Check out the Topo Map showing the 12 day descent from Altatonga to Tomata Bridge on the Alceseca River in Mexico.

November 16, 2006

Each box is 1KM, and each contour line is 20 meters. I left this as a high res photo so you could zoom in and see the expedition by day, vertical feet, and forward momentum. To "safely" (that is, as safe as it can be run) run this river, required that we did some serious scouting expeditions, often way more sketchy than the river itself. Multiple canyons that were no more than 10 meters wide, sometimes 3 meters wide, and 30 meters of vertical face, meant that we couldn't enter without scouting the entire thing. Once in, there was no way out of any of them without a vertical extraction set up in advance, or getting through to the bottom. Most of the canyons were hanging valleys that end in a waterfall, some over 100 feet tall, and many of the rapids in the canyons were not scoutable once you entered the canyon. What all of this means is SLOW going. You don't enter the canyon until you know that you can run the rapids in it, and that you can exit it downstream reasonably safely. There were some fun scouts, and some sketchy ones too, but all memorable. The machete is not a luxury, but a necessity in many cases, and desirable in all cases.

Enjoy the map, it is compliments of Isreal from Mexico, and was Ben's daily tool.

Click on the map to open the full size version in new window.

:)

EJ

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