Surprising first descent of Rio Singuil
On the way to Siguil River. View of Nevados del Aconquija (5500mt)
I will take this opportunity to tell you about my stay and this great river.
2 years ago, when I was walking along the Escaba Dam, I first saw the Rio Singuil. I still remember well when I was walking up the river for one hour to see if it had any rapids, but found nothing...
This year my stay in Tucuman lasted for 7 weeks. I paddled almost every day with my local kayak “bros” and also international visitors like Kazuto Mamiya from Japan and Mira Kodada from the Check Republic.
Two weeks before I left Tucuman, Mira Kodada and I drove to the entrance of "Las Cañas River" (First Descent in 2014). As there wasn’t enough water, we decided to explore the confluence formed by Rio Singuil and unknown river till now. We watched it from the top of the canyon which fortunately has a dirt route that allows its assessment on certain points.
Las cañas River: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fYUraelY13o
As every year that I return to Tucuman, one of my sporting goals is to achieve a first descend or a new section. Until a week before my stay was over in Tucuman I had managed to descend two new sections from classic rivers. One of them was on the Sosa River from the point called El Aluvion to the entrance of the "El Refrigerator" about 800 meters long. The other section was on the "Pueblo Viejo River" from "Los Piletones" to the "Hydroelectric Power Station". Up to this point I was happy but not satisfied with my kayaking season in Tucuman.
Mira Kodada in Los Sosa River. First Descend
Los Sosa River
The last weekend (Easter) was to be the Sosa Kayak Fest but for a bureaucratic reason had to be suspended. At this point I was beginning to feel a frustration of having to leave without being able to enjoy more of the rivers and to this is added the level of rivers dropping. That same day we saw rain in the forecast announced in the area of Singuil River.
This is a signal! I said, and we could not waste it. So again we loaded everything in the car and we went to sleep at the entrance of the Singuil River and hoped that the weather forecast was not wrong. When we arrived that afternoon to the entry, the river had not enough water... in meantime on our way we had already informed the other members of the group who were still in the city (Colo, Gabriel, Mauro and Angel) that whatever happens they should be at 10 am at the put in of the river. Note: cars take about three hours and two hours for SUV due to road conditions.
That night we went to sleep under the stars when suddenly in the middle of the night water noise woke us all. The next morning the river was about 6 or 7 cm higher and we soon called the rest of the team that was already on the way.
At 10 am there we were all! And at 11 am we were in the water with about 30 km ahead of us to be explored. Diego, Gabriel, Colo, Mira and I went on kayaks. Mauro, Angel and Dori made the logistics with vehicles. They had a very important task which was finding an exit or take out at the nearest point on the route to the river. The GPS could show that point somewhere in the middle of the canyon. After three hours we found that they had done an excellent job at finding the exit halfway.
The Rio Singuil has 3 predominant canyons, but about 400 meters from the bridge the river begins and show an incredible beauty where the slope becomes noticeable, with gray stones and white stripes, The river bed of the same stone that has eroded with thousands of years that makes it different from the rest of the rivers from Tucuman.
The first canyon is the longest one, most isolated and long from the route and with many rapids and jumps of 2, 3 and 4 meters. Rapids class 3 and 4, a couple of portages that with more water will surely become class 5.
At 10 am there we were all! And at 11 am we were in the water with about 30 km ahead of us to be explored. Diego, Gabriel, Colo, Mira and I went on kayaks. Mauro, Angel and Dori made the logistics with vehicles. They had a very important task which was finding an exit or take out at the nearest point on the route to the river. The GPS could show that point somewhere in the middle of the canyon. After three hours we found that they had done an excellent job at finding the exit halfway.
The other good news is that the river has a path on the right side, This allowed to discover that each canyon can be descend separately. Also it ends in the reservoir Escaba Dam in the city of Alberdi.
The color of the stones can not go unnoticed
The Rio Singuil has 3 predominant canyons, but about 400 meters from the bridge the river begins and show an incredible beauty where the slope becomes noticeable, with gray stones and white stripes, The river bed of the same stone that has eroded with thousands of years that makes it different from the rest of the rivers from Tucuman.
Diego Budeguer and his smooth run in the first gorge
Gabriel Zingale. The old fella styling it!
The first canyon is the longest one, most isolated and long from the route and with many rapids and jumps of 2, 3 and 4 meters. Rapids class 3 and 4, a couple of portages that with more water will surely become class 5.
Colo some where in the first gorge
The second canyon is probably the most beautiful.We called the Pink Canyon by the color of the rocks but I should say the color of the walls. I think I've never seen a canyon that is just pink. So pretty!
Lunch Time and the only one.
Me :)
The Singuil River can run at several levels. We had a low water level and took us about 6 hours to complete it with class 4 rapids. This are likely class 5 in the future. For sure with higher water the river will have rapids Class 4, 5 and even class 6.
This will remain in the memory of all and it will be remember for the next generations. Today I can say that my 2016 season in Tucuman was excellent, epic and historical.
Previously I have mentioned these portages, I'll tell you an anecdote in which we all got very scared and also were lucky to be able to learn from this foolishness. In the first few kilometers I began to notice how some of the boys were having problem to locate an order in the row to descend, by failing to maintain the same position. Suddenly i was feeling real uncomfortable by how the river was changing because a recent land slide. So I stop 40 mt before the unknown and tree boaters continued down. So the first one (Mira) manage to stop at the last chance eddy and showing a signal to stop immediately but that was not possible for the other two boaters that run it blind... absolutely terrible scenery, I though. At that moment I left my kayak with the same speed as when a pilot of Formula one runs out of his cockpit and the car in on fire, with a thousand things going on in my head I went downstream to see how was the situation. first, I saw Diego that appeared to be well and I asked immediately, where is Colo, he pointed up stream and there was Colo behind a stone and apparently was fine too. After went to see the rapid and of course did not look clean because the water formed a one meter jump that collided with a stone in a curve of 90 degrees and hit another stone ... Horrible! I indicated to the rest of the team to portage. All were surprised how lucky they were. but we had to calm down and go.
This topic is not going to miss at the debrief and to think about what happened there. So it does not happen again.
To go concluding Easter brought a fantastic river which adds to the list of rivers from Tucuman.
To go concluding Easter brought a fantastic river which adds to the list of rivers from Tucuman.
Dream Team!
I would like to invite all white water boaters to paddle in Tucuman - Argentina. New Mecca that year after year has more to offer in the Menu :)
Photos: Fabian A. Bonanno, Mira Kodada, Mauro Ruani.
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