{"id":19114,"date":"2019-03-12T08:00:12","date_gmt":"2019-03-12T15:00:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/community.nrs.com\/?p=19114"},"modified":"2021-09-13T12:54:59","modified_gmt":"2021-09-13T19:54:59","slug":"retracing-a-first-descent-on-the-rio-apurimac","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/community.nrs.com\/duct-tape\/2019\/03\/12\/retracing-a-first-descent-on-the-rio-apurimac\/","title":{"rendered":"Retracing a First Descent on the Rio Apurimac"},"content":{"rendered":"

A magnificent vertical wall painted with white strokes looms ahead, emitting a somewhat ominous feeling as if a warning sign. In 1975, Giddings and his team had to camp in this area for three nights before finally finding any evidence of a feasible line through what they called the Acobamba Chasm. Thanks to their commitment to complete the first descent of the Apurimac\u2019s main whitewater section, we can confidently enter this box canyon just before nightfall. For the last hour, each of us kept an eye on the banks hoping to find a decent camp spot without success. Forced to push forward, we aim for the exit of the gorge where Giddings\u2019s book describes various sandbars that appear when the walls open. The low water prevents us from running the two main rapids and filming slows us down even more. To top things off, two out of our six-man team are sick. <\/span><\/p>\n

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Peru\u2019s Rio Apurimac is one of those places where no matter what is going on you have to stay calm and process methodically. We\u2019ve all agreed to this motto: \u201cWe will scout every single rapid we don\u2019t have a visual on the exit.\u201d The second portage of that dusky hour is often paddled against the left wall with more water but is now feeding into a nasty undercut. After a straightforward but tiring stroll amongst massive boulders, carrying our loaded kayaks, we make it back on the water for a unique experience. The show the Abyssmo provides us is of mystical proportions. It\u2019s so dark down here that the sky appears as only a white line drawn by the rims of the overhanging walls. I can\u2019t imagine anyone other than kayakers has ever been here.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>It takes us great mental efforts to kayak out of this very special place and seek a camp. As expected, banks re-appear shortly after the gorge and a nice sandy space reveals itself on river right about fifteen minutes before the pitch black Andean night settles upon us. We had paddled 42 kilometers since launching earlier that day. Making this much distance feels good. We refuel with a filling but vitamins-free dinner. The decision of going lighter for the tougher part of the river is nice for those long portages, but the bland dinner is hard to swallow.<\/span><\/p>\n