BY STEVE BROOKS
Steve has lived in Austria for over 23 years, from being a place to come and work seasonally on the river to a base camp and finally making Austria his home! Steve’s love for kayaking and adventure is infectious, and this can especially be seen in the kayak school he set up 11 years ago. Based out of the Arlberg region in western Austria, the school runs courses for beginners plus coaching and instructing kayakers through all the whitewater grades, including creeking and river running. Between the kayaking season in Austria, Steve can be found kayaking and leading adventure trips and expeditions in the Indian Himalayas, Peru and Chile in South America. He speaks German like a local and is trying to improve his Argentine Spanish. When he is not kayaking, he searches for that perfect powder run in the backcountry in his home mountain of St Anton am Arlberg or riding his Royal Enfield Bullet searching for undiscovered rivers in the Himalayas.
For more information check out: www.gokayaking.at and www.gokayaking.at/blog
Steve Brooks –
My top 10 rivers of the world
As we head off kayaking during the season here in Base Arlberg, Austria, I am often asked what my favourite rivers I have kayaked are. It’s certainly not easy to answer as I have kayaked on five continents and completed first descents on three of them, including a few solo first descents.
So what makes a river so special that it becomes one of my all-time favourites?
It has to be a mixture of the following: the quality of whitewater, scenery, remoteness, sometimes the challenge to get there, friends who I have made a descent with and of course the local people and culture.
So here are my ‘current’ top 10 rivers of the world…
1. Rio Apurimac – Cusco,
Peru
The mighty Rio Apurimac in Quechua (the native Inca language) means ‘The God who Speaks’. For years the river had been a barrier/border for the Inca Empire, and the upper reaches are much discussed as being the source of the Amazon. I have had the privilege of working six seasons rafting, safety kayaking and trip leading on the commercial section of the Apurimac.
The quality of whitewater is incredible not just on the commercial section but also on the Black Canyon above and the upper reaches from where the Rio Velille enters. Further downstream is the Acobamba Abyss section of the Apurimac, commonly known as the Abysmo to the local Peruvian whitewater community. It is a canyon so deep, so remote and at the limit of what was possible to navigate in a kayak. When John Blake and myself kayaked the Abysmo back in 2008, the river had only been completed by a handful of kayakers. Not only did we have to deal with rapids of class V and upwards, but there were also huge problems at the time from the Shining Path Guerrilla movement and Narco traffickers!
Based out of Cusco, which is known as the centre of the universe to the Inca Empire, it is renowned as the party town of Peru, and one really good friend of mine described it as Babylon! The guides that have worked on the Apurimac seem to be the best I have ever seen around the world, and of course, spending 3-4 days in a stunning canyon only makes that bond more special.
2. Chandra – Himachal Pradesh,
India
The region of Lahaul is set in some of the most spectacular scenery the Himalayas has to offer. With its more famous neighbour to the north, the Tsarap Chu River and Zanskar Gorge in Ladakh, Lahaul has one of India’s whitewater gems – The Chandra. We base ourselves out of Manali, Himachal Pradesh, a hillside town developed by the British during the Raj and set in some outstanding mountain scenery. The people of the Kullu Valley are Hindus and follow their old rituals and devti’s (local gods) with many festivals throughout the year, with the most important one of Dusshera happening in the Autumn. It is where all the villages bring down their gods from the mountains to the city of Kullu for around two weeks of celebrations and worship.
To get to the Chandra River, it is a six-hour jeep ride over the notorious Rohtang Pass, where the road winds in and out over the 4000m pass before heading steeply down to the Lahaul Valley. It is the scene of many an old school Bollywood Film and even some sketchy North American lorry drivers! Though as of late 2020, there is a tunnel that you can use if you do not want to drive over the pass.
The put-in of Chhatru is around 3,500m, and the river starts with a bang! Long pushy rapids at altitude make it hard work. Throughout the five-day kayaking expedition, the Chandra has some fantastic whitewater. The scenery in the valley is outstanding with hanging glaciers, big waterfalls and the odd village along the river banks. The take-out is at the confluence of the Bhaga, where the river now becomes the Chenab and heads through a deep gorge into Jammu and Kashmir and onto Pakistan!
