Rio Gol Gol

The Gol Gol is an amazing river in the lake district of Chile. Surrounded by huge mountains, volcanoes, and big lakes it is one of the most spectacular rivers I have done thus far. We put in right at the border between Argentina and Chile and floated down into the sets of drops and rapids. The water was high, it felt like a full on river so I was a little nervous from the get go.

Salto de Novios, the first drop of the Gol Gol. Such a good lofty boof.

After Novios we reilized that the river was super juicy so we took our time and scouted all the drops to make sure that the holes would not eat us alive. Ian took and short and easy swim out of a 5 foot ledge hole so that made the river seem even more full on at the time. (Ian doesnt that much so there was a reason)

We walked three of the big drops including a few 15 footer with monster hooles that were giveable but scary. Then we also walked a great looking 20-25 footer that I wanted so bad but was too hesitant on running, so I decided that it wasent a good idea to fire it off. We did run some more cool falls with plugs under big holes, but most of them looked a bit scary and I knew I´d be back later this summer.

Once we got to the last drop Salo de Indio which is a ver notorious falls for sending people to china and back at normal flow, Me and Chris were fired up to run something big and powerful. We scouted it for a bit and had Ian go down stream to shoot photos and video.

Chris ran first on the Salto de Indio. High water run off this thing and it sends peole under for too long at low water!!! Yeks!

Chris landed with tons of left angle so he didnt go too deep and popped up stoked to huck that powerful 45 footer. I went next and had a sick line one of the best feelings ever plugging that thing, going down for 5 seconds and coming out upright.

Me at the top of Indio after making it through the boily enterance.

Tucked up and ready to go deeper than I have ever gone.

The perfect line... but I went so deep so fast because of the shear mass of water that I had rupture my ear drum. My head was kind of spinning and I was all off balance. I paddled to the side and hopped out to chill while I got my s&$% back together. I was a little butt hurt about that injury and still am because I had such a beautiful line down such a big drop, just too much water and too much power in the sluce you have to melt I guess.

So now after being the shuttle bunny while my home dogs got to run the Rio Florine, which looked incredible, I´m back in Pucon chillin with a bum ear. It hurt like a somofabitch. The doctor told me that it wasent ruptured and gave me ear drops but after using them my ear started to leek mad puss and bit of blood so I´m just gonna kept it mellow for a bit and see what happens.

If anyone has any beta on past expirences with ear drums I would love to hear about the time frame of healing (ev_gar@hotmail.com) that my address and I would be stoked if anyone had info about it, the Doc´s here don´t seem to know whats up. Keep the head above the water!

Later E.G.

More Middle Palguin Shots

Here are some more pictures of me running the Middle Palguin. You cant really see me if you dont click on the picture and blow it up. But it´s just the white boat I have which I spray painted green now. So you can see me next time. Can´t wait to get back up to this drop when the time is right.

Cropped picture of me starting to freefall.

The same shot but no crop.

Fully tucked up feeling the size of the drop.

Vertical ready to take a nice soft hit and rool up pumped as hell.

Rodrigo, Lj, and I chillin´at the bottom waiting for Chris´s line.

This has got to be my favorite waterfall in the world. So big and clean, but so scary that you are just sliente before running the drop. Just focusing on your line in your head ready to go big!!!! enjoy the pictures.

Later E.G.

Argentina Photo Dump

After the big huck of Bonito we tried our luck out on the Infamous Rio Escondido. They wouldnet let us in theor land because they said the water was too high. So that was a failed atempet. Then we tried to hike up the Rio Goye did for an hour or so and there was too much wood in the river to get it. Failed. The next day we triped to go look at Cascada Alerses on the Rio Manso and it was just too high. It was runnable but just so big a scary that none of us wanted to risk what it couyld deal you. So with that we just decided to get back to Pucon and run some of the closer rivers and drops. But we did see some amazing scenery and got a sick night of disco-tec´ing in Bariloche, The ladies there are unbeatable so hhoott!!!! So here is a few of the high lights of our short trip over there after Bonito.

