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What is rafting and how to practice it
Rafting or rafting is a water sport that takes place in mighty rivers, also called “rapids”. It is practiced as a team, aboard a raft. The crew must be located on both sides of the raft, handling wooden oars. They must wear protective helmets and life jackets.
The adventure begins when the raft is dragged through the water at high speed and the team has to row according to the current. There are sections of the rivers with many stones where the raft takes more speed, there are also holes and cliffs that are usually the most challenging and dangerous areas.
Rafting can be practiced in an inflatable canoe or kayak. The teams must be accompanied by an expert guide in the sport and must do a mini-training before boarding the raft to learn the basic techniques and understand the instructions on what to do, both with the oars and with the body, depending on the voice commands from the guide.
Where to go rafting in Baños?
You can go rafting in Baños on the Pastaza River.
The rivers for rafting are classified according to their flow and the difficulty to be navigated, being the "flat waters or class 0" rivers without eddies or waves and the “class V” rivers are considered impossible to navigate.
For rafting in Baños, the adventurers have the Pastaza River, a torrent of white water that crosses the Andes mountain range from Ecuador to Peru. In fact, the Pastaza River is born in the vicinity of the Tungurahua volcano, very close to Baños de Agua Santa.
The tour in the Pastaza can last up to 5 hours through the tropical jungle of the Ecuadorian Amazon. The river is right between the Llanganates and the Sangay parks, so apart from the adrenaline you can experience the beauty of these jungle landscapes considered Natural Heritage of Humanity.
Some extra tips that may be useful to you on your journey:
- It is recommended to eat something light before entering the rapids.
- The Rio Pastaza water is cold, so you should consider wearing a wetsuit.
- Have fun, for sure.