✔Friday, Jan 24

Each expedition member arrives to  San Cristóbal de Las Casas (San Cris) sometime on this day or the day before. You’ll then get settled into your hostel and have the night to adjust.

✔Saturday, Jan 25

We’ll have our first expedition meeting 9a.m., where we’ll discuss gear, the trip, food, packing and logistics. We’ll then drive to Agua Azul, enjoy swimming and hanging out by the waterfalls for the evening. Then we’ll settle into our camp spot, cabin or hotel room. Camping is included. You may upgrade to a hotel or cabin.

✔Sunday, Jan 26

We’ll spend the day packrafting together, honing intermediate paddling skills, running fun drops and exciting rapids on the Xanil River (where Agua Azul waterfalls are located).

✔Monday, Jan 27

We’ll drive back to San Cris early morning, spend the afternoon doing a shakedown of gear. Be prepared to have your guides assess your equipment, pack weight and extraneous items. They will recommend you leave behind items or share items with your expedition team. Please respect them as the leaders of your La Venta Expedition. You are coming here to learn new skills and to learn how to do more with less.

✔Tuesday, Jan 28-Sunday, Feb 2

We’ll get up at 5a.m. and head to La Venta, getting on the river before noon. The final night of the expedition we’ll exit probably mid-afternoon and head back to San Cris. 

The course is scheduled to wrap up the night of Sunday, Feb 2. However, we HIGHLY recommend you either fly out 24 to 48 hours after the course ends and/or get flights that you can change easily and without additional cost. If, for example, it rains while you are on the river, you may have to wait a day or even two for river flows to stabilize at a safe level. At high water, La Venta can be very dangerous. We do not want you to miss your flights. But we absolutely cannot guarantee this itinerary because it could rain anytime, even during the winter dry season. Remember this is a remote setting with very difficult egress should something go wrong, so you must have an expedition mentality, which means being flexible and prepared for anything, including being forced to stay on the river for additional days

Experience

You MUST have significant whitewater packrafting experience to do this adventure. Our trip differs from ones run by other packrafting services who exit early via a series of ropes and horse shuttles. Our trip continues to the park boundary at the Malpaso Reservoir. This additional mileage includes some stunning scenery with several fun Class III pool drop rapids and a dangerous portage that requires sure-footed, fit participants. You need to be proficient at catching eddies. You *will* have opportunities to practice running up to Class III rapids on the training day at Aqua Azul.

Do You Qualify?

If you are more on the beginner side of Level 2 novice, we’ll ask you to take a course with us or another accredited packraft guide service before signing up for La Venta. We, of course, want your business! But more importantly, we want to keep you and the other participants safe. 

Other things to note

For this course, you MUST be able to carry your full pack, and/or your packed boat without assistance for up to 2 to 3 miles, over rough, uneven and slippery terrain. There will be times that a member of the team will need extra help. But let’s make these instances the exception not the rule. The long portage takes up to 2.5 hours and involves navigating massive boulder gardens with moving and not moving water, some lowering and SHORT climbs with rope assist, and there is NO trail. Passing boats in a fireman’s bucket line is often the technique used here. 

Leave Your Ego at Home! 😉

Additionally, and most importantly, we recognize you are coming on this trip because you already have a lot of experience. However, we ask that you set your egos aside and understand that our guides are the trip leaders. For example, during our gear shakedown, they may tell you to leave behind extra gear they feel might make it more difficult for you to do the trip. Or, they may give you instruction in regards to where to go on the river. We ask that you respect them and their requests, as they are making decisions based on what will be best for the entire group. 

This Expedition Packrafting course requires participation in one to two Zoom meetings prior to the course. 

If you’re not sure you are experienced enough for this course, please visit our blog post, “What Level Packrafter Are You?” Please note that if you come on this course, but during the training we find you cannot do the above-mentioned tasks, you may not be able to continue on with the course. If this is the case, you will have to leave at your own expense, and you won’t get a refund. So please assess your abilities accurately!

January 1, 2025, is the cutoff date for registering for this course. You may still sign up for the course after the final registration date. However, you’ll have to pay an additional 10% for the course (total $3624.00). This will help cover short-notice permits, additional guides we have to reserve, seats in the vans and insurance.

