Join an expedition down one of the most scenic rivers in Mexico just south of the New Mexico/Texas border! Enjoy beautiful canyon, interesting caves, fun rapids, and hotsprings in Tarahumara land. Everyone is welcome: kayakers, rafters, and passengers. This is a class III trip suitable for intermediate kayakers.

GENERAL TRIP INFORMATION:

This trip on Río Conchos starts in beautiful high altitude Tarahumara country and descends into the central Chihuahuan desert. Soak in hot springs, camp in sheltered caves, explore abandoned cliff dwellings, hike interesting arroyos, navigate challenging rapids, and enjoy the incredibly scenic canyon. We will run as much of the river as possible, but most likely starting on Río Agua Caliente or at the Red Gorges section and going through Cañon Ciriacos. The second two sections of the river are suitable to big rafts, which will support the group. Although the bigger rapids are class III at most flows, at high flows some might rate IV. Also, there is one that rates class V (Inesperado) near the start that we will likely line or portage and a second (Laborcita) that we will have the option of passing through at the end of the trip. We expect to have two large rafts to accommodate the group. We welcome anyone wanting to join: kayakers, rafters, and raft passengers/paddlers – bring your own boat or use one of ours. Our group size will be capped at 15, which will include 3-4 guides. Space is particularly limited for raft passengers/paddlers, so reserve your place now!

TENTATIVE ITINERARY:
Sep 3 (Sat): participants arrive in Douglas; stay night in hotel; ready to go next morning
Sep 4 (Sun): DAY 1: cross border in Douglas, get tourist visas; continue to Cuauhtémoc/hot springs
Sep 5 (Mon): DAY 2: possible Agua Caliente run (if water high enough); class II-III; ~24 km
Sep 6 (Tue): DAY 3: meet big raft at bridge; Red Gorges; class III-IV; ~20 km
Sep 7 (Wed): DAY 4: Red Gorges into Ciriacos; class III; ~40 km
Sep 8 (Thu): DAY 5: Ciriacos; San Rafael; class III; ~50 km
Sep 9 (Fri): DAY 6: end Cañon Ciriacos: take-out at Los Veranos; class I-II; optional class V; ~25 km

DAY 1: Early on September 4 (DAY 1), our 12-passenger van (or possibly a pickup truck) will be in Douglas to pick up participants at their hotels. We will drive the van across the border, get our tourist visas, and proceed to Cuauhtémoc (total ~400 miles, 9 hr) and then to Bocabureachi Hot Springs to camp (~40 miles; 1.5 hr).

DAYS 2-4: The next day (DAY 2), we will assess the level of Río Carichi-Agua Caliente and hope to launch for a day run or lightweight 1-night out. This river is class II-III with one potential portage. On DAY 3, we will meet up with the large raft(s) and soon deal with the Inesperado (Baqueachi) rapid (possible portage). We will make it into the heart of the nicest part of the Red Gorges section before camping (~13 km down). The following day we will paddle the rest of the Red Gorges section (~25 km), pass the Nonoava confluence and enter Cañon Ciriacos (going 5-10 km into it).

DAYS 5-6: On DAY 5, we will paddle the bulk of the rapids in Cañon Ciriacos in a long ~50 km day on the river. The last day (DAY 6) will be mostly flat fast class I-II water to past the Balleza confluence and our take-out at Los Veranos (~25 km). There is the possibility to paddle a few extra kilometers and tackle the class IV-V Laborcita rapid. The van will start heading back to the border this day (Friday), perhaps even making it (~400 miles; ~10 hr drive).

DAY 7: If the group all agree, we can stay out an extra day to enjoy the upper canyon more or even paddle farther down (to Valle de Zaragoza; another 70 km of mostly flat fast big river).

PRICE: $900 [first trip special: $400-700]
The general price for this trip is $900, minus discounts (see below). Because this is the first time the trip is being run, there is a special discount of $200 off the normal price.

