Words:
Peter Tranter

Photos:
Kevin Saussure,
Adventure Photography,
Costa Rica
http://raftingpictures.
com/indexesp.html
and Peter Tranter

CONTACTS:
Rios Tropicales:
www.riostropicales.com
Costa Rica Tourism:
www.visitcostarica.
com/uk
International Rafting Federation:
www.international
rafting.com

As mentioned on the previous pages, I was invited to the World White Water Rafting Summit in San Jose, Costa Rica, not only to cover the two days of talks, speeches and safety demonstrations at the conference centre but to report on the ecological measures being taken by Costa Rica to protect its environment and to enjoy one of their jewels in the crown: the Rio Pacuare.

The roar of the Rio Pacuare
Rated one of the top rivers in the world, it didn’t disappoint…

It didn’t take long to realise that Costa Rica has a familiar weather pattern for the beginning of October, which is sunny mornings and early afternoons followed by a tropical storm and I do mean a heavy downpour in the mid-afternoon, followed again by dry conditions. These conditions meant that Rio Pacuare is flowing hard at orange level.

Each and every morning of my week-long stay in Costa Rica started early and the drive to the Rios Tropicales’ Operation Centre, 20 minutes away from the river, was no different, an 05.00 start. What strikes you straight away is just how early Costa Ricans start work as 05.00 hours was rush hour, with the streets of San Jose bristling and so many people all heading to the daily grind. After leaving San Jose we settled down on the coach for the two-hour drive from San Jose.

The Pacuare River is sourced high in the Talamanca Mountains, site of Costa Rica’s highest peak, and La Amistad International Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. As the river flows from these mountains, Class III-IV rapids create tumbling white water. Rapids like ‘Cimarron’ and ‘Dos Montanas’ will challenge both first-timers looking for adventure and experienced rafters. Our paddle was to take place on the main Pacuare section on class III/IV white water and cover something like 26km. The overnight stay at Rios Tropicales Lodge, tucked away in the Costa Rican jungle, isolated from civilisation was going to be something to remember.

Our guide Luis, had been working on the Pacuare for 15 years on and off, so he knew the river like the back of his hand. With a twinkle in his eye he advised us that the river was at orange level (high level but still safe to run) due to the overnight rain and it was going to be fun – he wasn’t wrong.

Safety

A lot of emphasis is placed on safety with the guides giving the paddlers a few thorough demonstrations on how and what to do in order to prevent falling out of the raft and if you do find yourself in the water, then the procedure to make sure you either get back to the raft or dry land as safely and quickly as possible. The fact that safety is of the highest importance gives you and others the reassurance that they are looking for.

Personally I don’t think I’ve ever eaten as much as I did for the week I was in Costa Rica and the morning before the put-in was no different as we arrived at the operations centre. A huge breakfast of fruit, eggs and toast was polished off with lashings of fresh coffee and juices. The operations centre is large with spacious changing areas and it’s where you get yourself prepared and changed for the river with the put-in a 20-minute drive away.

If you’re looking for the quintessential Costa Rican experience, this is where you should head for. The Pacuare River and the surrounding rainforest gives you the best of what Costa Rica has to offer, experiencing the diverse wildlife that lives all around you on the river and deep within the jungle.

At the put-in you first notice the swift-moving current is the colour of mocha coffee, except in those places where it becomes dangerous and turns white. Opposite a wall of thick jungle vegetation climbs straight up to the crest of the valley where turkey vultures glided overhead, keeping a beady eye out for their next meal!

That day the put-in was busy and a hive of activity as most of the 200 participants of the summit were taking part in the paddle, plus the US ambassador to Costa Rica and her significant security detail were also there for the trip. My raft was the last to leave because we were the only visitors staying overnight at the eco lodge.

Wildlife

Luis, the guide, knew exactly where to go on the river and picked the lines perfectly. His experience on the Pacuare meant we received commentary on what to look out for on the calm parts of the river. He pointed out the birds such as the Toucans, Kingfishers and herons amidst the lush green background of the dense rainforest. We also drifted through part of a butterfly reserve with many of the very large and eye-catching swooping Blue Morpho butterflies, some of the most beautiful creatures I’ve ever seen with bright laser blue wings and surrounded by so many other coloured varieties – it was simply heaven.

With the spectacular scenery, steep jungle rising from the river, shimmering cascading waterfalls, calm pools and natural waterslides, all in all it gives rafters the chance to experience the Pacuare’s beauty first-hand.

