Big Banana Canyon

The Big Banana run is basicly the last 8-9km of the middle Alsaseca gorge. I had the opertunity to do this run last year with some good friends Joel, Kaite, Scott, Erin, and Raffa so I knew what to expect. When we finished the hike into the gorge and checked out the massive Big Banana fallls I reilized that there was much more water than my previous decent.

Big Banana Falls, Raffa in foreground, monsterous.

Well I thought, "I guess it should be good I don't remeber any big hole you can't walk." So on we went. The charater of rapids at the start is different from the rest of the river. Mank blouder drops similar to the Texolo, but fun and pretty nonetheless. As the gorge came into view we dropped right on in there. That place is as committing and scenic as any canyon I have ever been to. The walls are 10 feet apart and vertical for a long way above your head. Boggie water lead us to the nice 20 footer.

Raffa on the clean 20 footer, bad light, oh well you get the point.

Wam Bam thank you ma we were out of there 40 feet lower after two 20's.

Next come the most scenic place on the river in my opinion. A long class III gorge that has no end to it when you look up. It keeps going and going. That spits you out at the 40 from Burning Time that Grace got to know rather well. We walked. Then Raffa and I fired up a tripple set that is truly amazing. A few more big holes at this level put us at the Meatlocker.

We looked for our takeout eddy we used last time, because the next drop is death, it wasen't there. We almost walked it, but Raffa decided to anchor some ropes to a tree and put someone in the last chance slack water above the death hole. That way they could rope the boater in and get them out on the cliff. We fired it off one by one. Simpley one of the sweetest drops in the world. Boof-a-matic baby!!

If you hit the top boof this is what happens. You lanch the biggest boof ever, if you don't you plug like mad.

Raffa on the Meatlocker, boofing for the next boof.

After that came Pezma, a great section with some excelent drops. With more water it was more entertaining fo sho. Then we made it to Puente Tomata (Tomata Bridge) for our take out. A long and very worthy day. Raffa and I went down and scouted Second Tomata run years ago by Grace, Carrol, and Hale. Raffa wants that drop crazy kid is one fired up hommie.

Later E.G.