Costa Rica rafting trip Dec. 10, 2006
Part 1 of 2 rafting pages
Go to first 10 days of the trip
Here's a map link to track our rafting route on the Pacuare river in Eastern Costa Rica. We drove for about two hours from San Jose' to get to the Caribbean side of the country, up over the mountain ranges, and down to the eastern slope to get on the upper part of the river. This part of the trip was after the Tauck tour trip. We booked this trip on our own out of the Marriott in San Jose' and the raft company picked us up at our hotel for the two plus hours trip across the mountains to the Pacuare river.
The raft trip was over 18 miles and we made a drop of a couple thousand feet over 50+ rapids of class 3 and 4 rating. The guide, Cholo, told us if the river was any higher, they would not have run the trip because it got too dangerous at that level.
The Pacuare River is rated one of the top five rivers in the world for action rafting. The photos were taken by a professional photographer who preceded us in a kayak and took the photos of us in some of the class 3 and 4 rapids. They were taking some photos for publication and gave us copies on a CD at the end of the trip. The few photos posted here only give you a taste of what actually happened on the three to four hour raft ride. We did stop for lunch on the river and rested for about an hour between the first and second half... and we needed it. There are over 50 photos, but due to the large size of the files, I only posted about half.
Make sure you pay attention to the expressions of the two girls (Pom and Suzie from Holland) in the front of the raft, not to mention our faces. The expressions range from 'oh, my God', to sheer fear and joy at having survived a class four section.
The rapids were non-stop. As soon as we made it through one set, we could hear or see the next, and the next, and the next. We ran over 50 rapids in all. Unlike the, Natahala, Colorado, or Rio Grande trips we have made, this one was non-stop rapids and there were no long lapses between rapids. The water was ice cold as it was flowing out of the high mountains, but the air was about 74 degrees, so very comfortable until we got wet.
This first set of photos was taken in the first of the class 4 rapids. The second amazing set is of Jane being thrown from the raft and the guide retrieving her mid-air and pulling her back in the boat.
Part 2, Jane leaves the raft...unintentionally!
Return to first 10 days of the trip
Click on the images to enlarge
The three rafts ahead of us all turned over in the class 4 rapids and everyone was thrown out. The guide said only 50% of rafts attempting this rapid make it...! Look who was watching from the shore...buzzards. Not good. Not good at all...!!!!
This set of photos occurs over about 4 or 5 minutes. It happened very fast as the water is moving rapidly and the noise is deafening.
Look at the faces of the two girls, Pom and Suzie, in the front...someone in the back (me) is sitting up and saying 'Oh, my God!'
At this point the guide, Cholo our guide, is yelling at all of us to ROW!!! ROW!!!, so we will be correctly positioned for entry into the waves or to miss submerged rocks. If you hit the rock wrong, that is what will flip the boat or toss you out.
Buried in the first wave...Cholo is still yelling orders...back on the RIGHT! Forward on the LEFT!!!
As we hit the first wave, the raft bow lifts high out of the water and the middle bends double...producing what's known as a 'taco'. Some of us are hanging on like crazy to avoid being thrown down in or out of the raft. Some of us are rowing...like mad.
The raft is swirling around and Cholo is still yelling, or is that an 'Oh, my God' in Spanish? It's like being an washing machine.
Okay, the girls up front are now smiling so we must be ok.
Spoke too soon, everyone is rowing like crazy (self-preservation?), even Cholo looks kind of serious now...
BAM!!!!!!!! Are we having fun yet?
Oh, S----, not again...look at the faces.
BAM!!!
People are flying all over the place, paddles are not in the water and we are all wondering if we made it...or what's next. The collisions with waves come in a series of hits over and over...and you can't anticipate what's next...do you row or hang on...?
Completely awash...the raft is full of ice cold water. No paddles in the water here. Where is everyone?
Who's in the raft? Who's out? Where's my paddle? What happen to the guy in the back?
Hanging on for dear life. To hell with paddling. The guy in the back was knocked to the floor of the raft.
Jane has recovered and we're heading for the bank to rest
We made it!!!!!!!!!!
High five!!!
Lunch break, then we go down the second half...
Continue to Part 2, see where Jane leaves the raft...unintentionally!
Go to first 10 days of the trip