Trip price includes:
-Transportation from Douglas into Mexico to the river and back
-All meals while on the river, including bowls, plates, and utensils
-Guides to show you the way and help provide a safe outing
-Rafts to carry you and your camping gear down the river
-All kitchen and group camp items
-PFD, helmet, jacket, drybag
-Kayak or inflatable kayak (check with Rocky: limited selection and availability)

Price does not include:
-Hotel stays on either end of the trip (doubles start at ~$40/night in Douglas)
-Mexican tourist visa [you will need a passport or photo ID/birth certificate (~$20)]
-Food during travel to/from the river (bring at least $40 for these meals and incidentals)
-Beer/wine (we can purchase and carry a certain amount for you, but you pay more)
-Personal camping gear (tent, sleeping bag, ground pad, headlamp)

Discounts: Subtract the following from the normal full price ($900) of the trip:
$200: first trip special discount
$20: for bringing your own drybag, PFD, and helmet (they will probably fit better too!)
$30: for bringing your own boat
$50: if you do one of the week-long trips on either side
$50: each additional person in your party (i.e. $50 discount if you pay for 2; $100 for 3, etc.)
$50: if we meet you in Cuauhtémoc instead
$100: if you publish a full print article about the trip in a major periodical (>5000 readers)
- additional discounts may apply to expert paddlers/guides for services rendered

PRICES ARE LOW for the first guided descent of this river because it is being run as part of the nonprofit, our guides are compensated below typical rates, the trips are not fine-tuned yet, and the available selection of kayaks is limited. All excess revenue will go to SierraRios and its goal of promoting conservation of rivers in Mexico (specifically, it will be applied to equipment purchases for future guided trips, training guides in Mexico, providing additional information about the rivers, and advertising). The prices are about half of what other outfits typically charge for week-long trips (general prices are $1600 for 6-7 days of boating).

RESERVATIONS
If you are interested in this trip, send Rocky a note regarding yourself, your paddling experience, what boat you would want to use or bring, how you would arrive, and whether you would want to do another trip on either side. Once approved, you will need to provide a deposit of $400 to reserve your place on the trip. Full payment must be received 30 days before the trip or you may lose your spot. Payments may be made by sending a check (make out to Rocky Contos, 5071 Constitution Rd., San Diego, CA 92117), transferring money via PayPal (to rocky@sierrarios.org), or making a credit card payment online.

As of July 20, 2011, our group total stands at 10 (we can handle 15). You may make a deposit or pay a balance with the "donate" button below. ($400 deposit for each person; when paying remaining balances, specify discounts that apply); be sure to send Rocky a message with a little info about you and your group.

CANCELLATIONS

We reserve the right to cancel the trip at any time. In particular, the trip may not be feasible to run if there are too few paying individuals. If we cancel the trip, all deposits and payments will be refunded.

If you must cancel the trip, we reserve the right to keep a percentage of your deposit according to the following guidelines:
5% if you cancel >60 days before the trip
50% if you cancel 30-60 days before the trip
100% if you cancel <30 days before of the trip

YOUR GUIDES:
(1) Rocky Contos, the trip leader, has explored nearly every river in Mexico, including the entire upper Conchos, has a probable first descent on Río Carichi (along with >120 other first descents in Mexico covering ~8,000 km of river and ~54,000 m of drop), and wrote the guidebook to the northern Sierra Madre Occidental. He is fluent in Spanish and has paddled over 150 multi-day journeys on rivers, with dozens in the range of 5-22 days. Rocky worked as a kayak instructor and guide for UCSD's Outback adventures in 1993-1996 and gained valuable trip planning skills for large groups. Although primarily a kayaker, Rocky started rafting in the mid-1990s in order to introduce more people to the wonders of river travel. Since then, he has organized numerous large group raft and kayak expeditions, including five through Grand Canyon (18-22 days), two on the Salmon River (4-10 days each), and dozens on the Salt, Kern, Rogue, Deschutes, John Day, Thompson, Similkameen, and in Baja (2-6 days each). Rocky founded SierraRios with the goal of conserving the rivers of Mexico, and hopes that increased awareness and enjoyment of the resource will lead to protection. He is organizing all aspects of the trip, including logistics and meals. He will be rowing a large cataraft or self-bailer raft with gear and passengers most of the time, but may hop in a kayak here and there for play or safety purposes.

