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International Kayaking Trips

3K views 7 replies 5 participants last post by  desertSherpa 
#1 ·
Hi Buzzards,

I'm looking for advice on international paddling.

I've been mulling over the following:

Chile- looks like it has great variety from steep creeks to big water and everything in between. I've heard accommodations are great, it's relatively easy to get a modern creeker, the only downside is the expensive flight all the way down south. A friend of mine spent a month on the Fuy and came back a jedi paddler.

Mexico- Waterfall heaven with good accommodations and an affordable flight. Any highly recommended accommodations and or runs? Relatively affordable?

Ecuador- Friends head down there almost every year and always seem to be having a good time, I've heard continuous read and run class IV+ for miles. Sounds like a deeper, tamer North Fork to me.

Norway- I haven't heard a lot as far as accommodations and ability to get a boat although I'm guessing there are plenty of European made boats floating around. Relatively affordable flights, a friend says it's all Class IV but it sure looks stout to me.

B.C.- I'm going to have a TRP to Canada here in the next few months so I've been planning on getting up there the end of summer, we had a plan to hit some creeks and skook this past fall but that was thwarted by the border closure and current situation. Since I live in the PNW, I can drive up no problem and spend a week cruising around. The top of my hit list is the Elk River and Callaghan Creek, any other must dos?

Thanks in advance for any info and helping kill time at the office.
 
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#2 ·
Ecuador. Everything from big water jungle rivers to steep creeks to waterfalls, shorty to full drysuit weather, and plenty of local beta on what's running when. Friendly folks, relatively cheap and easy to get around (buses and "taxis"/pickups in smaller towns), great food and VARIETY. You can hook up with other paddlers in Tena, Quito, Baeza, and likely other towns as well. I've paddled in a dozen countries on 4 continents and if I could still 'yak for more than 45 minutes without suffering for days afterwards I would head to Ecuador again in a car wash minute... plus they use U.S. dollars for currency, take a wad of singles and fives and you'll be popular anywhere in the bush as small bills often prized. Spanish helps, but you will learn basics quickly or find someone to paddle with who can get around in it. And you've got everything from coastal warm water down around Santo Domingo to snowmelt off Andean peaks... Don&Darcy @ Small World are great folks and their base is awesome, but if your budget doesn't permit you can roll your own all over the country. The only problem you're going to have is realizing you have a return ticket...
 
#4 ·
Tres Rios is about as close to boating paradise as it gets. Small World used to turn their groups over on Saturdays - old group departed, new group came on Sundays - so we would stay there Saturday night and have place almost to ourselves (living in Quito, it was just a 2-3 hour drive over). Beautiful spot, they build a yoga hut out over the rio, great food and grounds, horseshoe pit, 4-5 stretches to boat within 15-30 minutes drive. Larry still owned the place then, but Darcy & Dan came down every winter for "the season.", Worth doing one of their itineraries just to see where you fit in to see what you want to paddle - lot of U.S. "Class IV" paddlers discover they are really III+ in Ecuador, but if you boat every day you'll step up pretty soon.
If I had a month I'd move over to Tena for at least a week and then maybe check out Santo Domingo area, but depends what you want. You will almost certainly run into other groups & solo paddlers, very possible to team up for shuttles and various runs.
Envious...
 
#5 ·
Due to other interests from the girlfriend that will be traveling with and wants to do other things while I am boating, it looks like we're heading to Pucon for a week and then the Futa for a week in November. I'll keep the Ecuador recommendations in mind for following trips, really appreciate the feedback!
 
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