your butt and floating downstream, but then there is more more to whitewater kayaking than that isn’t there?  Awesome moves like catching eddies…peeling out of eddies… ferrying from one cool eddy to the next… And then there are boofs of all sorts! Big water boofs…dry rocky boofs…fader boofs…delayed boofs…auto-boofs…Surfing green glassy waves…throwing ends in playful and not so playful holes.

Oh the joys of kayaking! The list goes on and on.  All the river moves are on our radar but one of the key components of kayaking can be the effort involved in hiking ones kayak to the river.  Whether hiking down 500 steps or walking in a mile or (oh no) having to hike out a run, it pays to get in shape.

Here are 5 Exercises you should be doing that require nothing but floor space and a pull up bar.

If you do 5 rounds of 20 reps of each exercise you will find yourself in better shape and more stoked on hopping in your kayak to shred the gnarr!!

For all the exercises prefer good form over quantity. Rest as necessary without being lazy. See you on the water!

Pull-ups

For pull-ups change to 10 at a time.  Nno worries if you can’t do that many.  Do what you can in the pull-up department, but don’t short change yourself–give it a little extra effort and your may surprise yourself)

Push-ups

(All the way up, all the way down. Keep your chin up)

Plank

(20 seconds instead of 20 reps) tighten your core and hold for 20 seconds

Lunges

Tap that knee to the ground keep your torso straight up and down.

Want a challenge? Make your right leg and your left leg count as one rep instead of two.

Body Squats

Pretty straight forward on this one, keep your back straight. Don’t lift your heels as you come up.

Get started today on this sequence and maybe next Monday morning you will not suffer from Tallulah legs as much as usual!

The post Fall Kayaking Fitness: 5 Steps appeared first on Endless River Adventures.

Trees falling across river beds is a well-known hazard in boating.  Trees good. Strainers bad. With the number of dead trees out there, the potential for new fallen trees now and in the future is much greater.  The difficulty of a river is irrelevant when dealing with a strainer, meaning that for the long-term until the dead hemlocks clear out, paddlers’ downstream awareness should be on full alert whether paddling a Class II river, or a favorite Class V creek. A tree can fall overnight, so do not assume that because you paddled the river a week ago that there are no trees down.  When you put on a river, look around; are there a number of dead trees alongside the river? If there are, don’t take downstream for granted.  Prevention is the best way to deal with bad situations in paddling.

The post Kayaking and Trees that Fall appeared first on Endless River Adventures.

Zeta Rapid on the Futaleafu.  Even to the unitiated the rapid looks crazy. Take 5,000 – 25,000 cfs and stuff all that volume into a Z-shaped mini canyon only about 20 feet wide.   For the kayaker scouting the rapid, it takes only a few minutes scouting to note the over-hanging wall with a violently recirculating eddy tucked underneath it, the undercut walls looming downstream, and the eddy lines that look like they can (and in fact will) swallow full-volume boats without hesitation.  For those with knowledge of the history of the rapid, add sives that cannot be immediately spotted (and in fact were learned of only when swimmers ended up in them).  Zeta has a well-worn path where many an experienced paddler has gladly picked up their boat and walked around it.  Zeta is where Lars Holbeck taught me one of my most important lessons in kayaking.

On this particular day, as if scouting Zeta was not intimidating enough, I was paddling with the likes of Lars, Phil DeReimer, Ken Kastorff and Mike Hipsher.  Lars and Phil–the pioneers of the Futaleafu;  Ken, working with Chris Spelius, pioneering running commercial kayaking trips on the river; and Mike Hipsher who had joined their ranks as a guide for Expediciones Chile.  And then there was little ol’ me the video boater.   I had only run Zeta once and was fully aware that it was not unusual for this group of elite guides to decide ahead of time they were walking Zeta so that they could relax and enjoy their day on the Upper Inferno Canyon. But today was a play day and there was a hint of good natured chest thumping going on.  When we arrived at Zeta, I decided to video and watch everyone run the rapid before I made my decision.

Phil and Ken peeled out probably ten seconds apart from each other.  Coming around the Z turn, Phil was swallowed by the eddy line. As Ken came screaming around the turn, the same eddy line swelled (with Phil still in it) and the two ended up on top of each other.  Mike decided to spend some time in the undercut eddy from hell.  That just left Lars still up on the canyon wall taking it all in.  I will never forget the moment.  I looked up and gave Lars an “are you running it” thumbs up.  After a pause, he looked down at me, gave me his signature Lars grin, shook his head and motioned the “I’m walking” sign.

That was one of the formative moments of my paddling career.  When Lars indicated that he was walking, I was flooded with the emotions of a fairly new kayaker:  Lars – the pioneer of the Futa, walking Zeta?  With all his friends already at the bottom?  Guides all of them and he would be the only one to walk the rapid?  Wow.  It did not completely register that day, but I spent the night thinking about Lars walking Zeta.  And eventually I thought maybe I understood: Lars was so comfortable with his paddling, and the knowledge that he could run it but did not feel it, that he could put his boat on his shoulder and walk around the rapid.