(2) Lacey Anderson started out as a backpacking guide, leading clients in the deserts of the Southwest and mountains of the Sierra Nevada. In the 1990’s she discovered whitewater. She has commercially guided many of California’s more challenging rivers, Tuolumne, Merced, Kern, and Tunnel Chute on the Middle Fork of the American. Her experience guiding and exploring internationally includes being part of the team that ran the first commercial raft descent of Agua Azul. She is also noted as being the leader of the first commercial descent of the Lower Rio Urique in the Copper Canyon area. Her current certifications are in CPR, Wilderness First Aid and Swift Water Rescue. She has been trained in Wilderness First Response and in the principals of Leave No Trace. She wrote the book “Camp Cooking WITHOUT Coolers II” and will probably be organizing a few days of the food for this trip. Lacey will be rowing her cataraft on the expedition or possibly a raft.

(3) Neil Nikirk, has been paddling and rafting rivers for almost 30 years. His paddling "resume" includes most of the classic rafting runs in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and California as well as internationally in Guatemala and the Veracruz area of Mexico. His exploratory river experience includes participating in teams that made the first successful (commercial) raft descents of the Cotahuasi River in Peru and the Rio Urique in Mexico's Copper Canyon. His current certifications are Wilderness First Aid, CPR and Whitewater Rescue. He paddled with Rocky, Barb, and Lacey on the first cataraft descent of the Rio Mulatos/Aros/Yaqui in 2010. He will be rowing a cataraft and providing safety support for the group.

RENDEZVOUS POINTS
DOUGLAS: At this point, we plan to drive the SierraRios van (or maybe a pickup) from the Sahuaripa take-out of the Mulatos-Aros trip up to Douglas on September 3 and then down to Cuauhtémoc on September 4. After the Conchos trip, the van is expected to return to Douglas, then Tucson, and from there probably to California. If you have a vehicle and can drive, we may wish to have you pick up folks and bring them down and then back - you'd get a discount off the price of the trip.

PARKING IN DOUGLAS: If you drive to Douglas and want us to pick you up, you may have to leave your vehicle in a parking lot (you are responsible for this fee). You should check with a hotel you may stay at since many allow parking for a week with a 1 night stay.

FLYING TO TUCSON: If you are planning to fly to Tucson, remember that bringing your own boats and gear on a plane can sometimes be frustrating. Southwest Airlines is one of the most accommodating airlines that has always accepted whitewater kayaks in the past. They do charge an oversize fee ($50 each way; <11 ft and <50 lbs) but at least they can take them. Other airlines have varying policies. Alaska an US Air take kayaks ($50-75 extra each way), but United and Delta may not. If it all sounds too daunting to you, consider using one of our kayaks (if we have one available that you like). If you fly to Tucson for this Conchos trip, you should expect to pay $35 for transport to Douglas. It might be possible for one of the participants driving down to pick you up and bring you to Douglas (you should compensate them $25/person).

FOOD
We will organize the food and bring the kitchen (tables, pots, plates, bowls, utensils, and stoves). You can expect to eat to your tummy’s content. If you have specific food restrictions/preferences let us know and we will try to accommodate you. There will always be vegetarian options. If Rocky plans the food, it generally will consist of:

Breakfast: usually there is a range of foods to choose from: coffee, tea, fruit, cereals, milk, tortillas, and perhaps something special such as eggs/omelettes, pancakes, or french toast. If you have specific preferences, let Rocky know and he will accommodate.

Lunch: Items typically available are trail mix, dried fruits, energy bars, chips, cookies, and sandwiches. Sandwiches can vary: early in trip maybe ham/turkey, cheese, avocados, tomatoes, lettuce, mustard, mayo; later maybe tunafish; always PB&J). There may be wraps or pita/hummus type food one day.

