Puerto Vallarta Area Whitewater?

[Ed Hansen]

I will be visiting Puerto Vallata in early September 2007. 

I will be in town with a running club, but after they leave, I would need to rent a boat/paddle/gear.  I can pack some gear if need be.

I have looked online off-n-on for the past couple weeks and can't find anything for the PV area but see mountains around there so I'm thinking that there has got to be something.....

If anyone can help, much thanks.

post here or email: exhansen@bop.gov  or  kayakguy73@yahoo.com

[TomRobey]

The January/February 2003 issue of Paddler magazine mentions the Rio Tomatlan which is 104 kilometers south of Puerto Vallarta.  It is supposed to be a class V jungle classic with comlex rapids and giant waterfalls.  The shuttle is a five minute jog.

- Tom Robey

[RockyContos]

I believe Grant Amaral and/or crew did the first descent of this run before 2002.  I am talking about Rio Las Juntas, also called Rio Horcones, which flows into the ocean at "Boca de Tomatlan" - don't confuse this creek with Rio Tomatlan to the south, which is a much larger river that has a dam on it and flows through a town of the same name.  In October 2002 I was in the area and bumped into Dustin Knapp and friends who ended up doing some laps on the section and videoed it for Aerated2 or something like that.  It is a creek and the run is only 8km but very steep (about 3 miles are 200-300 fpm). There are a few portages and some high runnable falls.  September has the highest water levels and is probably too high much of the month, although in between the heavy rain days you could still get a good level.  Apparently in October when I was there the water levels were ideal.  There are other rivers to run in the area, including Rio Cuatitlan, Rio Minatitlan, Rio Marabasco, Rio Tomatlan, Rio Purificacion, Rio San Nicolas, and Rio Ameca.  Rio Mascota is too steep and boulder choked and not recommeded (Dustin Knapp et al did first descent and had a ton of portages).
Rocky

[RockyContos]

Sorry I didn't reply for a year to this. There are a number of great rivers to do around the Puerto Vallarta area, and all will have plenty of water in September (generally most water in rivers that month). Some options:

Rio Ameca (class IV; 3-5 days; trip normally class IV- at high water class V -especially for rafts)
Rio Marabasco-Cuatitlan (class IV; 3 days; day trips possible though)
Rio San Nicolas (class III-IV; 2-3days)
Rio Purificacion (class III-IV; 2-3days)
Rio Tomatlan (has dam on it, but upper stretch nice)
Rio Las Juntas (class V-VI; 1 day; erroneously called RioTomatlan by some because it enters the ocean at "Boca de Tomatlan")

there are also a couple smaller rivers that are right in PV:
Rio Cuale
Rio Pitallal
I haven't done these yet but there is a road up at least one of them. THey have moderate-high gradients and would probably be class IV-V with 300-800 cfs in September.  These would be day trips.