Dominican Republic

This trip was with Magda, Gina and Clif, 2 shredders. With limited info we thought we were doing an easy class III on Rio Jaque on day one. The put was a class 3-4 rapid which we thought was the biggest one. So below that rapid a cool bar on river left was calling us and we stopped to each have Presidente Grandes, 24 ounce beers. Now with a slight buzz, we took off (I was paddling with Gina, Clif with Magda) to run this easy stretch. We immediately dropped into a class 4+ canyon, basically a kilometer long continuous stretch. It started with me loosing a paddle. I got Gina’s paddle to s-1 while she undid the spare in the back. I immediately lost this paddle, leaving us literally up the creek….you know. Gina couldn’t get the paddle as it was strapped real tight. Magda got one of the paddles I lost and threw it to me but missed. Clif then made a great throw with his paddle and Magda got my other one back. I was able to s-1 us over another big drop and to an eddy where Gina could finally get the paddle. Clif and Magda, took off from an eddy across the way when they saw my first lost paddle floating downstream. Gina and I now with 2 paddles took off after them over a couple real big drops. When we rounded the corner we found Clif and Magda eddied out. They said “we just flipped”.  Evidently it was a brutal swim.

We were now at the end of the kilo long stretch. A couple mellow rapids then we came to a huge class v drop. We scouted from a cliff on the left, but couldn’t see a far left run from this vantage. I try to climb higher but reported "‘it doesn’t look good”. we had to run the vertical 8 foot drop on the right (I wouldn’t run the left blind). Gina and I ran, did great leaning way back. Great ride, stood the shredder up out of the hole at the bottm! Clif and Magda got too close to the left wall and both swam. Clif swam left to us and magda swam the shredder to a rock in the middle which we then roped her to shore. Clf and Magda were a bit bruised from their swims, but we went on ( not much choice, really). The rest was great fun mostly class 3, maybe some 4.

When we finally got with a commercial outfitter, they told us the big drop was called Mike Tyson senior. When we told them we ran right (they always run left where we couldn’t see) they said we where “crazy, lucky, or good’.

Day 2 we did a real nice class 2-3 on the Rio Jimenoa.  The first half was mostly Class II, then a portage around a low bridge.  Then, when it looked like the river was going to mellow there were a series of Class III drops.

Day 3 we decided to go canyoning. It started with some rappelling down waterfalls, then jumping into pools, swimming some rapids, and bouldering over rocks. Climbing over a rock I fell, only a couple feet, but reached out with my right arm and hit the rock wrong breaking my arm. It was interesting getting out of the canyon, basically continued swimming, jumping and even a one armed zip line!

I got a cast put on that night, traction while sedated, etc.

The rest of the trip was mostly chill wth two great beach days ar Las Terrenas. Did have 2 flat tires and DR repairs of a guy stuffing rubber in the hole then gluing it and then lighting it on fire to seal it. This patch (bulge) worked for the rest of the trip.