Mexico Trip Report '06/'07

Our most recent trip to research for "The River Gypsies' Guide to North America" took us south of the border to Mexico. We decided at the last possible minute that a trip down there was needed, since Mexico is a North American paddling destination with plenty of whitewater. We decided to explore the Eastern Slope - the Sierra Madre Oriental - in the states of San Luis Potosi and Veracruz. Here's the report:

Filo-Bobos
After all of our travels and adventures thus far in Mexico, Leland and I were ready to relax on some class III rivers and soak in some scenery. We began with the Rio Filo-Bobos from Puente Filo to La Palmilla, which is usually run as two different sections, but is easily runnable in a day. The first part of the run was low and technical class II, III with a IV- here and there. At high water, when this section is usually run, there are some big class IVs. There are also some ruins you can stop and see along the way, as well as some fun spots to play on this warm Mexican day...

Having fun surfing on the Filo-Bobos. I am concentrating so hard because I still had not eaten for 3 days because of a sickness!

We went paddling with Vincente, a Mexican raft guide and very good intermediate paddler who works at Aventurec. Apparently raft guides are the same everywhere--it was the off season and the guides were hanging around playing on the foosball table and looking for something fun to do. So, we invited him to paddle with us. We got to practice our Spanish and he his English...it was an interesting day! All of the boaters there are very interested in new boats because it is very difficult to get them in Mexico, so Vincente tried out the Recoil.

Vincente squirting the Recoil--too bad the river was too low and he doinked a rock!

Vincente surfing it up.

Later, the Alseseca comes in and the flow increases before reaching one of the biggest rapids on the run.

Vincente getting a better feel for the boat in a fluffier hole at the confluence.

The biggest rapid - Frijolaro.

The scenery was awesome on this run...

Did we mention the absurd amount of bananas in Mexico? They are everywhere!

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