I’m pretty lucky to get good leave allowance where I work, so can usually get away for one foreign “lads” boating trip a year on harder rivers, plus one holiday with my better half which (due to her understanding my kayaking addiction) usually involves a good amount of boating – though generally at a more sedate grade!
Despite all manner of awesome footage coming out of Mexico showing enormous falls and grade 5 rapids, the country also harbours some excellent rivers at lower grades – i.e. runnable by mere mortals. Selectively chosen pictures of scenic sunny grade 3 / 4 persuaded my better half and another couple of friends that this was an excellent destination for a boating holiday, and promises of epic food and sunshine sealed the deal.
The first week was spent in and around Ciudad Valles in the north.
The unique travertine slides of the Micos were an awesome warm-up
Despite some of the falls dropping >25ft, they were all super friendly with wide lines and minimal holes.
Joining a rafting trip on the Tampaon River (the promised sunshine didn’t appear for this one, but it was still a stunning little grade 3 run)
The main event on the El Salto river
Just like paddling through ornamental gardens!
The Cascade de Tamul indicating the spectacular (if rather gruelling) take-out on the Santa Maria river
We then moved on down to Aventurec in Tlapacoyan for our second week of boating. Given the Rey del Rio competition down in Chiapas had just finished and many of the competitors were stopping off at Aventurec before heading home, I was hoping to sneak off for a day of harder boating and at least get a run down the classic Big Banana section of the Alseseca – or maybe one of the big falls that Mexico is famous for. Unfortunately I managed to injure my back on my first day’s run down the roadside Alseseca section. This put paid to any chance of running anything harder for the rest of the trip – but at least it gives me an excuse to return one day!
A Sunday cruise down the Filobobos river with the Reinoso family who run Aventurec
Alseseca Roadside: Julian Schäfer on the crux rapid of the run; S-turn
There are also a load of touristy things to do in Mexico, which we had a bit of time for at the end of the holiday. It’s a huge country with a rich history – it’d be rude to ignore this entirely!
Releasing baby turtles – La Ventanilla Beach, Oaxaca
Beach – Mazunte, Oaxaca
Iguanas at La Ventanilla – Oaxaca
Teotithuacan near Mexico City