I'd like you western folk to let me know how your whitewater trips
differ from ours back east. As a basis for comparison, here is how a
trip down the Lower Gualey in WV started out....

last month, my dad and i, as part a group, went rafting on the lower
gualey in west virgina. the trip was awesome. the drive up there was
half of the fun. we had 3-4 chocolate milk cans by the time we crossed
into virginia from north carolina - the gas stations were enticing.
the gualey is supposed to be one of the top 10 rafting rivers in the
world. after arriving at the campsite and getting a good - very good -
night's rest, we loaded on to a 50 year old school bus with other
rafting groups and headed down to the lower. the first rapid we went
over was a class V. i was a little nervous at first, but once i found
the previous fact out, i began shaking. drifting downriver, i stared
up at a 300 foot gorge to the right, a steep hillside to the left and
a gulley of rushing water in the center. down the raft went. i thought
i would never live to see the day i would exit the raft, but the ride
was awesome and we all came out fine. after a quick lunch break at the
end of the next moderate rapid, we kept on going and listened to our
guide very accurately predict when the people behind us were going to
fly 10 feet out of the boat. it was quite a show - he was dead right.

the rest can be read at:
http://www.zachdexter.com/adventure/viewtopic.php?t=2

wrote:
I'd like you western folk to let me know how your whitewater trips
differ from ours back east. As a basis for comparison, here is how a
trip down the Lower Gualey in WV started out....
snip
night's rest, we loaded on to a 50 year old school bus with other
rafting groups and headed down to the lower. the first rapid we went
over was a class V.

The first rapid on the Lower Gauley is a class V? puzzled look
If that was the correct rating, at what horrendous water level did you
run it? IIRC the time I ran it, there was no class V rapid on the
*entire* Lower Gauley...


--
Wilko van den Bergh Wilkoa t)dse(d o tnl
Eindhoven The Netherlands Europe
Look at the possibilities, don't worry about the limitations.
http://wilko.webzone.ru/

Well, two things:
(1) Older guidebooks list "Mash" and "Pure Screeming Hell" as Class IV(V).
(2) Raft guides are prone to exaggerate ratings to hype-up the trip to their
paying customers.

MyRegMail wrote:

Well, two things:
(1) Older guidebooks list "Mash" and "Pure Screeming Hell" as Class IV(V).

Yeah, just as there was a limited time that class VII was used (as a
well known U.S. open boater once told me). Still, dat doesn't mean that
it's still correct nowadays, just as those older guidebooks'
descriptions (I have some German guidebooks from the 80's with
descriptions that still are valid, but with ratings that have been
changed considerably nowadays).

(2) Raft guides are prone to exaggerate ratings to hype-up the trip to their
paying customers.

All too true, I've witnessed this on a number of occasions. Then again,
someone interested in discussing East vs. West paddling would be advised
to know that, or not be taken seriously by any Western boater who has
done the Gauley.

--
Wilko van den Bergh Wilkoa t)dse(d o tnl
Eindhoven The Netherlands Europe
Look at the possibilities, don't worry about the limitations.
http://wilko.webzone.ru/

There are no class V's on the Lower Gauley. The Upper Gauley is a really
fun run and has several though.

I lived my entire life in the southeast up until 3 years ago when I moved to
the northwest. I've been paddling for over ten years and what I've noticed
is that generally the southeast is more technical drop / pool with lower
volume creeks and rivers where the northwest has alot for volume big water.
There are naturally exceptions for both areas though such as the Gauley
which is considered big water. Once again generally speaking the west is
full of big water. What I would consider big water class III back east
would seem like a IV out here. However, as far as technical drop / pool
goes, what many I've met out here consider a class IV, I would consider a
class III. Hope that helps.

Courtney



wrote in message
om...
I'd like you western folk to let me know how your whitewater trips
differ from ours back east. As a basis for comparison, here is how a
trip down the Lower Gualey in WV started out....

last month, my dad and i, as part a group, went rafting on the lower
gualey in west virgina. the trip was awesome. the drive up there was
half of the fun. we had 3-4 chocolate milk cans by the time we crossed
into virginia from north carolina - the gas stations were enticing.
the gualey is supposed to be one of the top 10 rafting rivers in the
world. after arriving at the campsite and getting a good - very good -
night's rest, we loaded on to a 50 year old school bus with other
rafting groups and headed down to the lower. the first rapid we went
over was a class V. i was a little nervous at first, but once i found
the previous fact out, i began shaking. drifting downriver, i stared
up at a 300 foot gorge to the right, a steep hillside to the left and
a gulley of rushing water in the center. down the raft went. i thought
i would never live to see the day i would exit the raft, but the ride
was awesome and we all came out fine. after a quick lunch break at the
end of the next moderate rapid, we kept on going and listened to our
guide very accurately predict when the people behind us were going to
fly 10 feet out of the boat. it was quite a show - he was dead right.

the rest can be read at:
http://www.zachdexter.com/adventure/viewtopic.php?t=2