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Panama November 8-16,
2008 -
Advanced (Class IV/V)
Day 1: Arrive in Panama
City. You will be met at the airport and transferred to your hotel in Panama
City.
Day 2: You will be
transported from your hotel in Panama City to the airport to catch
an early flight to David, the provincial capital of Chiriqui. From
there, we will make a quick stop at the lodge, outfit our boats and
do a warm up run on the Witches section of the Rio Chiriqui. This
section is class III/IV with one large class IV rapid at the very
end.
Day 3: We get up early
and drive about 20 minutes to the Rio Cochea. This river starts out
as a small creek and gradually picks up volume over the next ten miles.
It is a continuous class IV run in a deep gorge.
Day 4: Time to
step it up. We head to the Frijoles section of the Rio Chiriqui.
This run is a classic steep boulder garden. We will do plenty
of scouting. There are a few class V rapids on this section, but
they are walkable.
Day 5: Time
for something different. We head to the Rio Piedra. This river
defines continuous. Depending on the put-in, you may drop over
2000 feet in about 12 miles. At some points on the run, you
can look downstream and see the Pacific Ocean off in the distance.
Day 6: Time
for a short day. We head to the Rio Caldera in Boquete. For
those looking for a challenge, we put in above town and run
a very continuous class IV+ creek. For those wanting to take
it easy, we put in further downstream on the class III/IV
section. It is roadside and close to home.
Day 7: We
head to the Rio Chiriqui Viejo to do the Palon section.
This is classic big water Class IV whitewater. It is gorgeous
and continuous.
Day 8: This
is our last day of paddling. We will do the class IV section
of the lower Rio Los Valles. The section is short, but
it is full of steep and challenging class IV boulder gardens.
After taking out, we head back to lodge, pack our bags
and catch an afternoon flight back to Panama City. (You
will be transported from the domestic airport to your hotel).
Day 9: You
will be transported from the hotel in Panama City to the airport
for your return flight home.
Location
We will be in the highlands of western Panama in the Chiriqui Province
(bordering Costa Rica and the Pacific Ocean). The trip is based
out of the small mountain town of Boquete, famous for raising coffee
and flowers. Boquete is located on the slopes of Volcan Baru (the
highest point in Panama at about 11,400 feet). The area receives
over 100 inches of rain each year, with nearly all of that falling
during the rainy season from May until December. In addition to
the abundant rainfall, the temperature varies from the mid 80's
during the day to the mid 50's at night. There are an abundance
of rivers to run during the rainy season. To date, we have catalogued
over 35 runs in the Chiriqui province alone, with over 20 being
class IV or harder.
Food and Water
Panama has excellent food and water quality. You can drink the tap
water anywhere you will be on our adventure. We also feel very comfortable
eating uncooked vegetables, etc. The meals during the trip will
be a combination of eating out at restaurants in Boquete and the
surrounding areas and meals prepared back at the lodge.
Gear
Our outfitter (Boquete Outdoor Adventures) will provide the kayaks
on our trip. Guests should provide their own PFD, skirt, helmet,
paddle and any other personal gear. We encourage you to bring a
throw rope and any other rescue gear you normally carry. For those
who want to travel light, rental gear is available (PFD, skirt,
helmet and paddle) for $20 per day.
Kayaks Available
BOA has over 35 boats in our fleet. Most of the newer boats are river
runners and creek boats since this is mostly what we will be doing.
Some of the boats available are: Dagger Mambas (8.0 and 8.5), Nomads
(8.0 and 8.5), GTs, GTXs Liquid Logic Jefes (medium and large) Prijon
Imbudos Pyranha Burns (Medium and Large) We also ship about 5-7
new boats each year to keep the fleet as up to date as possible.
Travel Information
Traveling in Panama is safe and easy. Compared to most of Latin
America, the roads and transportation system are in amazingly
good shape. In addition, the food and water is safe to eat
and drink just about anywhere in the country. To travel to
Panama, you will need a passport. In addition, we recommend
that you visit the US Center for Disease Control website (http://www.cdc.gov)
to see what vaccinations are recommended before you travel.
You will be in the provinces of Panama and Chiriqui.
Please check with your airline for baggage restrictions. They
often impose curfews on larger bags (such as paddle bags) during
this time of the year. In addition, the local airlines limit
bags to 25 pounds per person for checked baggage.
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