The banks of the river also teem with wildlife. Though many of the animals are very shy of human contact such as the panthers, jaguars, howler monkeys, etc, you do hear them all around you and if that’s not enough, the noise is amplified many times at night when the jungle truly comes alive but more of that later.

class III/IV sections

It’s definitely not all sight seeing though as this is a white water river and we had some tremendous fun on the first day through the class III/IV sections with Luis shouting out the instructions on when, how and where to paddle, when to tuck in and get down. At one rapid our raft pitches forward at a menacing angle, then slams down hard onto a white water hole. Luis shouts at the top of his voice above the crashing sound of white water, to quickly dive to the opposite side of the raft to prevent a flip.

We have to paddle hard to escape the hole and when we finally do break free, we breath a collective sigh of relief, touch paddles in the centre of the raft and shout, “Pura vida!”
Despite his experience, Luis, whilst at a waterfall swim stop, stepped on a fire ant nest and as a result had to dive into the river as the stinging ants swarmed over his leg and took their revenge – ouch!

Rios Tropicales eco lodge

After three tumultuous hours on the river, we landed at the eco lodge where we would spend the night. The lodge, powered by 100% renewable energy, was constructed by Rios Tropicales from reclaimed lumber by local Cabecar Indians; everything is recycled and composted with a diligently practiced ‘Leave No Trace’ principle. The whole area covers nearly 2,500 acres, with all the rain forest within protected.

Here was the chance to stretch my legs, eat, drink, mingle and sleep. Those in our two rafts, and the kayakers, were the only paddlers there for that night and whilst some others headed for the hammocks for a spot of book reading, I was off on my travels, as time is short with darkness closing in around 17.30.

I crossed back across the river via a rope bridge and climbed the trail on the opposite side for the next few hours only being stopped by what seemed to be a very aggressive howling noise in front of me. I was completely on my own, in the middle of this dense rainforest and a mixture of excitement and fear crossed my mind as the heart began to thump. I really had no idea and couldn’t see what was making the noise but whatever, it wasn’t happy with my being there.

Reluctantly and with the time passing fast anyway, I decided that discretion was the better part of valour and turned to gingerly head back down the valley. I kept my head down as the same aggressive noise were also coming from the side and below me – I was surrounded! It really was unnerving and so I got a move on and eventually reached the relative safety of the rope bridge with no further alarm.

Upon my return thankfully in one piece, I took to a hammock, laid out under cover by the river, for a relaxing read along with Joe, Soco and Sean. Within the hour we were indulging once again into the delicious food laid on by the mother and daughter who live on the site with the help of the guides.

paddling partners

The mother and daughter also operate a type of off-licence within the grounds and so a bottle of red wine later, with delicious food, I got to know my paddling partners much better. There was Joe Willis Jones, President of the International Rafting Federation, Sean Clarke, head of media and marketing for the International Rafting Federation, Soco, Joe’s Chilean wife, Ecuadorian Alfredo, Frenchman Kevin, American Eugene and Peruvian Pepe – quite a mix of nationalities.

They also informed me that the aggressive noises surrounding me in the rain forest were made by Howler Monkeys. They’re very territorial and when one feels threatened, in this case by my presence, others come to edge of their territories to warn anything else away!
At 21.00 we called it a night as breakfast was at 06.30 with a few spare hours for a trail walk before resuming on the river at 10.00.

The night though is when the jungle seems to come alive. Our Deluxe King Room accommodation was quite luxurious considering where we were, with king sized beds, en-suite shower, etc. However, the windows have mesh without glass and you have that unique feeling of being so close to the jungle with just a single wooden wall and floor between you and the outside world of the rain forest.

It was a world full of the strangest noises I had ever heard with a mixture of growls, whooping, buzzing, rustling and screeches in the pitch black! The wild animals that had seemed so hard to view during the daylight, had come out in force.

That Saturday morning my rafting partners were Joe, Soco, Sean with Luis once again the guide. The support raft was paddled by Pepe with Kevin, Eugene and Alfredo as the kayakers.

As we set off we were joined by another raft from another company, who proved to be good entertainment for the entire paddle as we took turns to lead and watch each other through the many rapids.

There was much teasing going on between the rafts and every now and then when the rafts came together on the calm stretches there was much pushing and pulling of paddlers between the rafts trying in vain to see the first swim of the day.

However, we didn’t have to wait long as one of the women off the other raft took a swim in one of the rapids but she was back in the raft within seconds and on we went. Joe and Sean were good company as they endlessly teased and pushed each other around on the raft – much laughing ensued.

Upper Huacas

Upper Huacas is the first class IV and halfway has a waterfall coming down into the middle of the river usually requiring rafts to go underneath it and Luis does an excellent job of steering straight into middle of it and getting me drenched by the water.  After the rapid the high Huacas Waterfall pours into the river from at least 100 feet up, which looks quite spectacular and not out of place on a Jurassic Park film set.