Through October, a 25% non-refundable deposit is required to secure your spot on this course. This deposit is possibly transferable depending on circumstances.

50% is required November-December, and 100% if you sign up in within 30 days of the course.

You’ll need to provide the remaining balance 30 days prior to your course. 

Additionally, please review our cancellation policy, which you will find on our Terms, Conditions & Cancellation Policy Page.

This course includes permits, camping, backcountry sanitation kit, transportation to and from La Venta, all meals for the duration of the backcountry portion of the trip (breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks). We provide gluten free, vegetarian, vegan and meat options. If you have special needs, you’ll have to bring your own food. And you will not get a discount if you do. Camping is free at Aqua Azul Reserve on the basketball court.

You will need a whitewater-capable boat for this trip (i.e. self bailer or decked boat). We do not provide whitewater boats. You may rent one from Backcountrypackrafts.com with a 15% discount.  But we do have breakdown paddles, helmet and PFDs if you need one. We recommend a splash top or lightweight wetsuit if you run cold.

This trip does not include flights, adult beverages, river knives, whistles, throw bags, whitewater boats (required), meals, transportation to and from the airport or taxis if you want to get around town. It also does not include lodging in San Cristobal de las Casas or any other cities/towns we camp or lodge in. I.e. we cover your food in the backcountry, but you’re on your own for food in the front country. You’ll mostly be eating out at restaurants, though in San Cristóbal del las Casas you’ll be staying at a hostel that has a refrigerator and kitchen. Meals at restaurants range from $5 to $12 without booze. You can pretty much eat as cheaply or expensively as you choose. And lodging/camping prices vary widely based on whether or not you want a private bathroom, shared space, etc. You will choose which options you prefer and pay accordingly.

Steve Fassbinder

Steve, aka “Doom,” is one of the country’s first Level 4 American Canoe Association Packraft Instructors. And he will be a certified International Rescue 3 Whitewater Rescue Technician Professional (WRT-PRO) and IRF Whitewater Packraft Guide late April. Steve is also certified in Advanced Swiftwater Safety and Wilderness First Responder. An early adopter of packrafting, he has guided or instructed bike-packrafting to kids and adults for over a decade. And he has done remote packrafting expeditions around the world for over a dozen years.

Thad Ferrell

Thad is a Level 4 American Canoe Association Packraft Instructor. He additionally has advanced Swiftwater Safety training and he is a certified Wilderness First Responder. An early adopter of packrafting and life-long cyclist and bikepacker, Thad has accomplished some ground-breaking, multi-week climb-bike-packraft adventures in the desert Southwest. He is also an expert fly fishing guide (though sorry no fishing allowed on La Venta!)

Tyler Marlow

Born in the lush green forest of the American south, Tyler has never been one to sit still. At 18 they left home to thru hike the Appalachian trail and haven’t stopped walking yet. Educated as an Anthropologist, Tyler seeks to understand the connection between humans and the landscape; where environments meets culture. Called to the desert, Tyler moved to Southeast Utah and began a love affair with the Colorado Plateau; working in youth conservation, trail work, and now as a carpenter and guide. With their dog Mira riding shotgun Tyler migrates seasonally, from the Sonoran desert, to the Four Corners, and McCarthy, Alaska with detours far afield. Tyler is a Level 4 American Canoe Association-certified Packraft Instructor. 

Lizzy Scully

Lizzy is a Level 2 American Canoe Association Packraft Instructor. She additionally has advanced Swiftwater Safety training and he is a certified Wilderness First Responder. Lizzy started packrafting in 2017, after started as the marketing maven for Alpacka Raft. She spent most of her adult life rock climbing around the world, doing first ascents and major expeditions to Pakistan, India and elsewhere. But now, at 50, she prefers more horizontal terrain on rivers and mountain bike trails. Lizzy occasionally teaches women’s courses and assists when needed on other courses, but primarily runs all logistics for Four Corners Guides.