Our camp sight at Escondido.

Alerses with some size and juice.

Ian and Chris with some booties from Bonito, pleasing the gods that let us pass safely.

Bariloche at night before the party party time.

Alerses from the front, crazt amount of water coming off that thing. Im just not that nasty!!!

Looking up the Escondido valley at the river thats at the top of my to do list in the world. Ill be back there soon enough.

And the huge Volcano at the headwaters of the Manso.

It took some patience to get back to Chile but we made in one piece with our kayaks after some epic time spent dealing with the borders. Then we did the Christmus Huckfest I just posted that before so it would come out around the 25th. Hope you enjoy the photos.

Later E.G.

Cascada Bonito

Rio Bonito, what a fitting name.

Well we packed our bags and headed to Argentina with a few drops and rivers in mind. The first thing we did was rent a nice samll Chevy Corsa. With four creek boats and gears it was quite the fit. Making it through the trechery of the Siete Lagos road with minor issues we were all the sudden at our first stop. CASCADA BONITO.

The outlook view of the falls from 300 feet away.

Scouting the enterance from way above on the canyon rim.

This is the opening drop of Twich V that Tao and Ben ran on their trip here a few years back. We Scouted for a while and had some zen moments before we decide that all of us were going to huck this monster. Thing about this drop is that opnce you decide you want to run it you have to hike way upstream and run a tight gorge to the lip. It´s totally committing once youre in there. So with that we all put in made our way through such a beautiful canyon with some drops and portages before we came upon the scaryest horizon I have ever seen.

Chris on a crack drop in the gorge above the falls.

Me scouting the drop in a very committed and lonley place.

Once we made it here and did a super class V climb to see the lip, we saw the drop and looked at eachother in awww! The level was lower than Lj and Trip had run it before so the drop looked different and more likely to boof you off the end of the twisty slide. We sat there and talked and waited only a few minuets before LJ walked up to his boat.

The basic run down for the line was: start left drop into the the right wall pick up lots of speed sliding down to the left again and fly off a crazy curler coming off the wall about 60-70 feet. I don´t know how tall it is in total, but it is gagantic for sure.

Lj on the move, running this one first for the day. But he ran this thing two years on the filming trip for Mission EP with Trip.

Lj threw his paddle had a good softish hit at the base and hand rolled up. We could not see his line only the slide part. Ian went next...

Ian coming in hot off the curler ready to fly high.

Ian tucking and ready to take a huge hit. He swam from a forced exit at the base of the falls, but was unscathed and stoked.

Then Chris and I got in our boats together to run close because I didnt want to wait alone.

Chris picking up speed before freefalling. This gives you a good idea of the size of the drop.

Chris also swam due to a big hit and not being able to hand roll in the pool, even with taking odd his elbow pad for more surface area. Then I came 30is seconds later...

Me in the same place just focusing on not boofing. How big is this thing?

I can only speak for myself but this was the biggest and scaryest drop I have ever run. So much speed and so long to fall that I was worried about boofing and breaking my back. But the drop just sent me sailing in the air I threw my paddle and missed one handroll before grabbing my paddle that was next to me and rolling up imploded and stoked as I have ever been to be at the bottom of something.

Me impoloded in the pool, Chris still swimming in the pool, feeling like a million bucks. Can´t you tell.

The group stoked to be all good and all at the bottom.

All was well and we ran a bit more whitewater before hiking out back up to the car and heading down to the awsome city of Bariloche in search of more rivers to run.

Later E.G.

Christmus Huckfest: Middle Palguin

I have to postpone the Argentina update We have been waiting ever since we got here to Chile to return to the Palguin to run this 70 footer.

There we were deep in jungle:

Ian ran first the monster first and was fired up to stomp this thing again.

My Chilean Homeslice Rodrigo running another time.

LJ strokin on the biggen'.

