After a record setting Fall of floods here in the Northwest, my wife Lise-Anne and I decided to escape the short days and cold water of BC and head south to Ecuador for a month. This was my first trip to South America and it could be best described as a posh boating trip or an adventurous honeymoon depending how one looked at it. Lise-Anne and I decided that what we wanted more than anything after the September Skookumchcuck wedding was a boating trip somewhere away from North America and warm. We decided on Ecuador and it was amazing!
Photo by Bryan Smith
photo by Lise-Anne Beyries
The Eastern Slope of the Andes in Ecuador is loaded with classic day trips that provide ample amounts of whitewater ranging from low volume creeking to large volume river-running and play.
After spending a week on the coast, we headed for the small village of San Fransisco de Borja and the home of SMALL WORLD ADVENTURES. Don Beveridge from Small World had become a recent friend over the summer creeking in BC and his help proved to be extra helpful in the Quijos and Napo valleys. Small World is an excellent resource for those looking for a guide, rental boats (THEY NOW HAVE A SMALL AND MEDIUM BURN IN THE FLEET THANKS TO US!), and deluxe lodging and food right on the Quijos River. We based out of here for ten days before heading South to Tena.
the Andes mountain culture…very simple, peaceful people in Ecuador
photo by Bryan Smith
The last rapid of the Papallacta River in the upper Quijos Valley
Part of what makes Ecuador a perfect international desitination for kayaking is how many rivers are within about 3-4 hours of each other. In 12 days we managed to paddle the middle Quijos, Lower Cosonga, El Chaco Canyon, Cheesehouse section of the Quijos, Oyacatchi, Upper Jondachi, Lower Jondachi, Hollin, Lower Misahualli, Upper Jondachi again, and the Upper Misahualli. Nothing too gnarly, but lots of continious read and run IV+ with the occasional V.
Lise-Anne loving the small Burn on the Lower Cosonga
photo by Bryan Smith
Gotta love taxi drivers who know all the put-in and take-outs for the rivers!
photo by Bryan Smith
Typical pool and drop rapid on the upper Jondachi…there are 80 plus rapids on this run…one of the best rivers I have paddled.
photo by Lise-Anne Beyries
I have a bunch of images up as a flash slideshow and a bit more beta for anyone thinking about heading to Ecuador over on THE RANGE LIFE. You can also check out a high res ECUADOR SLIDESHOW I have up with some tunes.