kayakstan.net :: Day 4 - The first river
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The gradient starts picking up just outside of Bishkek, still looking pretty deserty and eroded the hills form in the outsides of Bishkek. The plan was to head to Alla Archa, the national park straight to the south of where we started the day, it took quite a bit of navigation with no communication between the cab and the back. We made the decision to scout the valley to the west of the alla archa first, and then to cut across. We ended out looking at a typical alpine glacial river (well, a stream by local standards), once we got to the top, we decieded to run it.
Everyone jumped into their shiney new boats and we set off into two groups. Wouter managed to make the first corner look pretty hard as he put in about 4 rolls in one hole (don't worry folks its on video!) constant class 4 followed for about 4km. The hardest section of the day was then completed by some members, Phil H and Martyn managed to make it look a touch less than gracefull shall we say. River was longer than first thought and we ended up paddling into the dark (Phil H and Martyn paid a visit to someones back garden and had to be helped back to the river by the locals). Changed in pitch black and camped at the side of the road.
Ed: No photos I'm afraid - we were in a hurry, and it was dark!
Thoroughly knackered, the group headed off to a suitable camping spot we had spotted earlier in the evening, where a meal of tomato puree (three months worth by local standards) with pasta and some other stuff was served up. After a swift beer all retired to their tents/bivvies/trucks and slept like logs till the sun rose.
Tim was supposed to arrive into Bishkek airport at about 2am, and then reach the campsite in the other bus at about three. By the time the group has risen there was still no sign of the truck. During breakfast the familiar sound of a rumbling, old, huge truck engine was heard, the other truck had been spotted in the distance - Tim wasn't on it. We headed off to the national park in the Ala-Acha valley to scout the river of the same name. No go, it was empty, looked like a nice gd 3 run though.
Needless to say, this was quite exciting...
After faffing for a bit and worrying about where our ninth member may have got himself to, we headed back up to the Alamedin to have a gander at the river further upstream of yesterday's get on, not before some impressive off road (in river) driving to the evening's camp spot.. Yee hah: this river looks awesome; steep, fast, continuous and distinctly lacking in eddies. The decision was made to run it in the morning after a good nights sleep at our comicly inaccessible camping spot.
some comedy footage of the truck river crossing is available from dave. An inside view is worth a peek too!