Me ready to tuck up and fall a long way.

Chris n her... thats the view for picture, but it's sideways again I'm not doing something right.

No issues for anyone on the drop. It was one of the tallest and softest drops I have ever run. I was scared because not only is it that big, but you have to do a really messy sea launch right into a boily pool feet above it. One of those seal launches you don't want to mess up on.

Afterwards the Gringo Tommy M invited us up to his place for a nice get together to celebrate Santa's arrival. One epic Christmus day.

A classic chilean asado afterwards. Beers and steak

Later E.G.

Trancura Wave

A fellow gringo joining me for the Sessh.

A cool picture of my goofyness.

Going for the Pistol....

Blunting in the Dagger FX, that boat is like a little potato.

This is just a nice wave under the bridge crossing the Trancura just 10-15 km outside of Pucon, Gotta love this place. Not a bad way to spend the afternoon before heading to Argentina. Photos by Kiwi Nick.

Later E.G.

Nevados: 100th Post!!!

The biggen with good light on a nice day.

Dropping in the first gorge of the run.

The next drop right after it. And if someone know how to make these stop coming up sideways, they should leave me a comment on how to do it.

After the Tres Saltos we rallied the shneez out of the Nevados it was really fun. I like very much, you know. And with that this is the 100th post on egcreekin. I started this blog 2 years ago in April and have done some amazing rivers all over the world, if you ever have the time to go back and check some older post out they are very worthy to peek at. Much more to come from Chile because I'm updating all this over a week late.

Later E.G.

Tres Saltos: Upper two

After the Malue we needed some goods so we got on it after a relaxing day on the Liacura with a Kayak Pucon trip. The Upper Tres Saltos had some good water and is super close to the classic Nevados, so there we went. That little creek is quite amazing. There is so more gradient in the last 4 drops of the creek than anywhere else I have ever seen. The last drop being a sick 50-60 footer that needs more rain to be at a good level for a sort hit at the base. So we went up the hill and ran the first two sliding falls of the short run. The first is maybe a 30ish foot tall mini cherry bomb fall drop. Very classy and fun.

Kiwi Nick on Mini Cherry Bomb.

Mua on the 1st one. sideways pic, sometimes this computer thing kills me.

The next drop wihich is right there is an Alcaseca-ish drop with a steep slide into a crack off a 10-15 footer. Also very fun and worth the short hike.

Ian on the second of the two drops we ran, cool looking slide, no?

Then with the rope we set a rope before running the drops climbed out of the gorge and hike back to the car ready for a nice afternoon on the Rio Nevados.

Later E.G.

It ain't always good

The next day a crew of 5 went towards Argentina and paddled a classic run on the Rio Puesco. The Puesco is just basicly one boulder rapid the whole time with some steeper sections. I had done this run about 2 years ago on my 17th birthday but at minimal flows. This time the water was higher and the run was much more exciting and contained less rocks to hit. We also continued downstream to paddle the lower run which was totaly worthy as well.

So with the excitment of some old friends showing up to kayak Rodrigo, Matt, 2 Kiwi's, LJ, and us rallied all the way to Talca Chile up into the mountains in search of the infamous Rio Maule. To make a very long story short and happy we drove a total of about 17-18 hours, ate a lot of completos, and didn't paddle a droplet of water. We got to the river and reilized that we needed to cross the border to get there and none of us had passports, no go. Then there was all this dam building and the river below had no water, no go. Then the po po told us we couldn't do the river, no go. Basicly a no go. Too much driving not enough kayaking so we got back to Pucon a had an epic night of debouchery enough said. I may have some cool dam site photos to come that Rodrigo took, but we will see.

Later E.G.

C.c.c.chile man!

Volcan Villarrica the background for almost anything you do in this place.