It took me a few years and more river time (in my case more beat downs) to fully process the significance of being able to walk a rapid myself. I always felt pressure as a guide, as a female, as someone trying to prove something …  but I did not let Lars down.  I finally understood that walking a rapid has nothing to do with whether you do or don’t have the skill, but because you have the good judgement to know when to make such a decision on any given day.  I never had the chance to really thank Lars for that lesson.  He passed on to that big river where elite kayakers go when they are finished paddling here, but his legacy definitely lives on inside me – and hopefully those I spend time with on the river.

The post The Lars Holbeck Zen of Walking a Rapid appeared first on Endless River Adventures.

Twenty one years kayaking in Costa Rica.  Asked if it ever gets old the answer is no!!  Not the way rivers change in this country.  You never know from one week to the next – let alone one year to the next what new rapids will form, river beds will shift from one channel to the next, or back hoes appear to help rearrange things– and that does not include the water levels that change from one day to the next depending on the weather!  There cannot be another place where rivers change as whimsically as here in Costa Rica.  The question is why?

Geology
When you have young rivers, they have just not made up their minds as to where they should channelize. So arriving to find a river that has jumped 100 feet from one channel to another– that channel being one that was nothing but river rocks the year before, has been status quo here in Costa Rica since forever.  When you look at the river beds, there are no straight lines, and they are made up of round rocks piled up on themselves like ball bearings.  Let the rivers rise and the water starts pushing the rocks around. Anyone who has paddled in Costa Rica on a high water day has experienced the sound of rocks rolling under you.  It can be a little disconcerting!  Changes such as this can happen from one week to another with an unusually heavy rainstorm, particularly at the tail end of the rainy season when the ground is saturated and most of the rain water runs off into the river.

Extreme Variations in Weather Patterns
In 20+ years of paddling, there is no denying that weather patterns are changing and we see more extreme variations, and this includes here in Costa Rica.  Running trips at the tail end of the rainy season was the goal years ago because of hitting the last of the rain before things started drying up and tourist season kicked in. Even in the early years we would witness a rise in a river as much as ten meters over night.  It is just we see it occur more often now. And there are greater temperature variations during the seasonal transition from rainy season to dry season. We would never have dreamed of needing a long sleeve layer in the early years, now one can come in handy on a chilly day.

Progress
How do you discourage a country not to follow the kind of methods used to encourage  progress in the United States in the early 1900’s?  If only it could be understood int he international community that we have turned the tables on the need for extreme damming of rivers – particularly where mega dams are concerned. There is so much scientific evidence that mega dams are not efficient.  But there is so much money behind dam construction that has nothing to do with power generation (if this piques your interest, pick up a copy of Confessions of an Economic Hitman for an education on the politics and economics behind international dam construction ).  Unfortunately, as important as clean power is, with little regulation and lack of economic impact studies in many places, dams are built with complete disregard to the environmental and socio-economic impact. Costa Rica, which on the forefront of eco-tourism, leads the way in dam construction along with every one of her Latin American neighbors.  This year alone we will say good bye to two more sections of river here in Costa Rica: the Toro River and the Lower Reventazon.  All we can do as kayakers is be good ambassadors and help future generations learn to appreciate the rivers in their back yard as we do in traveling here.

For a sum of $2.00 USD, two to three fresh picked pineapples can be purchased here in Costa Rica. The very same pineapple is exported to the United States and sold for $4.98USD.  The economics of food encourages increasing agriculture in a country like Costa Rica.  The result is more rain water run off, which leads to widely fluctuating river levels, as well as more run off of Monsanto’s best chemicals, and loss of precious rain forest.  Buy local, eat local…boy it sure is hard to pass up a delicious Costa Rican pineapple in February or March at home.

Does all this mean writing off paddling in a country like Costa Rica? Not for this generation.  But if you look to the opportunities for our children and grandchildren, international paddling might be a very different experience in the future.  And it is certainly not just Costa Rica. The list includes Panama, Ecuador, Peru, Chile, Turkey, all of Africa, many of the headwaters of the asian rivers, and the list goes on and on….. International Rivers is a very good resource for keeping track of the state of rivers all over the world.

What do you do today? Do not put off the opportunity to travel to an international location to experience the wonder of paddling rivers that so few ever enjoy relative to what we experience paddling in the United States.  No over-crowded eddies, lines at great surf waves, dry suits donned in the cold winter months, or artificial river beds.  A toucan may fly over your head, the verdant rain forest may surround you, a smiling young child may wave to you from the side of the river – or even next to you as you head into a rapid!!

And if you are not planning an international trip this winter, feel free to live vicariously through our trips here in Costa Rica and Ecuador through the Endless River AdventuresFacebook page and the blog site and the extensive photo albums we share with each trip!

And check out all that is about our trips to Costa Rica and Ecuador to help you with your wish list!!

The post Costa Rica Kayaking: Never the Same ‘ol appeared first on Endless River Adventures.