Dinner: Rocky’s dinner menu will include selections from the following types of food: Italian (pasta/salad/cheese), Mexican (tamales, burritos, and/or tacos), Indian (Tasty Bites), American (turkey, steak, and/or salmon), and maybe Greek/Asian.

Desserts: There will always be some form of sweet to eat – cookies, chocolates, etc.

ALCOHOL
No beer/wine is included in the price of the trip. If you would like some, you can let Rocky know how much and he will buy and pack it ($3/beer or $15 per bottle of wine). It is possible for you to bring your own and we’ll pack it, but a carriage donation of $2/beer and $8 per bottle of wine applies). DO NOT pack beer cans in your drybag because the cans often burst! There is a limit to the amount we will carry for you (max: 12 beers or equivalent weight). Don’t expect ice-cold beer – we will not have cold coolers most of the time. Wine should be packaged into lightweight metal bottles or plastic containers beforehand - best to get a 1.5L water bottle from a supermarket, empty the water, and fill it with 2 bottles of wine.

WATER
We will bring filters and provide drinking water on the entire expedition. The river generally runs with a lot of silt and takes more effort to convert to clear drinking water than many of the clear side arroyos. The arroyos with little or no habitation contain pristine water that is usually safe to drink straight from the creekbed. To be safe, we will be pumping/filtering it for maximal protection from water-borne pathogens and storing in two 5-gallon containers.

CHORES
SierraRios trips are designed to be participatory in nature, and therefore participants are expected to help with camp duties including loading/unloading rafts, camp set-up, food preparation, and washing dishes. We generally have a rotating schedule. Duties can be swapped with others, as long as someone is there and you end up contributing equally in the end. Everyone is expected to help load/unload the rafts each day. A few individuals may be designated to help with camp set-up. Two individuals will be assigned to help with food preparation and wash dishes each morning and evening. After washing and rinsing, dishes are sterilized in a dilute bleach solution. If you are assigned to help with the food, please make sure you wash your hands and keep them clean.

TOILET AND BATHING
Urinating should be done directly into the river or away from camp and out of sight of others. We generally will bring a toilet system to carry solid human waste out of the canyon (although we may not carry it on this initial trip). At each camp we will set up a groover box with a toilet seat and lid. A guide in charge of this will set up, take down, and clean up if need be. There will be a washing station by the toilet to wash and sterilize your hands after use. Please clean your hands before handling any food!
[Alternate toilet method: If a toilet is not available, you should walk away from camp to somewhere above the high-water line, dig a hole 4-6” deep, and cover your feces. Carry your TP back and put in the “TP trash”.]

SAFETY
The violence in Mexico surrounding the drug was has been in the news a lot in the past three years. The violence is generally confined to drug traffickers (narcos) and those associated with them, including law enforcement. In addition, the river we will be journeying down does not have any marijuana cultivation visible near it. As such, we are not likely to be harassed or molested in any way related to the drug war. For further discussion of the drug war and safety concerns, click here.

Independent of the drug war, there has always been potential danger for assault in Mexico by armed bandits (bandidos). This is the same now as it was 5 , 10, or 20 years ago. Such risk is common in any third world country where citizens are very poor. In the event of assault, we will do all we can to protect our clients and ourselves, but may have to sacrifice our possessions. Because we can never guarantee against such assault, you must agree not to hold us liable for consequent personal injury/damage/loss you sustain on this outing.

The other aspect of safety is prevention of accidents. It is of utmost importance that you take all precautions necessary to avert injury, sickness, and complications while on the trip. As guides, we are there to help get you safely to the river, down it, and back out, but cannot guarantee against accidents. You must accept the responsibility for what happens on the river if you are in control of your craft. If you are concerned about the whitewater or other aspects, it is your responsibility to make appropriate decisions whether to run the rapid or not and to stay close to someone who can watch and oversee you (if you desire that level of protection). If an accident occurs, we will do all in our power to help you, see that proper care is rendered, or evacuate you if need be. Rocky is trained as Wilderness First Responder and will administer appropriate emergency medical care if needed. We will have two basic first aid kits available. We will also carry a satellite phone for emergencies and changes of plan.