Of the top 10 rivers I have kayaked, the Chandra is the one I have only kayaked once! However, it made a massive impact on me, and I am longing to go back
3. Sanna
Tirol, Austria
Austria is well known for its mountains, culture and especially its skiing. With some of the worlds best and prestigious ski resorts, it is not just the backdrop that makes these resorts so famous but the snow that regularly falls. St.Anton am Arlberg is renowned for all of this as it receives some of the most snow in the Alps and has the terrain to match. So with so much snow and ice up in the mountains, it gives Austria huge whitewater kayaking potential from Spring right through to Autumn.
The Sanna is an Alpine classic; it is the shortest river in the Alps, but over its 7km journey, it provides some quality technical whitewater with longer rapids. Because of its gradient, you get a pushy feel. Of all the rivers I have kayaked, the Sanna is the one I have kayaked the most. I lived in the Sport Camp Tirol campsite on the banks of the Sanna for three years, and even now, I live just 15 minutes from the put-in. On our Class 3-4 kayak courses, we spend a lot of time on the Sanna, improving fundamental skills and working on advanced techniques.
For me, the Sanna is just fun to kayak, be it in a creek boat, river runner or playboat, you can always find features to play on!
4. Alaknanda Uttarakhand,
India
The Alaknanda River is formed high up in the Indian Himalayas, where it cuts its way through mountains on its way to the confluence of the Bhagirathi River. From here, it forms the mother of all rivers – the Ganges!
It is a medium to big volume river in the heart of the Garwahl Himalayas and has different sections and grades. I base myself at the stunning Shivanandi River lodge on the banks of the river just upstream of Rudraprayag. It is a beautiful place where Shalabh (the owner) gives river education and technique training to young Indians. In return, the potential kayakers/guides help out around the lodge and cook for anyone coming to stay. It has changed the lives of quite a few local mountain boys!
I try to make it to the Alaknanda River every year, depending on what season I go to India to kayak. I always like to celebrate a festival with the local kayakers in the villages. Be it Holi (the festival of colour) to Diwali (the festival of light); there is always something to celebrate and absorb in the amazing Hindu culture of the Indian Himalayas. Of course, India is on the other end of the scale when it comes to food, vehicles, roads and the madness that can only happen in India, but that is one of the big attractions of heading there.
The various sections of the river offer some fantastic whitewater with some huge holes to be avoided, big waves to be surfed, long rapids and of course, if you come in the autumn, then you get 100 days of sunshine once the monsoon officially ends.
5. River Inn
Tirol, Austria and Engadine, Switzerland
The Inn is the biggest volume of a river in the Alps and has been the training ground for many Himalayan kayaking pioneers, past and present! What is excellent about the Inn is that there are sections of the river for everyone. From touring to whitewater for beginners, there is an abundance of class III for the intermediate kayaker and enough sections for the experienced river runner to stay entertained!
Its headwater is up at the Maloja Pass, Switzerland and on its way to the Danube, the Inn cuts a path of some 500km in length travelling through Austria and Germany.
Swiss Inn
In Switzerland, the area is known as the Engadine. A beautiful valley in the South-Eastern Alps and of the four official languages in Switzerland, Romansch is the most widely spoken. Translated from Romansch, Engadine means ‘The Garden of the Inn’.
The Upper Engadine has wide open Alpine meadows and is renowned for its annual sunshine. St Moritz – the notorious ski resort for fur coats and luxury shops – is situated in the Upper Engadine Valley. Once the Inn reaches the village of S-chanf, the open meadows give way to deep gorges with steep walls, and the river starts to take on a wild look to the Austrian border!
The Engadine is geologically an unstable area. It is very similar to the Himalayas but not on such a grand scale. However, when rain and hailstones come down, you can expect some landslides or movement in the area. Over the past few years, there have been landslides, including pieces of the road falling into the river making new rapids on various sections of the River Inn in Switzerland.
Without a doubt, the Giarsun Gorge is my favourite section of the River Inn. It is stunning with great whitewater, and this section of the River Inn is what I use as a benchmark to any river I paddle in the world! A couple of runs on the Giarsun Gorge is a fantastic day of fun alpine kayaking!
Austrian Inn
As the Inn arrives in Austria, it goes through its final deep gorge. The Finstermünz is the border of Austria and Switzerland, and massive vertical walls squeeze the valley. Sunlight is short, and the area is notorious for landslides and avalanches. The Toesens Gorge, Inn Shoot and Landeck Gorge are BIG and bouncy sections.
