Vladimir Gavrilov wrote this fantastic book about the whitewater rivers of the former Soviet Union. He led many expeditions in the 1970s and 1980s throughout his native Russia as well as the Ukraine, Georgia, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan. This book describes the major rivers of these countries and includes stories from his expeditions. This is a book written with boaters in mind. You’ll find complete logistics, maps, and detailed descriptions of over 40 different Class IV – VI whitewater rivers. You’ll also enjoy the pictures… Read More
“The love of wilderness is more than a hunger for what is always beyond reach; it is also an expression of loyalty to the earth … the only home we shall ever know, the only paradise we ever need — if only we had the eyes to see.” – Edward Abbey Last week we explored the National Wild and Scenic Chetco River, a little known entirely free-flowing river with its headwaters and almost half its watershed in the Kalmiopsis Wilderness. Our team was Zach Collier, Andy… Read More
Last week I went out with a few of my trusted boating buddies to run the beautiful Rough and Ready Creek, which is a tributary of the Illinois River in Southern Oregon. Rough and Ready Creek flows from the Kalmiopsis Wilderness, through the South Kalmiopsis Roadless Area and the Rough and Ready Botanical Area and Area of Critical Environmental Concern. With the West Fork Illinois River, it hosts to the highest concentration of rare and endemic plants in Oregon and one of the highest in North… Read More
This last weekI joined a trip down Idaho’s South Fork of the Salmon River. This is a little known tributary to the Salmon River near the more famous Middle Fork of the Salmon River in the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness. The South Fork is rarely run since it has difficult Class IV and V rapids that can only be run in a narrow range of flows for a few weeks each year. Secesh River We started our trip on the Secesh River, which… Read More
This article details items that outfitters and guides commonly carry in their safety kits. These items are commonly used to pull boats that are wrapped or pinned, so they are sometimes referred to as wrap kits, z-rig kits, or pin kits. I suggest whitewater rescue training to get the best use out of these tools, all of which can be used for simple mechanical advantage systems, telfer-lower systems, 4:1 Pig Rigs, and/or 3:1 Z-rigs. In my opinion, the most important safety tool is the throw bag, which can be… Read More
Trade in the gray skies and falling snow for the turquoise water and snow-kissed peaks of Chilean Patagonia. The Futaleufu River is a great destination for winter rafting because it’s summer down there! This wasn’t my first trip to the Futaleufu and it won’t be the last either. Getting There After a long flight to Santiago, Chile’s capital, we flew to the small town of Balmaceda, the gateway to Patagonia. Our next objective was a 6 hour bus ride to the river. Luckily, the scenery of… Read More
