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Boaters without Borders:
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| NOC's Bolivia Expedition was recently chosen by National Geographic ADVENTURE as one of the "25 Best New Trips for 2010"! |  |
Boaters Without Borders (BWB) is a new series of expedition-based trips conceived by NOC in association with medical relief charity MedicForce. The purpose of BWB is to combine NOC's whitewater expertise with volunteerism in remote riverside communities around the world. Selected locations are inaccessible by road vehicles and most motorized boats. BWB expeditions are unique in that we have a team of kayakers, medical professionals and expert raft guides traveling to some of the most remote areas on the planet. The team trains selected individuals within each community to treat basic medical conditions and recognize more serious conditions. These individuals are then provided with a comprehensive first-aid kit and interpretative material.
Our initial trip explores the whitewater of the Rio Tuichi, in northern Bolivia. This river flows through Madidi National Park, part of one of the largest tracts of protected land in the world, eventually becomming part of the Beni River, the Madeira River and ultimately the great Amazon. We spend three weeks exploring the area and providing volunteer service to the indigenous people.
| Trip Highlights |  |
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*providing medical care to communities in need *participating in a true expedition *almost unexplored whitewater in the upper reaches of the Amazonian watershed. |
The Tuichi River, Bolivia at a Glance
In 2010 we travel down the main portion of the Rio Tuichi, a river fed by the meltwater of the Apolobamba Range of the Andes. The Tuichi flows through the Madidi National Park, and at 4.7 million acres the park is one of the most biodiverse places on earth. There are a series of extremely challenging Class IV+ rapids along the route, namely in the Surprise Canyon and the San Pedro Canyon. We will travel to the Tuichi's confluence with the Beni River, near the city of Rurrenabaque.
This area supports indigenous people that rely on the environment for their livelihood, collecting Brazil nuts and subsistence farming. We have identified four small communities within and along the edges of the park. Here, we will run our clinics and provide first-aid training to the community. Since this is our first expedition to this region, our medical teams will coordinate small clinics where we gather information about common ailments and problems. Training villagers how to clean wounds and recognize infection, how to stop a baby from choking and how to identify symptoms of yellow fever and malaria are some of the skills we teach. We target these issues through education and empowerment within the community. It is essential part of our project to follow up the work we've done and work towards sustainability within the region. In the long term we will consider building a small rural clinic for this region, but not until we are sure we have the trained personnel to staff the clinic and the funds to stock it with equipment.
This will be a physically and mentally demanding expedition. Applicants should have a high level of fitness and be aware that this is an expedition where everyone is expected to take their share of responsibility within the team. A grueling 14-hour off-road truck ride from La Paz is then followed with a two day jungle trek to the start of the rapids. We will have a team of mules to help with our gear, but it's far from a free ride. Extremely challenging Class IV+ rapids along the way could change into Class V almost without warning with the slightest rainfall, due to the nature of this area as a huge catchment. Safety is of the highest priority, if a rapid is considered too much we will find a way around it or wait until the water level goes down. All members of the team are expected to follow our strict safety guidelines, as evacuation options are limited. There are no roads. Our team hopes to progress along the river and expand the boundaries of medical care and boating expertiseNOC is committed to promoting whitewater expertise and supporting sustainable development throughout the world.
| General Information | |
| Trip Dates: | August 28—September 19, 2010 |
| Trip Cost: | $3,850 (this is tax deductible) |
| Cost Includes: | all meals, accommodations and in-country transportation. Members of the team should plan on bringing their own kayak and paddle. NOC will provide the rafts. NOC will also help arrange transport of expedition equipment. Medical and evacuation insurance is included for the duration of the expedition. |
| Lodging Type: | during the expedition phase, you will be sleeping in hammocks, in La Paz the team will be based in a small guest house, at the end of the expedition we spend two nights in a jungle lodge. |
| Additional Costs: | airfare to La Paz, Bolivia, gratuities, gifts |
| Prerequisites: | expert kayaking skills, Class IV+ rafting skills, medical skills |
| Equipment Required: | NOC will post a full gear list |
| Availability: | NOC will institute an application review process for spaces on this expedition. Click here to print and return the application (pdf). Volunteers are selected depending on their boating experience and medical expertise, and there are also a limited number of positions available for our base camp logistics team. Call NOC for an application (828) 488-7190. One will be posted here soon. |
Click here for the 21-day trip itinerary. (subject to change)
*All photos appear on this page courtesy of Sergio Ballivian. Copyright 2001, Sergio Ballivian.
| Your Bolivia Experts |
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| This trip will be led by a team of experts from both NOC and in-country facilitators. The expedition leader is NOC's head of Adventure Travel and Wilderness Medicine and MedicForce founder Jonathon Bryant. Jono recently returned from a seven-week trip in the rainforests of Borneo, an Indonesian island. Sergio Ballivian is our in-country contact and was the last professional to explore this route. |
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