GENERAL ROUTINE
Most days we will launch around 10 am, stop for lunch around noon, and be at camp around 4-5 pm. There may be an interesting hike we'll allow time for in the morning, lunch, or after landing. At this time of year (Aug-Sep), days are still fairly long, with sunrise-sunset from 6 am-7 pm. We'll usually be making around 30 km/day when on the water. After landing, we'll set up camp and get dinner started. If it happens to be cool, we may collect firewood for a campfire. Most activity will concentrate around the eating area and campfire. You will be free to relax, wander, or socialize. After eating, those in charge of the dishes will clean them all. Some mornings will have potential hikes. In the morning, you must have your tent and camp area packed up and ready to go before we start loading the rafts. We hope to have one layover day where we remain in the same camp for two nights. That day you can just hang out and lounge if you like, enjoy the water, or go on an exploratory hike.

WATER LEVELS
We have timed this trip to coincide with highest probability of good river flows. In September, flows average 50 cms (1700 cfs) on the Conchos in the Red Gorges and 70 cms (2400 cfs) in Cañon Ciriacos. It is very likely (~80% chance) that we will have 20-200 cms (700-6000 cfs) during our trip, but there are slim chances it will be higher (10%) or lower (10%). If water levels are normal or high, we can start our journey with smaller boats on Río Agua Caliente at Bocabureachi Hot Springs. If they are on the low side, we all will go to Puente Baqueachi and start there for the Red Gorges section. If levels are extremely low, we will all go to Puente Agua Caliente (Nonoava) and start there for Cañon Ciriacos. Water levels can fluctuate rapidly due to spotty intense thunderstorms that are characteristic of the monsoon season in the region. It is important that rafts be tied up well so they don’t drift away in a rising tide on the river. Equally important, the camp must be set at a high enough location so it will not be flooded. We may encounter rapidly rising river that reaches camp (usually in the evening). If this happens and you are the first to notice, please wake the guides first, and we will assess the situation. It may be necessary to move camp higher.

WHAT TO PACK:
You will need to pack appropriately for spending 6-7 days out in the Mexican wilderness. Although it will generally be warm in the day, nights will usually be cool/cold at this elevation and thunderstorms can make it very chilly even during the day. Come prepared. Your camp gear will be transported down the river in one large drybag. We can provide one, but it is probably better to get your own and see how all your gear packs into it beforehand. Do not pack excessively. We will not accept the largest sized drybags (3.8 ft2) that appear to be overstuffed – rather, they should be very easy to close and your additional small drybag should fit inside. It is in your best interest not to overpack your drybag because it often causes lack of proper sealing and consequent leaking if dunked.

River items to bring:
-Shorts, shirt
-Paddle jacket (we may be able to provide one if you don’t have)
-Water shoes (preferably multipurpose for wear on the river and hiking)
-PFD (if you don't have one, we will provide)
-Kayak gear (only if kayaking: helmet, skirt)
-Hat and sunglasses (with retainer)
-Small drybag for your kayak or on raft (for passengers)
-Large drybag for camp gear (if it is a very large bag (>3 ft3), your small drybag must fit within)
-Water bottle (preferably with a carabiner to clip onto a raft)
-Sunscreen

Camp items to bring:
-Tent (a 2-person tent can be used by an individual)
-Sleeping bag (consider using your fleece or other item as a pillow)
-Therm-a-rest (chair and bed; we may have a few chairs for the camp)
-Basic clothing (t-shirt, shorts, light pants, light long-sleeve shirt, fleece, underwear)
-Camp shoes (these can be the same as your river shoes or a different dry shoe)
-Headlamp (plus extra set of batteries)
-Toiletries (toothbrush, toothpaste, floss, lotions, etc)
-Special medicines/lotions (anti-fungal cream, bug repellent)
-Lighter/matches (remember to check it if flying)
-Pocket-knife (remember to check it if flying)
-Mug (for your hot beverages; we'll have plastic cups for water/wine/etc)
-Reading material
-Bug repellent (very important for comfortable hanging-out in camp)