Do some runs through Hell hole and Powerhouse right through the middle … You’re guaranteed to hit something on the Gauley,  you need to approach them as something you hit when you do, not a reason to be upside down… Stay up over boat, set perp. Angle and drive through on clean strokes…

Great advice!

The post Gauley Prep Work appeared first on Endless River Adventures.

It is an Olympic year! And an ambitious group of slalom kayakers will be working hard this summer to qualify for the few coveted slots on the US team headed to London. While slalom only hits the front page every four years, amateur slalom events have been a tradition in the southeast for 40+ years. The history behind the numerous events held in the southeast is long and noteworthy.  Many an Olympic paddler has emerged from the ranks of these southeastern races. Even more noteworthy is that many of the original participants and/or organizers of these southeastern events still participate today as friendly competitors, organizers and volunteers.

The magic behind many of the events held in the southeast is the community spirit.  Participants that come out to compete in the races have always- and still do include a line up of both professional athletes and recreational paddlers who enjoy the edge competition gives them.  Ages range from tiny junior paddlers to former athletes who may be now sporting some grey (or no) hair, but are still game to come out and give the young bucks a run for their money for a weekend.

Southeasterns: one of the oldest events

One of the oldest events in the United States is the Southeasterns.  Southeasterns were established and run by one of the oldest paddling clubs in the United States- the Georgia Canoe Association (GCA).  At its peak Southeasterns was one of the major race events in the US and boasted possibly the largest number of participants when numbers hit 400+.  In the history of the Southeasterns, Bill Nutt relates “The GCA’s 1966 founders, Horace Holden, Sr. and Bill Crawford, together with Payson Kennedy, had in 1968 visited the Canoe Cruisers Association (CCA) of Greater Washington D.C.’s Petersburg races on the North Fork of the South Branch of the Potomac River. They were impressed and met many experienced racers who were excited about the idea of coming to the Nantahala to race the following July 4th. Thus was born what was ambitiously termed the “First Annual Nantahala Race… to promote the sport in the Southeast, as well as advance the cause for wild rivers.”

Bunny Johns, one of the original participants in the Southeasterns, remembers fondly “A racer usually helped get the race set up, then raced, judged as needed and then helped take the course down.  We were tough back then and all in the spirit of having fun and being challenged by a slalom course.  There was also a downriver race.  My big remembrance is that in general to race during a weekend event, the racers had to help – otherwise there would have been no race.”

Southeasterns also fostered the idea of regional paddling clubs competing as teams. For many years, the “Southeastern Cup” was awarded to the paddling club whose members earned the most medals at the weekend event.  K1, K2, C1, C2, OC1 and OC2, as well as Wildwater downriver racing have all been a part of Southeasterns.

Southeasterns may hold the title as the “first annual Nantahala Race,” but it might not be the most “character building” event held in the southeast.  Many a boater has driven through the Nantahala Gorge in February and shivered at the sight of a line of professional and recreational slalom boaters walking upstream to run the gates through the Nantahala Falls. If there is ice and/or snow on the ground it is time for the Nantahala Glacier Breaker.  The Glacier Breaker has been held for 20+ years, and is one of the first events of the season for recreational athletes and many of the top slalom and Wildwater boaters who are dusting off their competitive edge after a winter off.

Glacier Breaker: the season opener

Ask former Olympic C-2 racer Horace Holden, Jr., about his “fondest” memories of Glacier Breaker and he is quick to remember “usually cold, but that was not a big deal because we had been training all winter in the cold. Wayner and I would do lake workouts at 6:30 am with the temps in the teens. One of my all time favorite Christmas presents was a hand made power bar warmer that rested over the defrost vent in my truck. (Thanks Wayner.) Broken teeth from frozen power bars were no fun. Training in the gates….It wasn’t uncommon to get off the water with a layer of ice glazed on your pfd and paddle jacket. I remember chipping icicles off the slalom poles.”

While the Nantahala River is a busy venue in the spring for whitewater events – it is not the only location in the south with a long history of annual events. Alabama is host to three races in the spring: the Locust Fork Invitational, Locust Fork Classic and the Mulberry Fork Race.

Granddaddy of Alabama Events

The Mulberry Fork is the grand daddy of Alabama events, hosting a 25-gate slalom course since 1981.  The Mulberry Fork race attracted many professional athletes who would come and join the ranks of southeastern boaters out to enjoy the race (and the festivities—which Alabama does well!!).  As a young professional athlete, Holden Jr. was part of the annual event. His favorite part of the Mulberry Race? “The best thing about the Mulberry Fork race was that it drew a different kind of racer. Not your typical hard core racer. Instead, lots of friendly folks from Alabama who enjoyed a fun day on the river even if it meant running gates. This was especially reflected in the open boat class. The atmosphere was very refreshing.” Following in the footsteps of the Mulberry Fork Race, the Locust Fork River has become the venue for two additional Alabama Cup Races – making for a trifecta of spring races in the deep south.