From the city of Landeck, three major rivers are flowing into the Inn: the Sanna, Pitzbach and Oetz, which gives the Imst Gorge so much extra volume that cannot be matched anywhere else in the Alps! These big water Alpine Classics have left their mark on this region of Austria and me as I have made it my home! I have been living here in Austria for the past 23 years, and if you ever get the chance to come on one of our courses, you will see just why I live here. The people, culture, scenery, food and lifestyle add to why you should kayak some of Europe’s premier whitewater!
6. Rio Palguin Pucon,
Chile
Coming off the Volcano Quetrupillan, the Rio Palguin makes a huge statement for such a small volume river. It has become world-renowned for its waterfalls, drops and slides that brings kayakers to Pucon, Chile. The first rapid on the Upper Palguin is a fantastic place to train on; the locals have put a bamboo ladder so you can climb back up and run it how many times you like. Though the hole at the top looks intimidating, it is a nice smooth boof if you get the line right!
The rest of the river is pretty similar to a must run drop, slides and, of course, some big waterfalls; the tallest one is so photogenic. The water is crystal clear, and the scenery is very jungly. The Middle Palguin has changed over the years due to frequent earthquakes around the town of Pucon. The Lower Palguin is another sweet little section, different to the Upper but still great fun. With rapids such as 3 Tontos (3 idiots) and Auto boof, what is not to like about the Lower, even with a small portage that has to be made?
One of the other reasons that I love the Rio Palguin so much is that it is just a short drive from our home/lodge situated on the flanks of the Volcano Villerica!
7. Rio Futaleufu Patagonia,
Chile
A landscape painted by God! This is the Rio Futaleufu. The main whitewater sections are situated in Chilean Patagonia, and it is one of the most impressive rivers I have ever paddled. The emerald green waters, the abundance of whitewater and, of course, add to this the culture of Patagonia; the Futa leaves its mark on every kayaker who visits. Though it can be pretty challenging to get there, it is certainly worth the effort.
Big waves and huge holes make it a river runners paradise. When the river is pumping, you get to feel its power, and by the time it drops towards March, you will find so many waves to surf and play on.
Chilling by the side of the river, fishing, making a typical Asado Patagonia, drinking local maté tea while watching condors soaring above you makes the Futaleufu one of the best kayaking destinations on the planet!
8. Colca Canyon Arequipa,
Peru
The Colca Canyon is written in the folklore of whitewater kayaking, ever since the Poles made the first descent! Twice as deep as the Grand Canyon, with sheer cliff walls in certain parts, rapids that are constantly changing and the ever-present danger of rockfall.
Sometimes it can be a deep, dark and intimidating place way down in the gorge, but to me, it is one of my favourite rivers in the world, an exceptional place where I have made four successful expeditions!
At 3,296m deep and in some parts near-vertical cliff walls, the Colca Canyon is spectacular. It’s just 100km (as the condor flies) north of the southern Peruvian city of Arequipa. Getting to Huambo (the nearest village of the Lunar Canyon section of the Colca) will take you over a 4,300m pass in a public bus. In the first three expeditions, we had to use donkeys to carry all the equipment some seven hours down to the river, but now there is a road getting built for tourism, so it will be a lot easier to access this stunning place.
From Canco, it is 70km of remote pool drop rapids from Class 3-5 plus a couple of portages thrown in! It’s not uncommon to have a rockfall coming down while you are kayaking, and camps have to be carefully chosen; otherwise, you could be waking up to a shower of rocks and rubble falling on you. On the first descent, the Poles were wearing their helmets when they slept.
What makes the Colca Canyon different to most rivers of the world is that the first team to take on the canyon each year will be basically making a first descent. My second time down the Colca gave us five new rapids than the previous year, and the last time (fourth) in 2015 was a substantial new landslide/rockfall rapid. This is all down to the instability of the canyon!
If you are an expedition kayaker, then the Colca should be on your bucket list; it is amazing!
9. Cotahuasi Canyon Arequipa,
Peru
Situated in southern Peru, the Cotahuasi Canyon is said to be the deepest canyon in the world. Well over twice as deep as the Grand Canyon and with way more whitewater than its North American counterpart. Though not as famous as its sister – the Colca Canyon one valley to the south, the Cotahuasi Canyon is a fantastic place. It should be high on the list of rivers to kayak in Peru!
