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Waterlevels: Medium/large volume.
Accessibility: An extremely long shuttle over a number of high passes is required (albeit on good roads) in order to make this multiday trip. If you want to miss out on the flat at the top a 4x4 may become necessary. The takeout is at a road bridge, but taking out before waterfall canyon requires a tough walk u a steep track, the top of which should be accessible by 4x4 (unless like us you hire horses to drag your boats down the valley to where you expect to meet your vehicle).
The Taragai and the braids
A long paddle, predominantly on braided sections of river but with a couple of class three rapids to break the monotony.
Length: 70km
Grade: I/II (III)
Put in/Get out: Drive up the Barskoön valley and over the Syook pass. Stop at the first bridge over a major river on the road to Kara-Say. This is the river Taragai, and the start to your trip. See description for takeout.
Description: This section is not recommended by itself, but as an extra to the multiday trip down the upper Naryn. The whitewater is not spectacular, but being invited in for chai (or even to spend the night) in one of the little farmsteads along the way is an awesome exerience. Don't forget postcards of your home country to give as presents, along with sweets and other goodies for their kids! The river is flat and very braided for the first 6 or 7km, though constantly moving, before the banks steepen a little giving a few class 2 rapids to speed you along. All too soon though the river opens out once more, becoming the Naryn, and joining the Kara-Say river before turning west for 25km of grade 1 braids. Pick your route carefully as it can be a long way to drag your boat back to the main channel! The village of Karakolka slips past on your right before passing under a road bridge. Here starts the next section.
Last Paddled: 07-Sept-2005
Upper Naryn
A classic 2-3 day multiday section, including some nice continuous whitewater, and a gnarly section to end with if you have the balls!
Length: 90km
Grade: III/IV (V)
Put in/Get out: Drive downriver from the put-in to the previous section, stopping at the road bridge 6km downstream of the village of Karakolka. Put-in here, or if you are intent on starting where the good whitewater starts, continue driving downstream (for ~25km) until the river gorges up. You'll need a 4x4 for this though. Takeout at the bridge just above the confluence with the Small Naryn.
Description: In the 5km to the confluence with the Karakolka river are a few bouncy class 2/3 rapids to get you in tune with your kit-laden boat. After the Karakolka joins are a couple more class 3 rapids before the rivers widens a little and meanders down towards the gorge in the distance. As the river is squeezed between the gorge walls a nice continuous section of grade 3/3+ forms. After 8km or so is a more difficult class 4 with a few holes that are worth inspecting. The pace quickens for the next 5km with some more continuous whitewater in which are hidden a few meaty holes to avoid. A long section of easier water is next up, mostly grade 2 with a few 3's. A narrow section under a small footbridge goes through the middle, and a while later a grade 3 rapid leads drops into a steep sided gorge. Anything in here would be unportageable, but Calm Canyon, as it is known, keeps to its name and winds its way through some spectacular scenery. Once it opens out you soon pass under a sheep trolley, followed by a farm on the left hand side. If you're planning to take out above waterfall canyon, this is the place to do it, and you need to lug your boat from the farm up the steep track on river left. It is difficult to inspect waterfall canyon without comitting yourself, but the largest (we think) fall (grade 5+ - probably a portage) is less than 1km into the section and it is possible (but rather tiring) to work your way back upstream to the farm from here. After this point you are comitted, and face some big rapids for the next 8km. We didn't do this section though so can't say whether there are any more portages, but since returning we think we have estabilished that the rest of the canyon is OK. Pah!
Last Paddled: 08-Sept-2005 to 10-Sept-2005
Naryn, the rest of!
A few hundred km of paddling, continually increasing in volume, with both easy and hard sections.
Length: 200+ km
Grade: all grades!
Put in/Get out: Put-in at the confluence of the Naryn and Small (Kichi) Naryn. Takeout at the manmade lake in the west of the country.
Description: From Naryn town there are a hundred or so kilometers of easy water. A large gorge is visible on the maps and we are led to believe there are some big gnarly rapids in there. More info on this trip is available in "Rivers of an Unknown Land" by Vladimir Gavrilov.
Last Paddled: Not paddled or inspected.