Attracting the Professional: The US Open

The first race of the season to attract the professional slalom paddlers is always the US Open. Held on the Nantahala River, professional slalom athletes and local slalom enthusiasts  come together for a little more serious competition.  This is great training for the upcoming season for the athletes, and a challenge to all because the Falls provides an opportunity for the course designers to add challenging gates.

Fun for All: The Nantahala Open

It is no secret that participation in US slalom events is declining; but out of the tradition of southern competition has grown a series of freestyle events.  What a slalom boater would once do when falling unintentionally falling into a hole….freestyle boaters now do intentionally and score points for doing so.   Once upon a time there was the Ocoee Rodeo; today there are awesome events like the Freestyle Shoot Out and World Kayak’s Homegrown Throwdown events— fun, easy and low stress events set up to encourage both community activity (playing together) and skills development. Similar to the slalom events, the freestyle events are divided into divisions that include juniors boaters that barely tip the scales to former “rodeo boaters” who still enjoy getting in to a good freestyle feature and throwing down.

The long tradition of community slalom and freestyle competitions, bringing together professional athletes and recreational boaters to enjoy a little friendly competition, has also spawned some great community-wide events.   Eight years ago Nantahala Falls became the venue for the first Nantahala Open Event – hosted by Endless River Adventures and Team Wave Sport. The Nantahala Open gained the reputation as the number one favorite fun competition on the Nantahala River, inspiring such prize winners as “best self rescue, cutest run through the falls and best surf in top hole.” It is a great day to see the professional members of Team Wave Sport playing in the top hole or hanging out at the top of the Falls giving encouragement to boaters preparing for their run through the Nantahala Falls.

Returning to the Nantahala: Camp Cup Challenge

Events continue throughout the summer in the southeast.  One of the most successful reintroductions to the paddling community has been the annual Camp Cup Challenge.  Western North Carolina is home to the largest group of summer camps—many of which have paddling programs that are over 90+ years old and going strong.  These paddling programs have introduced many young campers to canoeing and kayaking, and in turn have helped foster some of our best young kayakers. In 2007, former Mondamin/Greencove couple Sean and Kristin Bierle (founders of the Alzar School) had a dream: to see the dormant Camp Cup Challenge reinstated. The Camp Cup Challenge brings together all the summer camps for a two-day event that includes a down river event at Nantahala Falls and slalom event at the Nantahala Bridge Gates. What is remarkable about the Camp Cup Challenge is not just the enthusiasm of the campers themselves, but the counselors – including such luminaries as Lecky Haller, Fritz Haller and David Jones and guest coaches the likes of Pablo McCandliss Wayne Dickert and Juliet Jacobsen Kastorff—all coming together to make the Camp Cup Challenge a great community event.

The Camp Cup Challenge has been such a success that it has spawned individual club events such as the Carolina Canoe Club Week of Rivers Challenge, and most recently the NOC Club Cup Challenge.  Today these events continue the tradition of slalom and wildwater, but have also evolved to include Freestyle and Boatercross events.  The result is the same: bringing together whitewater enthusiasts from all corners of the southeast to enjoy friendly competition and time on the river together.

In 1968, the founders of the “First Annual Nantahala Race” probably never dreamed that the Nantahala would one day become the site of an international competition as a result of their hard work. The history of community support for events is what helped bring attention to the Nantahala River and the “wave” – now called the Nantahala Freestyle Wave.  The Nantahala Freestyle Wave will host the 2013 International Freestyle Competition—bringing international boaters to the Southeast to share the community spirit that Southeastern boaters have been a part of for many years.

For a list of many of the southeastern competitions check out the Endless River Adventures Whitewater Calendar of Events.

The post History of Slalom Events in the Southeast appeared first on Endless River Adventures.

-as published on boatertalk

Matt Terry – where did your passion for whitewater/rivers come from?
Paddling rivers everywhere! Every time I get out on the water I am reminded of why we need to protect these valuable resources.

And then one day you decided to save the rivers of Ecuador….Why Ecuador?  When?
As a long-time member and supporter of American Whitewater, I have been actively involved in the river conservation movement for many years. AW is a constant source of inspiration and shows what is possible to achieve with experience, support, and dedication.

In the United States, we developed most of our rivers during the last century, and many conservation efforts have been directed towards restoring instream flows and mitigating the impacts caused by these dams and diversion structures, including removing them. Through that process, a growing social awareness developed that recognized the importance of preserving free-flowing river corridors and intact watersheds, along with the creation of specific laws and regulations that allowed for the designation of rivers with outstanding resource values for permanent protection and proper management, along with many other considerations that provide the impetus which help ensure adequate public participation and representation so that the best alternatives will be reached to face the growing demand for renewable energy and fresh water resources.

