Rio Jalacingo "San Rafael Canyon"

After the Upper section of the Jalacingo, Rafa was spouting off about some really quality and scary drops and rapids downstream. With lots of time left on the trip and water levels good we had to go finish up this, so far quality, river.

The San Rafael STOUT!

Walking in through a steep banana field the first thing we were going to run was a stout 60 footer that Rafa first D'ed two years back. The only scary thing about it was, he plugged it and hit the bottom of the river! Upon scouting you could definitely see there was rocks in the landing on the left side of the drop. Rafa was super keen to fire to off, and said he was going to "45" it. Well that's all fine and dandy, but a 60 foot boof seems crazy!

Rafa on his waterfall...2nd 'D'.

Sure enough he sacked up and fired it off. Landing completely pancake flat he came out stoked saying it didn't hurt at all. Let's get this straight Rafa is an animal! I was scared, I didn't want to boof it, but I sure as hell didn't want to find rocks at the bottom either. So I went and did my Spirit thing off a drop at least twice its size. Big hit for sure, but the line was clean and looking steezy.

Some pre-stout yoga, trust me it's worth it. check the nice 20 footer right above us! Sick river.

Holding that stroke looking down and ridin' dirty.

Todd and I chilling in the pool, happy to be at the bottom.

Once completing that stout we ran one class III rapid and ended up looking at another huge horizon line with history behind it. The same day Rafa had snagged the drop upstream he also ran this one. 40 feet tall, tight entry, weird lip, two pocket caves, and it was shallow! Stout...we scouted and decided to leave it for the next day and come back for our boats.

Day 2:

Scouting the stout 40 footer right below the 60...very intense place to find yourself.

We had already scouted the 40 footer and everybody seemed to want to give her a go.

Rush, we didn't really see his line, but after video replay he killed it and made it look easy.

I went next and botched the line pretty hard. I was too far right and missed my boof stroke. I paddled all the way down and backendered at the base of the falls. Finding myself in a boiled out room on the left rolling up I paddled my way out to the pool. Todd was next. Same scenario happened to Todd. The lip was tight and the right side gave out where you wanted to take your stroke. Todd ended up in the worse of the two caves on the right. He battled his way out and looked pissed once he got to safety. He had taken his paddle across the nose and was bleeding pretty good.

Todd trying to get his bow up and clear the caves...this guy was very tricky.

Rafa was last and gave it a go, he had to see if he could stick it as well.

Rafa coming out of the left pocket after a huge boof stomp. I missed the picture of him. He got a good boof, but still had to paddle out of the boily pocket where I ended up as well.

Once through the guts of the canyon the river opened up to an amazing slide and drop section. Maybe 20 beautiful class IV-V drops lined up all in a row. The day was coming together like grilled cheese and tomato soup...until!!!!! We found ourselves looking at a very scary, very gorged in, and stout 30 footer. I was not sold at all! That was until I saw Rafa clean that everliving piss out of it.

Rafa destroying the hardest drop of the Jalacingo in my opinion...but I'm biast because it beat the hell out of me and made me swim.

So yeah after him...Todd with a broken nose fired it up as well. He landed sideways, but pointing left in the direction he wanted to end up. I was pretty much chilled out by that point and walked back up to my boat. Coming through the entry I was all good. Then I ended up too far right and taping the wall as I disconnected for my boof. Boom! Same shit as upstream...buried in the falls I do a huge backender.

Now I'm in between a powerful falls and a bad looking wall. I hold on and try rolling...I feel myself coming out, but not at much of a quick rate. No mas...I swim. This was no good place to swim. With luck I was far enough away from the falls that I got flushed downstream. With great luck I had been climbing in Colorado before I left for my trip and my finger grip was spot on. I had about 2 seconds before I would have swam into a hole that would rival Chaos or any shity boxed in stout you can think of...but I got ahold of the wall with a death finger lock and got out. Rush and Todd helped me to river left over the cauldron where I could safely jump into the canyon downstream from the hole. Weeeooooo! Heart was pounding, but I was alright. Then I got to my boat and the thing was split like a tuna can! Hike out! Up Up Up through banana fields and along country roads until a huge truck gave me a ride to Puente Tomata our planned take out. The crew got there an hour after I did and said nothing other than a huge portage remained...but I was now boat-less in Mexico once again.

Drinking some well deserved beers after a stout 2 day mission through the Jalacingo canyon.

And don't forget some bomb ass tacos...5 for $1.30? Good livin'.

I was bumming and got sick the next day. After asking around I found another blue Jefe from a raft guide on the Filobobos. Same boat, hahaha so I was back on top for now. The Jalacingo mission was a great one. I had a bad line that earned me a scary swim and shity hike out, but I was ok and ready for some more kayaking to come my way.

Later E.G.