After leaving a snowy Montana landscape Ian and I drove 12 hours to Carbondale Colorado and spent some quailty time with our good friend and ex-teacher Tom Mckee. Bringing us over Vail Pass with feet and feet of new snow we found ourselves at the Koeneke's house near the Denver airport. Gitar Hero, good food, and beds there and at 5:00 am I was off on my journey to Pucon Chile for the winter. The trip was overall very smooth and long to say the least. I got my boat on the airplane for a small fee of 50 bucks for an overweight charge.

Ian met me in Santiago and we were off to the bus station. an overnight bus was everything but nice and comfy but then before I knew it I was back in Pucon, simply off the meat rack! The first day we were lucky to met NRPW legend Matt Wilson, along with Lj Groth, Rodrigo Tushner "the local pucon ripper", and many others and go rally the Rio Nevados twice in one day. An amazing run for sure no portages but a little mank to keep reality in sight.

Matty Wilson firing up the biggest drop in the Nevados with us watching on.

It's so amazing to be back in such an incredible place with good friends kayaking and hanging out. I've been here a week now and have done some sick stuff, so I will have more to throw up on the blog when i get time.

Later E.G.

Second Tomata Falls

Rafa firing it up larger than life.

On the second to last day Rafa came back down to Tlapacoyan with one goal in mind, Second Tomata. This falls was the huge one in Burning Time that Grace, Hale, and Carrol ran with some slight bumps on the way down.

After scouting and deciding weather or not we wanted to run the gorge below at high water, I rappelled 140 feet down to the pool below the falls. This was my second rappel ever and the day before was an epic in the Trout farm section. I was pretty excited and it was fun as. Once I got to the pool I had to chill half way in the water and wait to get my boat roped down to me. It was kind of complicated but a good experience with rope work.

After that was taken care of everyone got set Rafa rappelled into the top of the falls and got ready to give it a go. He ran the entire entrance and greased it with style. Then right at the crucial point in the slide he hit the big lateral boil coming off the right wall. It kicked his bow left where it clipped a rock. He ended up spinning and boofing out. It was one of the craziest lines I have ever witnessed. All I said while filming was, "Ok???". He came out of the drop fired up big time and smiling, yelling, and happy as a tree frog that just landed a big fly for din.din.

We didn't do the gorge below due to the high water and lack of time so the whole group that was above on the rim had to heeve us up to the top. It was impressive and one of the funnest things I have ever done. Bouncing up and down 100 feet up on one rope is pretty scary but with the right equipment is very safe and enjoyable. This rapid is one of the craziest and burliest drop ever run in my opinion. The next day we did a great last run on the Roadside section and just routed it H.core, fun at the maximum didily. Adios Mexico Wam Bam grasias senora.

Later E.G.

Middle Alsaseca Mandatory-Truchas

Up early in the morning, we arose and anxious and ready to get into the canyon and fire it up. We picked up our local shuttle driver buddy and headed to Base Filobobos for some good old mexican breaky. Eggs, beans, fresh tortillas, salsa, and some Jameica water ummm.

7:30 we were at the ranch on the side of the road ready to drop in. Hiking through the forest we found the right anchor point got set up and started the prosess of getting every one 70 feet down to the base of a big falls with their boats and paddles. At the base it was still cold from the nights dropping temertures, that and the amazing amount of mist and spray coming off the waterfalls landing only 30 feet away. After a bit of a project we were now very excited to get away from the mist and down by the big falls. We portaged the first slide, it was pretty much a no-go the hole in the middle was too tall to get over, it looked like going into a washing machine with no exit.

Anyway we got around that one and got out to look at the two main drops. A pretty sweet but desiving auto boof into a boily small pool, then off the mandatory 50-55 footer. We looked around a bit and Todd ran into the woods to see if he could get closer to the drop. It turns out you can get close, really close. We all went around and took a look at the lip and pool. There was a boil coming up right before you hit the lip so it made for a unknown aspect to the drop.

Well we sat, Todd got his boat, jumpped off it, Charlie threw his boat, and then Ian went. Made it look like a pot of gold. Hit the boof, went over the boils, and slid off the beast looking good, but thats all we could see, about 5 feet of the drop.

