A Unique, Ultimate, Int'l River Expedition

2000 (Y2K) Project Plan

Project Whitewater Russia/USA

1999
Three Countries: Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan
Targeted Rivers: First American Descents

Part 1: SIBERIA TRIP START: Saturday, July 10, 1999 (August 1(7) to August 24-September 1)	Part 1
Basic Plan:	Backup Option:
SAYAN AND BAIKAL REGION	ALTAY REGION
(Start point : Irkutsk City)	(Start point: Novosibirsk City)
Class 3-4 river (introduction) : 3-5 days
Khara-Murin : Class 4 Or Snezhnaya : Class 4+ 3 days on Baikal Lake	Chuya : Class 4
Class 4-6 rivers: 12-14 days
Kitoy River : Class 5 (for the expert team) & Sayan Oka: Class 3-4 (for second team)	Bashkaus : Class 5-6
Part 2: Central Asia Expedition (to September 24)	Part 2
(START POINTS: BESHKEK OR TASHKENT)
The Primary Plan:	The Backup Option:
River Kekemeren (Central Tien'-Shan'): Class 5+ (14-16 days) & Rivers Sandalash + Chatkal : Class 4-5 (8-10 days)	River Kekemeren : Class 5+ (14-16 days) & River Oy-Tal - Tar : Class 4+-5 (7 days)
Cultural Program: Bukhara City , Khiva, & St.Petersburg

Class V (FIVE) Difficulty

Strategies for Our Runs

In doing Rivers of an Unknown Land, we must proceed with maximum caution as we most importantly want to bring back everyone safely and uninjured. Never attempt a river you do not know. Always talk to other boaters and local people who are familiar with the river. Any information about the river is more useful than none at all. Place greater weight on information from local boaters rather than just local people, but here where we expect to be going, there likely will be very few of either kind. When this is not possible, you must proceed with maximum caution.

A boaters rule is to always navigate a river where you can see the clear channels ahead. When you cannot, you must stop and scout always! Rivers in the former Soviet republics will not normally be what we call "forgiving", and being largely Class V, means there is often no more than one right way to run the rapids correctly. There is no shame in deciding that it is better to walk around, portage a rapid, no matter how difficult the portage may be. This may be the better part of wisdom if not valor! We want to be able to come back again and again since there are so many great rivers to challenge us in the former Soviet republics. In most cases these will be the first American descents, and later trips will include "FIRST DESCENTS". If the opportunity presents itself though, if we spot a potentially runnable side canyon, our kayakers may scout and run a first descent.

As we proceed down the rivers, our kayakers lead the way. They are the most manueverable and can catch even the smallest eddies more easily or "read and run" as may be necessary, at least more so than rafts. The kayakers can also paddle upstream more easily and tell the boats of danger ahead. They can more easily assess the locations to stop and best scout the river. And they can guide the rafts by pointing toward the clear channel.

Our boaters in Russian paddle catamarans will follow the kayakers, these are the next most maneuverable craft and can ride high and over rock obstacles more easily. They can help show the way for American style rafts if these are used. Russian paddle cats have proven themselves to be much more stable and versatile.

Paddle rafts (if planned) come next with good crews of paddlers, they have the power to pull through difficult stretches. But American style rafts can have difficulty as they can more easily and quickly "wrap" on rocks or "flip". A conventional raft will wrap more easily than most other craft. A self-bailing raft will flip more easily than most other rafts because it rides higher in the water with its higher center of gravity but its less likely to wrap and can be more easily unwrapped from a rock. Paddle catamarrans don't have the difficulties of rafts and are less like to wrap or flip, but its definitely still possible.

Finally the oar boats (if planned) will come through, they will be the most vulnerable. Oar boats will be heavily laden with equipment to support the expeditions, the supplies, wrap kits, rescue gear, first aid, and food & water. Rafts with frames and gear require a highly skilled oarsman at the helm, especially in class V water. They do not have the power of a paddle team and often must rely on the pull of the river. We may need to augment any oar rafts with two bow paddlers to provide necessary forward pull. But we know that there are rivers in the former Soviet republics which are extremely difficult for us to run rafts through, paddle or oars. We may therefore need to run with kayaks and Russian paddle catamarans only.

Danger! This is NOT recreational class III boating.