Around the world, we are losing incredible whitewater rivers at an unprecedented rate. In most of these cases, there are gross deficiencies, negligent abuses, and often a lack of legal structures which require government authorities, investors and developers to carry out legitimate processes of public participation, provide access to information, transparency in the decisions that are made, and the consideration of different user groups or opinions in the evaluation of alternatives during the development process. In these scenarios, development projects are often presented to meet nascent political agendas, the studies are later contracted to justify the proposed project, and sometimes other project alternatives are not even evaluated or discussed. Outside the United States, it becomes easier to appreciate the rights and processes that we have in our country to guarantee adequate land use planning, and to challenge inappropriate development, consider recreational use, preserve species and habitat, and protect areas with outstanding resource values.

While I was working in Chile in the mid-1990’s, I witnessed the loss of the Royal Flush Canyon on the Bio Bio River with the construction of the first stage of the Pangue hydroelectric complex. I was also at the Futaleufu River when Chris Spelius started his efforts to get the local community and the international paddling community involved to help save the most important sections of that river in Chile from being dammed. Both of those experiences left striking impressions upon me about the future of whitewater rivers throughout the world, as well as what we, as paddlers, need to do if we want to preserve some of these special places as paddling destinations. In the years that followed, I had the opportunity to live, work and travel on rivers in several countries in Central America and Southeast Asia, and gained a wider perspective on the current status and situations of the countries in these regions, as well as the pending plans for developing their water resources in the near future. Then I went to Ecuador.

Ecuador is a tropical whitewater paradise with year-round paddling on an endless variety of accessible rivers with amazing rapids and scenery. When I first arrived in Ecuador in 1997, the country was just starting to open up as an international paddling destination, and presented a refreshing outlook with great potential for the future. With the support of the Polartec Challenge and other industry sponsors, I organized a series of paddling expeditions to explore and document rivers all over the country. Through that effort, I came away with a clear perspective and overview of the current conditions and level of development in all of the main watersheds in the country, and knew which rivers and areas were important and worth saving. And in the process, I covered a lot of ground, paddled a lot of rivers, met a lot of people, and became known around the country.

What really impressed me was that Ecuador was at least 20 years behind the other countries in the region and the rest of the world in developing its water resources for hydroelectricity, and that Ecuador met about 50% of its electricity needs from just a handful of hydro projects that were located on rivers that were pretty much off the map for paddling interests. Another notable observation was the significant social and cultural ties that the local population had with the rivers for fishing, swimming, bathing, and floating. Also, at this point in time, the paddle sports industry began to reach a mainstream popularity that it had never seen before, and for the first time ever, represented strength in numbers and could manifest itself with real economic impact. Tourism is one of Ecuador’s most important sources of jobs and revenue, and river-based activities are a big part of what Ecuador has to offer. These factors presented very interesting opportunities to influence the development of water resources in Ecuador.

By the turn of the century, we were starting to see a lot of visible threats to the integrity of the rivers in Ecuador, and there was explicit interest to develop new hydro projects on a number of rivers that were important paddling destinations. Rafting and kayaking had successful inserted into the country’s tourism portfolio and became significant driving forces for several local economies, and it was apparent to me that there was still a chance to make a difference in Ecuador and something needed to be done. The idea occurred to organize a river festival and bring people together to raise awareness about the value of the rivers and the issues that we were concerned about. With an outpouring of help and interest, I organized the first Napo River Festival in 2001 to celebrate the importance of Ecuador’s last major free-flowing tributary of the Amazon that had protected headwaters. Based on the successful response from this event, and after evaluating a number of options and possibilities to reach our objectives, a group of people came together and formed the Ecuadorian Rivers Institute (ERI) as a non-profit river conservation organization in 2002. Since that time I have been committed to protecting unique watershed resources in Ecuador for the benefit of future generations. The ERI has a vested interest in river conservation, and is the only organization which works to protect the interests of recreational river users and specifically addresses watershed issues in Ecuador.

You tackle about every environmental issue that impacts the rivers of the Oriente.  Do you get a lot of support from the community? How about the government?
The main reason why the ERI continues to work in Ecuador is from the positive feedback and support we have received from the local population. The ERI also benefits from a number of contacts and influences from people throughout the Ecuadorian government who recognize and support our efforts. Unfortunately, it is often difficult for many Ecuadorians to speak out and voice their concerns about issues without facing legal, political, or other repercussions, and developmental interests still dominate the decisions that are made regarding resource management and environmental considerations. It is this “pork barrel” development model, and the corruption that surrounds it, which remains to be the biggest obstacle to overcome. A large part of our efforts are directed towards trying to reach and educate these developers, the government, and the general public about the issues and show them a new vision of development that includes legitimate processes of environmental evaluation and public participation to ensure that projects are identified, selected and implemented in the best possible way, along with basic principles of environmental management which help create greater benefits for everyone involved while minimizing impacts. Chinese investment has made things considerably more difficult and challenging to work with, as projects are funded that normally would not move forward on their own merit or by traditional means.

