Mexico Trip

Caffeine and Cruise Control No job, a cold January, and the need to fulfill those urges kayakers get (I mean the urges to go boating, not those other ones) is the perfect recipe for a road trip to Mexico. With at least three hours of planning, Westley, Murphy and I hopped into my Ford Focus Wagon and headed south. Two days, thirteen coffees, eleven Red Bulls, six border crossings and four hours of sleep later, and we found ourselves on the banks of the Rio Valles. Now let me first explain a few things. When heading to Mexico it’s a good idea to have some Spanish speaking skills as, generally, we found out that not too many people spoke English, even at border crossings. Another piece of advice I will dispense to you is that you need to be the owner of the car you are driving. I did my homework and was told that I could get around that issue with proper documents (which I had but the border folks weren’t all that interested in them) as the car was in my fathers name. Luckily we managed to meet some kind folks in Texas who helped us get the ‘proper’ paper work for a small fee (I’m sure it was all legal….). Perhaps the most amazing thing about my experiences in Mexico is that it’s a very laid back culture: except when behind the wheel of a vehicle. I’ve driven in many busy urban areas, downtown Toronto, Montreal, Washington D.C., but nothing compares to the thrill and stress of driving in Mexico. The only thing that gave us some comfort was knowing that the Micos section of the Valles is known as waterfall heaven and once we arrived, we found out why. The boys and I stayed at Grant Amaral’s Agua Azual resort. It’s right at the takeout with beautiful camp sites, hot showers, cold drinks, and one sketchy driveway. We decided to literally ‘run’ shuttle every day. It’s only about three kilometers long, but seems to gain about a kilometer in elevation. I actually ran past some sugar cane laden trucks as they spewed diesel fumes trying to beat gravity and make it to the top of the mountain. The put-in is probably one of the most spectacular that I’ve ever seen. An awe inspiring seventy foot waterfall (which has been run) is the backdrop. What follows is a series of seven waterfalls with multiple options for lines from ten to thirty feet in height. To sound a bit like an IQ test: play spots are to the Ottawa, like waterfalls are to the Micos. Absolutely brilliant!! A two hour drive upstream and you will find yourself at the other commonly run section known as the El Salto section. It’s a more technical, run with higher consequences if you blow your line. It’s a series of waterfalls and ledges that are placed between a two hundred footer at the put-in and a one hundred fifty foot drop at the takeout. The number of drops you will get on this run depend on if the dam is diverting the water or not. If it isn’t, expect four fifteen foot drops in a row. Tasty. After running some laps on the Valles, West and I decided to step it up and run the five canyons of the Santa Maria. It was an epic four day, one hundred kilometer, self support trip in one of the most spectacular places on this earth. The first two canyons are work. Tons of must make moves, sieves, caves and portages. After an hour of portaging we finally managed to find some runnable water: for about two minutes. Then the river disappeared under rocks yet again. Somehow in the blood, sweat, and swearing I had time to realize how much fun I was having. Of course no trip would be complete without a swim in a death cave (my first and hopefully last bad cave experience). I almost lost my boat as well, but West, in a display of strength that I have never seen from anyone before or since that day, managed to clip my boat and haul it out. A paddle under the 330ft Tamul falls, a night spent in a field full of angry cattle, and a run in with a family of Coati and we were at the take out, awaiting Pedro our shuttle driver. Mexico holds much more potential for kayakers than most realize. With warm water, huge drops, and friendly people, it’s one the most amazing winter paddling destinations you could ever visit. Of course if you needed to take a break from paddling you could always spend a night in the high desert looking for ‘flowers’. Just ask Murphy about that one. By: Dan Caldwell

Bottoms Up Kayaking