Ambling from its source on Mt. Chirripó, the General River offers exciting whitewater in a rich tropical environment. The General, which compares favorably to California's Toulumne and Idaho's famous Middle Fork of the Salmon, is one of the finest whitewater rivers in the world. A gradient of 50 feet/mile and flows up to 10,000 cubic meters per second, produce more than 100 class III and Class IV rapids in the first forty miles. Innumerable waterfalls cascade into the river and the beauty of the wide, tropical canyon and pasture lands is unsurpassed. There is a great variety of wildlife, from tropical birds to three-foot long multicolored iguanas sunning themselves on the rocks and trees.
DAY 1. We will meet at 7:00 a.m. at the different hotels in San Jose. At 8:30 a.m., we will stop for breakfast at a local restaurant. We will have lunch at the river put-in and then, paddle 8 miles to our campsite.
DAY 2-3. We will be able to take advantage of all the Class III-IV rapids that the General has to offer, like Chirrpo Grande, Mexicanos, Chachalaca, and Screaming Right Turn. We make our second day camp under the cover of a huge "CEIBA" tree -- sacred to local peoples. This tropical giant stands alone in a pasture, so it is hard to determine its true size until you stand next to it. Bromeliads hang from the upper limbs and ferns grow in the saddles between the branches.
DAY 4. After a final day of play, we will arrive at the take-out in the early afternoon and pack up the equipment. Return to San Jose at approximately 7:30 p.m.