Do you see a light at the end of the tunnel in a country like Ecuador?
It is a very long tunnel, but there must be an end. If not, since we are in Ecuador, the “tunnel” will surely collapse somewhere, and at some point, due to “inherent structural deficiencies”, and that will surely let some light in. We have enjoyed a number of successes, and continue to gain ground on a number of fronts. That is what keeps us going. However, we face some very complex issues, and our efforts remain as a steep uphill climb. We are convinced that by educating the key sectors to gain a proper understanding of the problems, we will be able to succeed in making a difference in the decisions that are made to resolve them.

What is your biggest challenge for continuing the mission of ERI?
The ERI is only limited by the capacity we have to work with. As a volunteer-based organization, everyone that is involved works in other jobs and capacities to make ends meet. This inherently limits our capacity and has created a rather vicious cycle of trying to keep up with all of the issues and projects we are involved with on a day-to-day basis, while keeping the organization alive, and attending to personal needs. Finding money and funding to sustain and grow the ERI as an organization is the biggest challenge, and the main limiting factor. Our funding comes predominately from the generous contributions of individual donors and small grants for specific project expenses. This valuable support helps to cover some basic expenses, but is not sufficient to support the organizational needs and operating expenses. Our attempts to apply for grants and funding from larger organizations and private foundations have not produced notable results, and we have found that it is a tough market to break into, and is a full-time effort. Meanwhile, the ERI has missed a number of opportunities to incorporate or maintain key staff, especially local Ecuadorians, by not being able to offer any paid compensation or benefits.

Final Note from Juliet:
Like any struggling organization, one of ERI’s greatest challenges is just keeping ahead of the bills. They receive support from multiple sources—including the three top paddling companies in Ecuador: DeRiemner Adventures, Small World Adventures and Endless River Adventures.  But there is never enough….if you have paddled in Ecuador or dream of doing so, supporting Ecuadorian Rivers Institute will help keep your dream alive.

You may also want to look at the ERI’s FB page for more information and updates on current events:

PS from Matt: “On Wednesday, October 19, 2011, we suspended 4 illegal gravel mining operations on the Jatunyacu, Talag, and Hollin Rivers with the government authorities from Quito. Things are quite tense at the moment and I continue to receive personal threats regarding our legal actions against the gabion walls and the illegal instream gravel mining and gold mining here. At the same time, there is a growing support and awareness of these issues from the local population.”

The post And a Nobel Prize for saving rivers should go to…Matt Terry appeared first on Endless River Adventures.

by Juliet

Look around western North Carolina and it is easy to list off all the reasons why you would move there if given the choice—especially if you are a kayaker. Setting aside all the obvious reasons, it was a rubber duck that sealed the deal for me.

Ten hours. The drive from Capital Hill, WDC to the Nantahala Gorge.  In the late 80’s I made the trip multiple times. In a Toyota Corolla.  With my kayak on top of the car and two 100-pound golden retrievers in the back seat.

It was always so hard to leave WNC after a weekend; I would postpone my departure as late as possible on Sunday, knowing I have to be at the first of my two jobs at 8AM Monday morning—and probably had a paper due for my masters program.

Eventually I decided that I would leave behind everyone and everything I knew to move to western North Carolina–a place that I knew I wanted to call home.  Prior to making such a leap, I thought it would be good to make one more visit to see what western North Carolina was like outside of high season—the only time of year I had ever spent any time there. Over Thanksgiving I loaded up the Corolla with my kayak, two dogs and the rubber duck to head down south.

The rubber duck was not mine. It was Rupert’s — the younger of my two Golden Retrievers. Living in a townhouse on Capital Hill meant walking the dogs. Frequently. So we walked in the morning. Sometimes at lunch. To friends’ houses. And often at night.  My two dogs–Beaver and Rupert, had a knack for snatching up objects on our walks, snatching up tennis balls, stuffed animals, sticks…and one day a rubber duck. The duck was Rupert’s find. And it became the toy-that-went-everywhere-and-anywhere. Rupert could not go on a walk without it. Nor go on a sleep-over. And certainly not go to North Carolina without it.

Arriving in the Nantahala Gorge in November was startling. No one was there! I pulled into Turkey Creek Campground to find it empty. I drove to the river to find it kayaker-less.  It did not take much to guess I would not find anyone to paddle with. So I called the NOC and asked about kayaking. Whoever answered the phone probably hung up after my call and sought out the only three other people on campus in November to tell them about the silly girl that had called. Fortunately for me, one of those few people still in the Gorge was Eric Neis. And on top of that the Ocoee and the Green were both running. I have learned since what a fortuitous combination that was (the Green in particular–that being a story in itself).

Each day after paddling I returned to the campsite and my dogs.  I never saw another person at the campground.  Our Thanksgiving weekend ended too quickly and it was time to head home.  We loaded up in the Corolla and pulled out of Turkey Creek.  It was about Asheville that I realized that Rupert was pacing in the backseat (as much as a 100-pound dog can pace in the back seat of a Toyota Corolla shared with another 100-pound dog).  Pulling over to figure out the problem, I discovered that Rupert was without his rubber duck.