This is Ian running the enterance drop of the 50-55 footer. This added another element to running this drop because you changed style from a big sliding boof stroke, into a nice gentle stroke off the big drop. You gotta be on it.

Ian on the Lip of the 50-55 footer.

Cool we then took turns running the drop. What a sick set of rapids. The prefect waterfall, a hard lip to predict but clean as it gets.

Me at the top of the Falls. You can see the falls we had to rapel around in the background of the picture.

Paddle gone starting to fall towards the pool.


Lj and I threw our paddles, I pulled a classic bouched handroll rally and came ashore to hoots and holler about booties. Damn but we still had a ways to go and we had only made it a few hundred meters down river.

Lj running last on the (kind of) Mandatory Falls.

As we paddled down stream past the actual trout farm trough some fun class III boulder drop I pictured what we had next on the agenda, "Trucha Falls". This was probaley the drop I was most pumped about from seeing what was in these gorges last year when we walked down and caught a peak of it. It looks and is pretty darn good. A crazy seeming folding 20ish footer that lands in a small pothole. After the Pothole it squeezs down and flys off a 50-60 foot conected falls. I say that because it is a bit too steep to be a slide and not steep enough to be a waterfall. Anyway I will shut up so you can check it out.

EG in the first of the two drops creating the Trucha Falls.

You see what was going on was, we boofed the hell out of the top hard right landing headed into the wall. We then were in the crazy pothole and turned around paddled through the boils and off the biggen.

Todd Steppin' it up on the big Trucha double drop.

Ian went last and didn't want to run the first drop. He sealanched into the hallway and went stright off the big part. He clipped the left wall and spun almost upsidedown hitting his head and hands on a ledge at the bottom of the falls.

Ian on the Trucha slide. If you can see he is starting to twist right towards the nasty flake at the base.

He came out right away and swam right to shore. We just thought he pulgged and lost his paddle or something but when we saw his helmet we knew he hit rocks. His helmet was smashed from the top down, it looked like someone hit it with a sleghammer as ahrd as they could. His boat was also pitoned to the extent of mangled after a piton of roadside that week. However he was not the only one to contact piedras. Charlie, who went first pulgged in, flipped underwater and tapped his head on a rock or something. Todd also said he felt some rocks with his hands when he was under. A very strange occurance, my thought was that the walls at the base were close to the landing and did not just cut downwards with the water. Making the shores a bit more shallow. Maybe??? LJ and I didn't feel a thing just a hit with the water. Who knows?

All we knew was that there was a 100 footer around the corner and our climbing rope just sunk to the bottom of the pool when Ian swam. If I ever carry a big rop it will be clipped in to the back of my boat fo-sho. Anyhow we scouted the scene and Lj, Todd, and I decided we were going to jump it. A 100 footer, I was scared but knew we had no other option. When we went back to our boats to set it up Charlie and Ian decided to hike out. We didn't want to seperate so we prceded to do the most hanus hike out of a river I have ever done. Climbing, roping boats, beating our selves up in the jungle. It was horrendous and hot. We made it up to the Trout resturant and went down the road to get our driver. At our planned take out Awacate. It was still one of the best days of kayaking of my life along with my first real rapel like that. Some good times without doubt are those when your stuck with 4 good friends out in the wood lost and tired, it's all about the journey they say.

Charlie right about to slide off the lip of part two on Trucha, he ran this one first.

This is one of my favorites of the trip. Lj lining it up for the perfect line down the middle.

A job well done, I say. This has got to be my favorite river ever. It has so much and such a varioty no other river I have seen contains. We then went for some daily Al Pastor Tacos and Tortas in Tlapacoyan, my personal favorite food of Mexico. That's where we met back up with Raffa after his week of school. All he could talk about was firing up Second Tomata, but it was Charlie's last night in Mexico.

Later E.G.