Rod Alfonson, Guide in Training

Rodrigo Alfonzo, a proud Chiapas native, deeply loves his home state. Fluent in Spanish and English, “Rod” resides in San Cristóbal de las Casas with his wife and three kids, who are always ready to explore Chiapas’ hidden gems. With over 15 years experience in hospitality, his family’s hostel has been recognized as one of the 7 worlds best independent hostels. Posada del Abuelito also clinched the title of, “Mexico’s Best Hostel,” three times! Catch their adventures on Instagram at @Losabuelitoschiapas. Rod’s certifications include: WFR, SSI PSRT, ACA Packraft L3, LNT. He is also Trained as a water quality analyst to collect and process samples in the field, providing data for conservation efforts of Chiapas Rivers.

This hybrid novice/ intermediate expedition planning and paddling course will incorporate all the skills building from our Level 2 courses, and some of the skills from the Level 3 course. This course is for experienced paddlers who want to expand the skills they learned in our Level 1 and 2 courses in order to run Class II-III+ rapids in a backcountry environment and expand and refine their expedition skill- and mindset. 

Level 2 Paddling & River Running Skills

• ✔Equipment (use and care + boat rigging, fit, and release of thigh straps)
• ✔Posture, safety, comfort, rocking and balance
• ✔Swimming and general water confidence
• ✔Self-rescue & buddy assistance
• ✔Dealing with currents
• ✔Aggressive & defensive swimming position
• ✔River hydrology/dynamics, features & hazards
• ✔Beginner to Intermediate Paddle strokes: Forward, Draw, Sculling draw/brace, Sweep (including stern draw), Reverse sweep, Rudder, Bracing
• ✔Maneuvers: Spin: boat pivots in place; Draw Stroke to move the boat sideways without headway; Forward: boat goes forward in a reasonably straight line; Turns: boat turns in a broad arc while underway 
• ✔Ferries: Facing downstream (to stop in current and move laterally to avoid hazards) and Facing upstream to move laterally with control
• ✔Using eddies: Eddy turns; Deep into eddy vs. near eddy line; Peel outs; Deep into current vs. pivot near eddy line; C-turns (eddy turn and peel out from the same side of an eddy); S-turns (eddy turn on one side of an eddy, peeling out from the other side)
• ✔Surfing
• ✔River communication: Paddle, hand, and whistle signals
• ✔Trip planning – 6Ps: Prior Proper Planning Prevents Poor Performance
  • ★Review elements of a float plan (who, what, when, where)
  • ★Sourcing local beta such as river sections, flows, weather conditions, forecasts, etc. (i.e., online groups, guidebooks, websites, apps, businesses, gauges, etc.)
  • ★Local rules, regulations, and permitting requirements
  • ★Shuttle logistics (where do the keys go?)
• ✔Evaluate current weather conditions, forecasts, and other environmental hazards
• ✔Field repair-tips & tricks

• ✔Strategies in running rivers: Spacing; Avoid tunnel vision; Paddle your own route, Scoutingl Portaging; Group organization on the river; Cohesiveness (lead, sweep boats, etc); Safety boats (group members with repair kits, first aid kits, and first aid and CPR training); Communication and signaling 
• ✔Discuss danger vs. difficulty

Level 3 Paddling & River Running Skills

• ✔Technical and complex strokes
• ✔Dancing with the river: running big waves and laterals.
• ✔Managing vertical drops
• ✔Advanced surfing
• ✔Paddling a expedition loaded boat in whitewater
• ✔How to read whitewater

Expedition Planning Skills

• • ✔Expedition/multi-day trip planning & logistics
  • ✔Expedition pack lists
  • ✔Where to pack your gear (zippers, weight distribution, securing packs/gear to or inside the boat
  • ✔How to pack light (i.e. what to leave behind and why + how to share gear)
  • ✔Expedition food planning and prep
  • ✔Leave No Trace practices in the backcountry
  • ✔Navigation in the field, finding camp, etc
  • ✔Advanced use of online resources: GIS, USGS water gauges, Google Earth, etc
  • ✔Managing your backcountry camping and boating gear
  • ✔How to find a good camp
  • ​​✔Time management skills
  • ✔How to efficiently transition from the river to camp
  • ✔Read & run style boating

  ✔Expedition mentality