Having to be at work in a little over twelve hours, there was no time to go back. I promised Rupert a new duck as soon as we were home (I stashed away a collection of replacement ducks since they would eventually be gummed to death in Golden Retriever style).

Soon into the holiday season–and being Washington,DC, the weather had turned to miserable and kayaking was the last thing on my mind; therefore, returning home one day to a “pick up at the post office” notice on my door, all I could think was how “lucky” I was have to take time off work to head to the Capital Hill Post Office (located in the crack house part of the neighborhood).  Standing in line a painfully long time (it was holiday season), I was finally “helped” by a holiday-belligerent Post Office employee who handed me a small package personally addressed to my two dogs: Beaver and Rupert.  It could be from no one other than my mother (who else sends their daughter’s dogs presents?!?) I could not wait until home to see what was in the box so I opened it right there in the post office. And just like magic, I had my enlightenment.

Inside the box was Rupert’s rubber duck left behind in North Carolina. Sent to me by Ramelle and Mike of Turkey Creek Campground. I had never met them in person.  Never spoke with them. But obviously they had kept an eye out on my pups while I was out kayaking. They had learned their names. Had learned that Rupert was a lost soul without his duck. They had my address. People I had never met thought enough about me and my dogs (or at least my dogs) to package up a gummed up rubber duck and send it back to me.

Right there in the middle of a Post Office full of unhappy people. I knew I was supposed to make North Carolina my home. The only misunderstanding I had was thinking that I had chosen my home.  I have come to understand that sometimes you do not chose where you are to be, it chooses you.

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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 the people speak a language unfamiliar, who eat different food than you do, where the fruit is fresh off the tree and dinner is served at a different hour than at home. The bug to take a vacation where the centerpiece is paddling for multiple days rather than a weekend here or there.   So where to go? Where to kayak? How do you maximize your coveted vacation time and do the most paddling/exploring/relaxing/fun you can?

The first thing to keep in mind is that paddling in an international setting is no different than paddling at home—there is a season.  The season might be rainy versus dry season, or winter to our summer, but just like your back yard runs, you cannot change what season mother nature sets up to be optimal paddling season.  If you have a specific destination you want to explore – chose your vacation time based on the best time to paddle in that country.  If you have a specific time you are going to be traveling, chose the destination that has the best opportunity to paddle based on that time.  Or ultimately- if you have a specific time you are going to be traveling to a specific destination for reasons not primarily paddling, accept that you might not see the best that the rivers of that country have to offer you as a kayaker.

Rainy season.  Unfamiliar to North Americans.  Take any country located on/near the equator.  These countries do not have four distinct seasons, they do not even have a summer or winter. Lack of winter is what makes countries like Costa Rica, Panama and Ecuador so attractive.  In the midst of our miserable late falls into winters, these countries boast temperate climates and lots of whitewater.  When you look at photos of paddling in the rain forest, you cannot wait to visit. Lush jungle, toucans swooping across the river, sloths hanging out in trees, monkeys traipsing through the branches, delicious tropical fruits, and beautiful whitewater rivers, paddling paradise.

What challenges does a country with a rainy season hold?  There is a fine line between the rainy season and the “tail end” of the rainy season.  Arrive too early/stay too late and you will find the rivers can potentially be unrunnable (hard to believe for boaters in North America—but rain can be problematic) because they are flooded.  At home we are perpetually doing the rain dance and celebrating when it is successful.  But such is not the case in a normal rainy season environment.  For every rainy season is a lot of rain. If you have never traveled in a country with a rainy season—during rainy season, the quantity of rain that can fall is hard to imagine.  In the southeast, the dream “rainy season” is late spring/early summer. In rain forest environments, you pray for rain …and the rivers flood—even during a drought year (ask people who have traveled to Ecuador). A river can rise thirty-some feet in one hard rainstorm. And then there are the avalanches because the ground is so saturated that it can hold no more. And roads washed out making travel-not just access to put-ins and take-outs, but all out travel, challenging.  There is no secret that in most rain forest countries there is a high season and a low season for tourism – and high season is when it is not rainy season.  Of course as kayakers, we are looking for the rain, it is just a balance of not too much and not too litte. Scoot over momma and papa bear.

Or you can encounter the opposite–for every rainy season is a dry season. Dry season means no rain.  There is a reason tourists flock to Costa Rica from Christmas to April. The weather is gorgeous. Blue skies, temperatures that don’t seem to budge away from wonderful, and no rain.  Not good news for the rivers.  Are there exceptions? Sure – there are some dam-controlled rivers and there is always the chance of unseasonal rains.  But do not count on guaranteed releases on dam-controlled rivers like you have at home.  There is no such thing as FERC in the international scene.  So paddling in dry season is like paddling in the southeast in August – without any guaranteed dam-controlled rivers.  Maybe there will be a random rain where the water levels rise to make for a good run – but no guarantee.

