Dominican Republic

Class IV+ Paddling in the Tropics

Dates: January 17-24, 2009
Price: $1649

Basic Itinerary

Our experienced instructors pride themselves on being able to tailor each trip to the goals and needs of the participating group. The following is a general outline of a typical trip in the Dominican Republic, although river sections may be altered due to water levels, goals and group skill levels. We encourage you to browse the river descriptions at the bottom the page for more specifics.

Day one: After arriving in the Dominican Republic and meeting your guides, we will take a short trip to the mountain town of Jarabacoa where our ranch is located. A relaxing afternoon outfitting boats will end with dinner at the ranch's own restaurant and bar.

Day Two: Awake to a delightful breakfast in the tropical gardens at the ranch. We will spend the day warming up on the Rio Jimenoa that passes through the ranch. This river has lots of fun technical rapids and many eddies to brush up on those skills that may have become rusty over the winter.

Day Three: After breakfast we will head to the "cinco bravos" section of the Yaque Del Norte River in the National Park. This section offers beautiful scenery and technical rapids. We'll start to practice the boof stroke here, as it will be well used in the coming days.

Day Four: Head to the Yaque to challenge the churning waters of the "Manobao" section. This section has a little more gradient and some larger features, and is a step-up from the previous day.

Day Five: We'll head to the Yaque one more time to challenge the Yaque Gorge. The run will be highlighted by rapids such as Mike Tyson, Toilet Bowl and Monica Lewinski. This section is the perfect combination of volume and gradient.

Day six: After a laid-back morning you'll get the chance to repeat your favorite local run. (Some guests like to have rest day as well).

Day Seven: Hopefully you're rested up, because this is our favorite day of the trip. You'll paddle the crown jewel of the D.R., the Rio Bao. You'll be paddling through a beautiful National Park but we guarantee your attention will be on the river.

Day Eight: After your final breakfast in the D.R. we will drive down the mountain to Santiago for the flight home.

River Descriptions

Rio Yaque del Norte
As the longest river in the Caribbean, the Yaque has something for every type off paddler. From technical class IV-V creek boating to the more laid back medium volume on the lower sections the Yaque is a gem of a run to have so close to our ranch.
Cinco Bravos Class II-III
Due to the low difficulty level and abundant number of small rapids, this section of river is our favorite warm-up run. It is located high in the Yaque water shed so the water is clean and the scenery lush and beautiful.
Manobao Class IV(V)
Dropping off the shoulder of Pico Duarte, the highest peak on the island, the upper sections of the Yaque have fun, technical class IV whitewater that weaves down through the fertile highlands toward Jarabacoa. Passing through a few "mini gorges" this section will keep you on your toes with just a touch of class five.
Yaque Gorge Class IV+
The run that put the Dominican Republic on the map as a paddling destination, this is definitely a classic that cannot be missed. Soon after the put-in the river enters a gorge that is action packed from top to bottom. Although not super difficult, this run will get even the most skilled creek boaters blood flowing.
Puente Colgante Class III+
After the Yaque leaves the gorge the gradient starts to slow down and the rapids become slightly easier. This is the perfect section to enjoy as an afternoon run, as it is only minutes from the ranch. During the summer you will more than likely be joined by a pack of island kids enjoying the rapids by inner tube.

Rio Bao
Located on the remote northern slope of Pico Duarte, the Rio Bao may be the most scenic run in the Caribbean. Crystal clear water, falling over polished white granite boulders makes the Bao a paddler's paradise. Like many other rivers the Bao starts off with fun low volume steep creeking high in the watershed and slows to easy class III for the lower section.
Top Bao Class IV
After the long adventure into the backcountry of the D.R. the Top Boa defines the meaning of "you pay for what you get". Not seconds after putting in on the Boa will you see the magnificence of this run. Wasting no time at all the Bao will send you through hours of the best boofing on the island. Enjoy!
Aguas Calientes Class III
Everyone loves a good bath in a hot springs, but to have one at the put-in makes the Bottom Bao many peoples favorite run of the trip. This section of river is packed with class III rapids that are perfect for learning creek boating technique. To top of the day, the take-out is at a bar!

Rio Jimenoa
Class II-III
Just a short walk from your cabin door, the Jimenoa passes through the ranch. This run is great for a beginning of the trip warm-up of just for an easy day on the water close to camp. A great combination hike/paddle day can be made by doing the short hike up to Jimenoa Falls and then putting on the river and paddling back to camp.

In Country Arrangements
The cost covers all lodging and meals and group transportation beginning with airport pickup in Santiago on Day 1 and concluding with airport drop-off on Day 8. Boats, river safety and rescue gear, and guides are also included. Not included are the costs of alcoholic beverages, laundry, phone calls, gratuities for guides, and medical expenses in case of illness or injury. Also not included are any expenses incurred by you should you have to cancel your trip, other than those expressly covered by our Cancellation/Refund Policy. We recommend that you purchase trip cancellation insurance soon after signing up.

Equipment
Kayakers need to supply their own paddle, helmet, pfd, paddling jacket and other paddling gear. Kayaks are provided with basic outfitting, please supply your own special outfitting if needed. A variety of new kayak designs are available. A complete equipment list will be sent to participants upon registration.

Printable Trip Information (PDF)