Rio Manso: Cascada de los Alerces

After a hell of a time travling alone by bus with my kayak I made it to the shadey streets of Bariloche. Dave Fusilli and Migule picked me up from the bus terminal and we headed stright south to the nice hippy meca of El Bolson.

Camping there and trying to find things to do We all decided to head back to Cascada de los Alerces on the Rio Manso. Last time I was there after running Bonito the level was off the charts and a run looked like a good quick way to find China, so we were haping for lower flows.

Back on the Rio Manso. This volcano is the headwaters of the entire river.

We arrived on a sunny Saturday afternoon with a nice firm plan set into motion. Alerces as many times as we wanted, then the next day we would do the gorge run below it. So there we were scouting the stout in all it's glory...

Jared... to stout? or not to stout?

So we geared up... all 7 of us. We talked to a local kayaker who knew the falls and run well and said that it was high flow for the falls but perfect for the run below, ok... Maybe the most takers ever in one day for this drop? We made our way through the bushes and down to the eddy above the falls for a quick scout... then it was off to the races.

Me on the go ready to flow!

Meatball Jared ready to back flip the stout.

Really Jared ran a little far right and boofed his nose on to the boil, making him fly heels over head and do a full half backflip to stern pulg. Incorperating a little freestyle into the big drop scene. Pummel Demshitz!!!!

I ran first!!!! It was juicy and powerful!

Fusilli stout monster boof no doubt.

Max´s boat coming out of the room.

Straton with the perfect line??? Maybe!

Straton with the big imploution to swim.

Overall the drop was epic and all good to go. We all pretty much boofed the whole drop and landed flat, which is normally a bad idea off a 45 footer, but with this much water was soft. There was two swims from team Hurcules and Max had to climb out of the river right eddy due to a tough ferry move. The basic idea of the drop is to run it so you pop up on the left to avoid the eddy room on the right. 4 of us went left and the other 3 went right. A decent ratio. We camped out drank some big beers and cooked food right on the side of the river waiting to wake up the next day to run it again and explore the gorge that lays below.

Later E.G.

A Samll Update

Since the Gol Gol and my ruptured ear drum I have taken awhile off of kayaking. On Ian´s last day a big group of us went a paddled a small tributary of the Rio Michine named the Remeco. It was kind of a mission of two 15-20is footers with about 10 cfs. The day was fun and it was good to get wet again... that was the 3rd of January.

The ear was still acting up so I took some more days off before going to the Palguin with the Demshityz boyz. Jared Sailer, Dave Fusilly, Max and Mike, and Issac a sick group of paddlers from the Yough area down here for the summer.

They were super pumped about watching us run the Middle Palguin on Christmas and wanted to give it a go. Jared went, Mike, Max, and Dave finished their runs off with a flipless descent. (One of the sickest lines ever Dave)

Thanks to the Demshitz the Upper Palguin is now clean and good to go. Photo Demshitz!!!

I wanted to run or seal lanch the portage at the take out but everyone was down to get out of there to go party so I saved it for anotherday. That day came a few days ago and I dry lanch into the center of the two drops and boofed the bottom 20 footer stoked to have not hit anywalls cuz that thing is tight!!!!

Old Greg Only click this link if you are bored because it´s a hilarious british movie about a seaweed man... Strange but one of the funnest things I have seen. Don´t ask why I put this on here I just did!!!

Other than that I spent 4 days in Santiago with Chris Korbulic chasing girls we met on New Years. There has been a few days on the Lower Trancura with Kayakpucon helping with raft or duckies. Fun to get out in the FX 5.8 and throw down some crazy spiny moves. Now I´m in Argebtina again trying to get me and my boat to Bariloche in one piece. It´s not fun bussing with all this gear. I slept in the woods last night not wanting to spend money on a hostel. It was classic EvGar style. But It seems like the water is good down here and we should get some big sweet runs in. Keep an eye on egcreekin cuz things are about to go off.

Later E.G.

2007: The Best Year Of My Life???

I am in Santiago Chile right now taking a quick break from kayaking while my burst ear drum heals, and I was just replaying the year of 2007 in my mind. It was with out doubt one of, if not the best year of my life.

The year started out with my travles to the Yunnan province of China and my last semester of high school. Salween Update Click that and check the other 5-6 updates I had from China, it was a tough trip for boating but overall a learning expirence and a truly amazing journey.

After China, came just the begining of my Cali season. I spent a solid month with Wcka there running some great classic runs with tons of good friends. Dave Zinn, LJ, Polk, Billy, Justin, Petey, Sweden, Stork, and all of my hommies who held it down with me for my senior year. Cherry Creek Update Thats just one of the many runs we did with school

Then the World Champs epic times up there in Canada with all of the freestyle crews from all over the earth. Worlds Update There was my update from there. I cant believe I took that thing. My warm up was not Africa like everyone else. It was Chilly Bar in Cali some nice low volume class III:)

Then I finished high school... every little kids dream. The next day I went to Cali. Cheers Bra!!

The high lights of Cali were the Dinkler with JPatt, the two of us routed that thing so fast and solid it was incredible!! For Sure filming with YGP was up there, cant wait to see the Source. Thnaks Rush for giving me the opertunity to be apart of this. As well as my time with the Kiwi bros. Upper Cherry with the Kiwi crew They have to be some of the best boys to go road trippin with ever! We hit sooo many runs back to back to back to back... etc! Josh, Sam, Sean, and B-unit.

My best overall memory was meeting up with the crew of crews and blitzing out the most notoious run in the Sierras... Devils Post Pile!!!! Three days in one of the most committing canyons slicing the entire way through the Sierra mountain range. So epic with so many good people. These photo are by Darin at jscreekin.blogspot.com:

All the boys kicking it in Mammoth hot springs before Devils Post Pile this June.
Ty, Tay, Ligare, and Me at the top of the biggest, longest portage on the Post Pile.

EG himself with the last stroke to freedom on the final drop of the Crucible gorge.

Looking back up the Crucible after completing the committing maze of whitewater.

After that was a sick unforgetable trip with my best buddy Cheese (Ian McClaren) from Idaho. We went to hood river and stayed with the dude at the Bever Lodge with All Star rafting. And then hit BC for some epic Skook and big waterfall hucking.Cheese on Sutherland Falls Good time with Austin Rathman and tons of other folks including Dem Shitz boys as well. A good Tatlow week with Lane Jacobs and Clear H2O boys Ben and Jeese ended my time BC. Wheeooo! Theres more!!

Work Work Viva Mexico!!!

Tyler Bradt, Rush Sturges, Brooks Baldwin, Rafa Ortiz, Charlie Center, Todd Anderson, Lj Groth, Me, and Ian fired it up huge in Mexico for around three weeks. Man it was the most epic pure kayaking bindge ever, maybe second only to Cali but it was up there. Truch Section Update This had to be one of the most memorable dayz down there to say the least.

Me on Truch Falls by Lj.

And now I ended the year with the begining of my Chile trip. So good thus far. Had a few 70plus footers down here already. Had so many good night on the town in Pucon with good friends and spending time with all the Pucon hommies has been so good.

Thanks to everyone for such an amazing year. I made so many friends, and did so many amazing things last year. It was all because of you!! hope to do the same in 2008.

All the Best Later E.G.

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.