It is disconcerting when you head into a rapid and realize that all the preferable holes to fall into (the ones that might be better-than-not-so-good) all appear to have  “no vacancy” signs because your fellow boaters are already surfing around in them and you are relegated to the one no one else wanted to be in…Such can be a day of paddling the Lower Reventazon!

16 Miles of Continuous Whitewater: The Lower Rev

The Lower Reventazon is probably one of the most exhilarating big water runs on the books!  It is hands-down the favorite Costa Rica run of the ERA guides.  Imagine sixteen miles of big, technical stout Class IV whitewater similar to Insignificant on the Upper Gauley; a river that does not quit until the takeout. The first year Ken was here (1989) he named the last major rapid on the river Metamusil…and it is located after things have started to calm down!

The Lower Reventazon is nothing less than a highlight of a Class IV trip.  But at the takeout, if you ask a group if they would like to repeat the run…they say “Yes!  But not tomorrow.”   So this week  “tomorrow” meant totally changing the tenure of the type of river we were paddling and heading over to the Upper Sarapiqui for some lower-volume steep boating.  As if this clear water, gradient dropping run is not fine enough on its own, near the takeout a toucan flew over us.

Lunch Break on the Upper Sarapiqui

On the way to the hotel we stopped to check out a tree where both a sloth and an iguana were hanging out.  And then enjoyed a soak in the hot tubs after a good meal…not a bad day!

Iguana Spotting on the Way to the Hotel

Sloth taking a nap

Such a combination of good runs and cool scenery is  definitely is having your cake and eating it too.

So how to finish off  such a week of great paddling with some super Class IV+ boaters? The Upper Toro.  Unfortunately we can no longer put in right at the power plant on the Upper Toro because of a new power plant being built. But even having to put in about 1/3 of the way down the run, it is still one of the most gorgeous runs in a country with its breathtaking scenery. Vertical 100-200 foot canyon walls hosting cascading water falls and lush tropical plants constrict the river into a narrow steep run.  It was a super way to end the week!

Scenery almost as good as the Toro Rapids

For photos of the trip, check out our photo website.   And stay tuned!  More trip photos will be added as folks return home and dig out their camera cables!