It is an overnight bus journey from Arequipa to the village of Cotahuasi, and it is worth staying at least one night there. I have had some wild times in Cotahuasi village! The first time it was Peruvian independence day, we met up with some girls who visited the village from Arequipa. We were invited to a bullfight where no harm came to the bulls, well, except for their hearing as they had to constantly listen to the village band blasting everything well out of tune!
The bullfighters were their owners, and as soon as the event came to an end, the cattle were taken back out to work the fields. The night was a huge party, and we ended up walking the seven hours to the river the following morning with some mega headaches!
On the last visit, we hired motorbikes and went for a ride further up the valley. The views are stunning, and all along the upper reaches of the Rio Cotahuasi are hot springs. It is so lovely to soak away those aches and pains from previous river expeditions or just the overnight drive!
Again this area is also not immune to modernisation, and what was originally a seven-hour trek with mules to carry your kayaks is now a one-hour bus ride to the put-in. Once you start kayaking, it’s not long before you leave civilisation and step back into the world of the Inca Empire.
There are no beaches to camp on in the Cotahuasi Canyon; instead, there are terraces built by the Incas where they could live away from the invading conquistadors of the Spanish army. It is certainly worth a walk around the terraces as we have seen human skulls and bones, textiles and pottery plus, if you keep an eye out, you may be lucky to see condors soaring way above you.
The whitewater is fantastic and keeps flowing into each rapid, rarely flattening out. The river cuts through several box canyons, which also provides plenty of action and tests your technique.
One is called Centimetre Canyon, as the route through the gap in the rocks at the bottom of the rapid is just wide enough for the kayak!
Unlike the Colca, the Cotahuasi has a less intimidating feel with hardly any rockfall. So it is best to add an extra day on your expedition so that you can go exploring from your camp or sit, look around and enjoy the changing of the colours on the canyon walls as the light begins to fade! It is such a great trip, and I
10. Tsarap Chu and Zanskar – Ladakh,
India
Few places on earth can match the grandeur and sheer magnitude of the Zanskar Gorge. Known as the Grand Canyon of Asia, it is sandwiched between two mountain systems – the Karakoram to the north and the Himalayas to the south. The whole region is full of amazing sights – strange gompas perched on soaring hilltops dwarfed by snowcapped mountains.
I base myself out of Leh, the capital and Stanzin’s home. Ladakh is a Tibetan Buddhist region, and it reminds me very much of Tibet with the overriding difference that the people are free. Free to travel, free to worship and free to say what they like without a communist government controlling everything!
Getting to the Tsarap Chu River takes you over two passes at 5,300m; the water is a silty brown from the glacier sediment, and the put-in for the river is at 4,280m! Running rapids, portages, scouting, and even surfing waves puts enormous strains on your lungs when kayaking on the roof of the world! After a few days, you get to Phuktal Gompa, a monastery carved into the cliffs above the river. The Buddhist monks are always pleased to meet kayakers and offer plenty of butter tea to help keep your energy levels up.
From Phugtal Gompa down to Padam has the best whitewater on the expedition, and it is certainly a rollercoaster of a ride! Once the Tsarap Chu meets the Stod River, it becomes the Zanskar, and within a couple of hours, you enter the gorge. What follows are three days of big waves, stunning scenery and navigating a four-metre wide gap. Things have changed recently with a road being built, so new rapids formed from the sharp rocks that have been blasted out of the canyon wall. The Tsarap Chu and Zanskar Gorge is one of the best river expeditions in the Himalayas and should be on any expedition kayakers list!
There are quite a few rivers that did not make my list but came very close, such as:
Beas Gorge in Himachal Pradesh, India
Toms River in Uttarakhand, India
Pindar River in Uttarakhand, India
Zambezi River in Zimbabwe/Zambia, Africa
White Nile in Uganda, Africa
Rio Upano, Ecuador
Rio Mishualli, Ecuador
Rio Alumine in Patagonia, Argentina
Soča River in Slovenia
Oetz River in Tirol, Austria
Lech River in Tirol/Vorarlberg, Austria
Rio Petrohue, Chile
Marsyangdi, Nepal – before the dams!
Of course, I love travelling and adventure. When life gets back to normal, I look forward to kayaking more rivers, visiting countries, regions and areas that I have been looking forward to visiting. With so much time on my hands this winter, I have been getting the maps out to see what the next adventure brings.