The balance-paddling wise, in such environments is to get in on the tail end of the rainy season—the window of opportunity to maximize the treasure trove of rivers offered. In Costa Rica and Panama, this tends to be late October to early December. In Ecuador (where there is a rainy season and then a more rainy season) it is late November to early February.  It is interesting is how drastically things can change just one country away. Peru for example is right next to Ecuador, and the best season for paddling the best rivers in Peru is July.

Summer to winter

In Mexico they eat burritos and tacos, in Costa Rica beans and rice and in South America, lots of chicken from the egg stage on up.  The point is that you cannot assume that what happens in one “latino” country is the same for others.  In Chile you are not looking at rainy and dry season, but an inverse of our summer and winter.  Have vacation time in November or December and head to Chile? Expect high water in even a normal season because of a combination of snowmelt, seasonal rains and variable weather.  Land in Chile in March and expect frost warnings with snow soon to follow.

Paddling outside our backyard is a way to rekindle/ignite your passion for kayaking. It may be that you have just graduated to Class II-III and are just fired up to keep the momentum going…it may be that you have paddled the same runs during the same times over and over again and are getting antsy.  Or that you just love checking out new runs.  Traveling to new countries with new cultures demonstrates how cool this sport is. Using your kayak you can explore new cultures and new rivers. What a great combination!!  But do your homework before you commit.

1. Are there outfitters running trips in that particular country during the time you are looking to travel?
2. Does that outfitter run trips in that country once a year/every couple of years/commit every year to that country – meaning do they really know when is the best time to be there?
3. Do you speak the language of the country you are traveling, or have contacts that do?
4. If you cannot get your kayak on the plane (which is very likely) do you have a back-up plan?

If not the above, think about going with a company well established in that country. You will save yourself considerable hassle.  A few quick questions for the outfitter:

1. Does the outfitter have a history in that country—and is it more than one week/year?
2. Does the outfitter have a relationship with drivers/hotels//restaurants/outfitters in the country they are operating in?
3. What is this outfitter’s relationship with in-country outfitters because in case of an emergency it is good to have friends.
4. The guides for the outfitter you are going with—how long have they been working in that country (which is different than how long the outfitter themselves have been there). You are paddling with the guides—not the business.
5. Commitment-what infrastructure has the outfitter committed to in a specific country? Are they just passing through, hoping your business gives them a vacation, or have they committed funds to a long-term commitment. Do they have their own boats in the country? Transportation – what have they set up? Community-what kind of commitment have they made to the local community?
6. Many outfitters are not “nationals” meaning they are from the States, but have committed to operating in a specific country. Not a bad thing. But how well do they do their homework? Do they prep for the trips prior to you showing up? Do they spend time in the local community to build partnerships with locals since they are outsiders? Do they know what is going on politically? (quite important in most of the popular paddling destinations)

Your vacation time is valuable. And any paddling vacation should be a great vacation!! Do a little homework—ask some questions before committing to who/what/where you go.

And enjoy using your kayak as a means to explore the world!

as published on Boatertalk

The post Going International appeared first on Endless River Adventures.

Dear River Rats,
First, let me say that when I was a younger man, the Nantahala and Chattooga, etc. where challenges that were met with a cautious confidence and enjoyed with a relaxed excitement! 40 years later as an older, out of shape guy, I went down your river with an elevated “pucker factor.” I am glad to have listened intently to the owners instructions and warnings. They proved to not only be helpful but where correct in every aspect! I did try and remember every approach and set up instruction but found my over aged brain couldn’t process it all.

While concentrating too hard, I busted my ass 5 minutes into the run over an obscure flat rock. I just couldn’t let go as instructed to do ( this being at the very top and not wanting to lose my gear so soon ) so I got raked over a couple sets of falls until a nice group of guys that were in those little “plastic shoes” rescued me. By raked I mean, getting sucked over into a belly down position which is what happens when you’re trying to hang onto a duckey and paddle at the same time. Not to mention the life vest that I didn’t tightly secure at the waist straps enough and the vest try to ride up around my throat and strangle me. Oh yea, I was freakin!

I got my battle scars on my shins I proudly wore home to Florida and just last week picked the last scabs off. This opening misadventure caused me to journey somewhat paranoid until the next wipe out 2/3 rds down. My buddies encouraging pep talk at a road side eddy was the only thing that kept me going to the big finale.  “The Bump” and “The Falls” were next. I ran it superbly and salvaged my ego and I was able to go home victorious!

I remember years ago when I was navigating “Decap Rock” and “5 Falls” where the “Deliverence”crew had battled, asking my little female guide, “how did you get those sticthes on your face and legs”. She answered she got nicked
kayaking the Chattooga at night with some other guides.

The moral of this story is “you have to crawl before you can walk and walk before you can run.” To answer your thank you card, I had a great crawl and I will be back with my sons to see you ERA folks!

I”ll always remember my favorite line from a movie spoken in dramatic fashion (Lewis Medlock aka Burt Reynolds) “You don’t beat it, you don’t beat this river.” I’ll never take 3 feet of water for granted!

Keep up the good work and thanks a bunch for a great time!
Regards, Bryant Ring

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