The next rapid is Lower Huacas and may be the most difficult rapid (class IV) on the section with a tight move against an undercut cliff face for which we really had to paddle hard to miss. The Upper and Lower Pinball came next before the gorge starts to mellow out.  The next class IV rapid is Cimarrones and is marked by a series of big rocks and big pour overs all the way through the rapid. Dos Montañas is the final class IV and can be run two different ways depending on water levels, we take the left channel. Both take you into the steep, narrow canyon by the same name.

Here we came to the deepest gorge on the Pacuare, named Dos Montañas Canyon where it was planned to build a dam 15 years ago. For decades the Cabecar Indians that live in the Río Pacuare basin have worried about whether their lands will one day be submerged under a series of dams and reservoirs, changing their way of life forever. ­

However, that threat has since disappeared with the organized resistance, led by Amigos del Río Pacuare (Friends of the Pacuare River) culminating in a plebiscite-referendum in 2005. An overwhelming 97% of votes reflected the desire to prevent dams from being constructed and with Carlos Manuel Rodriguez, Minister of the Environment and Energy for Costa Rica, promising that no new dans would be constructed, the threat has rescinded even more.

The scars still remain though with a bridge crossing the canyon plus holes in the rocks where the damming company conducted tests. Here the river is at its deepest and almost still and the perfect time for wrestling each other into the warm waters. Of the 12 of us in the rafts, only Joe and the two guides stayed dry as the rest of us went swimming.

For 10 minutes it was floating in a watery heaven through this deep gorge in the warm water. However, soon enough we were back and underway for the last section of the paddle, which was comparatively mild with what had gone before.

The take-out was close to a small town named Siquirres and within 30 minutes we were back underway to the operations centre in the minibuses as we all reflected on the great time we’d had on this most spectacular of rivers.

Shout outs

Huge thanks to Luis, our guide and to the rest of the team for making the day so enjoyable and full of laughter. Also to Rios Tropicales for all their hospitality during my stay in Costa Rica, Shannon Farley for her true professionalism and organisation and to Rios Tropicales owner, Rafa Gallo for his outright generosity. Last but certainly not least, the Costa Rica Tourism Board (ICT) and Enrique Martin for his organisation on this side of the pond.

Contacts

Rios Tropicales: www.riostropicales.com
Costa Rica Tourism Board: www.visitcostarica.com/uk
International Rafting Federation: www.internationalrafting.com

Information

How to get there

Most major airlines have a direct flight into the main airport of Juan Santamaria International, located in Alajuela. This airport is only twenty minutes away from San José. Other important airports are: the Daniel Oduber Quiros International Airport, located in Liberia, Guanacaste and the Tobias Bolaños Airport located in Pavas, San José, for local as well as international flights.

Currency:

Costa Rican Colón (plural colones) (¢) though dollars and Euros are widely accepted in San Jose.

Time zone:

GMT -8 hours.

language:

Spanish though English is also widely spoken in San Jose, the capital city.

location

Costa Rica is located in Central America, connecting North and South America. It borders Nicaragua to the north and Panama to the south. The country has a relatively long coastline in both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, as well as a number of rivers and streams that attract specialist kayakers and rafters from all over the world.

climate

Costa Rica is a tropical destination. Its look and landscape changes throughout the year, and the country is in a constant state of renewal. As such, every time of the year is a great time to visit. Tailor your trip to your interests, and your experience in Costa Rica will be fulfilling beyond imagination. The Costa Rican landscape is one of great variety, filled with lush vegetation and stunning displays of flora. With jungles, beaches, and a wide array of terrain and climate zones, Costa Rica is a playground for the adventurous. Whether it’s paddling, hiking, wildlife viewing or just relaxing on the beach, everything under the sun is available to you.

eco sustainability

With a goal to be the first carbon neutral country in the world by 2021, sustainable practices are observed in every region of the country, across all industries, adopted by all citizens and embraced by visitors. From local Costa Rican cuisine to artisan crafts to traditional customs and celebrations, sustainability is embedded deeply in the culture and traditions of Costa Rica. The territory is divided into 29 national parks, 19 wildlife refuges, eight biological reserves, and a series of protected areas that captivate lovers of ecotourism activities. Excursion offerings and tours are varied, including: horseback riding, hiking mountain trails, guided tours for bird watching, forests, landscapes and natural heritage sites, as well as aerial trams, lakes and rivers full of flora and fauna. This tourism product not only aims to provide beautiful natural experiences for tourists, but also to educate visitors about the importance of protecting natural resources. Although Costa Rica is a small territory, it makes up about 5% of the earth’s biodiversity. Fortunately, this natural treasure is protected by the National System of Conservation Areas, preserving a total of 25% of the national territory.

entry requirements

Visitors must have a valid passport as well as proof of their intent to exit the country before their visa or entry stamp expires, usually within 90 days.