I had not been back since last year when Jeff and I went up to the Callaghan race and got all our paddling gear stolen out of the truck. I still love Canada, you just have to be careful which hash bars you choose to go to I guess...... So my first trip to paddle in BC. This time we didn't stop in Vancouver. British Columbia is a place of magic, big glacial covered mountains, rivers that fall off every valley and a feeling of true wilderness. We hooked up with the local legends and some cool Austrians that were in the area boating for a month and had a marathon weekend. Two laps down the "BOX" and the triple crown. That's four new rivers in two days....
It was a great weekend of paddling and hooking up with new friends and boating new rivers. I had read about all the hydro projects affecting the area but had no idea until I was up there how much the power industry is affecting the wilderness up there. Mini hydro projects are going up everywhere and power lines will soon cross every valley. BC is still an incredible place.
Ashlu River
(box canyon)
The Ashlu river flows into the Elaho river outside of Squamish BC and is one of the worlds finest gems. After damming it a few years ago paddlers fought hard for our sport and the freedom of rivers and luckily we can still paddle this section. Not ever doing it before I was glad we had locals Steve Arns, Ali, Steve Rogers and buddy Leif to show me down. It's not long but the first canyon is pretty much boxed in with a cruxie move right out of the gate and into the BOX. If I had to run one river for the rest of my life this would not be a bad river to have......50/50 is huge and I didn't run it but and as I didn't get pics of most of the good stuff in here it's because your walled in and having a blast boating !!! to experience the box is to boat the box.
The 50/50 lead in
Kristof below 50/50
Kristof entering the box
commitment eddie, only one way out from here.....
most amazing canyon i've ever paddled
exiting the "box" first canyon
the valley opened up after the box for a breather before the entrance to the second canyon
which wasn't as walled in or hard but had some of the best drops and boofs on the run.
the double 12 footer run on the right... two perfect boofs.
Making our way through the Ashlu's huge boulder gardens. The rivers here run huge most
of the year. it's amazing to be paddling in these canyons at there lowest boofing through
the huge car sized boulders walled in and committed in one of the most beautiful places in
the world.
The Whistler Triple Crown
The whistler triple crown is running the classic three rivers right near whistler in one day. The Callaghan, Cheakamus and Soo rivers respectively.
Cheakamus river
Soo River
Alex our Austrian friend entering the Soo via the hydro diversion at the bottom of some serious steepness you can see behind him. Two miles of class II brought us to a canyon that wasn't on the normal put in for the Soo.
looking down the lead in to the upper canyon. It was a two part canyon broken up by a huge river wide hole that you needed to punch and eddie out.
river wide hole bottom of section one
Sam and I entering section one
me on the move above the big hole you don't want to
screw up..it was bigger than it looked from the scout
looking down on section two. Rob getting sporty !!
myself dropping into section two
always bigger in there than you think.......
Sam Graffton
Callaghan Creek