Each team members' participation and execution is essential. The performance and success of each boat is dependant on each and every team member. Teams must know how to work together and read each other. Do not expect any margin for error, nor are the rivers forgiving. Class V boating is Xtreme boating for experienced and seasoned experts. Class V capable boaters are required for this series of expeditions, qualified, expert boaters only. This is a matter of survivability. Also the expedition must use the best equipment, Class V capable and durable as well. The equipment must be in top condition, meeting or exceeding full specification for Class V conditions. The cost of equipment failure on this type of trip can be very high. The expedition must prepare appropriate redundancy of gear, but needs to balance this against overall equipment weight and all required gear. Equipment loss can be ill-afforded, but must be anticipated.

Bow paddlers in Class V rivers must be extremely proactive and anticipatory. They actually assist in guiding, maneuvering, and positioning the boat. Bow paddlers must recognize situations and correct the boat position or angle agressively. They are often called to lean forward and turn the boat from the bow. Bow paddlers provide pull and position of the boat whether it is a paddle boat or oar boat assist.

Class V paddlers must not only be strong paddlers, but must use the full repertoire of strokes available. It's not just sitting in the boat and waiting for the guide to say forward, back paddle, right turn, left turn, or stop. Each must know instinctively what to do and when. High Side situations must be anticipating and paddlers must always be ready to jump automatically to prevent a wrap. Similarly they must also be ready to use their weight to jump to the high side of a raft to prevent a big wave from flipping a boat. Class V paddling requires strength, endurance, anticipation, aggressiveness, proactive action and a single mistake, a missed stroke, can cost the whole crew. Paddlers use the left draw and right draw strokes to help position boats properly. Each team must be prepared to backup and should set up safety rescue at dangerous points for other boats.

Class V Swimmers

Class V paddlers must also know well how to anchor themselves into the boat because the boats can pivot and turn and get tossed easily in difficult water. There are often big drops and chutes and reversals at bottoms of waterfalls that can pull and suck boats in many different ways. Class V water is not forgiving, a swimmer can NOT just sit there and wait to be picked up, that could be a deadly mistake. Class V water has very strong hydraulics, often there are many dangerous undercut rocks. A swimmer in Class V water must immediately and aggressively swim toward a safe side of the river or get into an eddy and do it quickly without hesitation... Swimmers must assume continuous rapids, unless a scout reveals otherwise. Class V water is often in steeper and narrow canyons where boulder piles create many drops, waterfalls, chutes, and sieves. These can all be very dangerous to swimmers and boats. Usually the canyons will have the largest vertical gradients, undergrounding water, and may require difficult portages.

Always carry a throw rope when leaving a boat in Class V waters. Always be prepared to set up a safety rescue while scouting. When throwing a rope toward a swimmer, make sure you can see them before you "hit" them with it.

CURRENT TRIP PLAN (SITUATION ON 02.01.98)

Western Departures

August 1st, 1999 Departure from USA, some may depart earlier to tour parts of Russia, Moscow and St. Petersburg most likely.

Targeted Rivers:

Part 1: SIBERIA ( August 1(7) to August 24-September 1)

Basic Plan:

SAYAN AND BAIKAL REGION ( Start point : Irkutsk City)

 
 Class 3-4 river (introduction) :  3-5 days         

Khara-Murin : Class 4                                                 
 
        Or
Snezhnaya : Class 4+  

3 days on Baikal Lake

            Class 4-6 rivers: 12-14 days

Kitoy River :  Class 5 (portage at Motkin Cheeks possible)                                         
 
(for the expert team)
              &

Sayan Oka: Class 3-4
(for second team)

Backup Option:

ALTAY REGION (Start point: Novosibirsk City)

Chuya : Class 4 Bashkaus : Class 5-6

Part 2: Central Asia Expedition (to September 24)

START POINTS: BESHKEK OR TASHKENT (Base Cities)

The Primary Plan:

River Kekemeren (Central Tien'-Shan'): Class 5+  (14-16 days)
   Lower Kekemeren (may be able to take press)
                       &
Rivers Sandalash + Chatkal : Class 4-5 (8-10 days)

The Backup Plan:

River  Kekemeren : Class 5+   (14-16 days)
                &
River  Oy-Tal  -  Tar : Class 4+-5 (7 days)

Return (Home Stretch)

Participants may depart at the end of any expedition and may head straight home or attend a site-seeing trip to Moscow, St. Petersburg or another cultural program.

Cultural Program : Bukhara City , Khiva, & St.Petersburg