One from Anna

So I never post on the blog my stories although you can bet I have a few, but I did feel the need to share our white water rafting tale as a cautionary story to all those that will ask me about participating on this tour this season.  Let me preface this with the fact that is experience is AWESOME and is gets better and better the farther away from “holy C%@*” moments you get.

The experience begins with a swim test that has you jumping in cold water and running a set of rapids with only your behind as cushion between you and the rocks.  The current pulls you under 3 times (at which point it helps not to breath) and you acquire your first bruise. The “test” does give you a taste of what is more than likely to occur at least once in the trip.

I have had plenty of clients that say “class IV, V…no problem I’ve white water rafted before”. Upon their return to the hotel I hear things like “why did you try and kill us…what did we ever do to you”.  Yesterday was no exception. No one got out without at least one minor bump and bruise and a few serious moments of OMG.  Below are picture of just one of the many class IV rapid which will be etched in my memory for the near future.

 

It became clear that the raft was going to remain stuck unless we got out and pulled it from the eddy. Well…when the raft got free there she went and with her my guide (who had already abandoned ship once in a previous class V to be hauled up by sheer adrenalin and a few choice words). We began to refer to him as our Italian Captain. I will leave it to your imagination to decide how I got myself off that rock in the middle of a class IV.  BUT HEY I’m STILL SMILING!

Here are two last pictures so you guys don’t think we spent the whole time having a near death experience ;-)  The guides and safety crew are GREAT but it helps to know what you are getting into. This is a technical river. There are very few places you can run a river that fast, shallow and tight.  It is something special.

The Other Half of the Group                                                           Us looking like we have it together