Río Jataté offers one of the most unique and challenging class IV river trips in the world, with a bewildering array of travertine slides and ledges in a pristine jungle canyon suitable for both rafts and kayaks. The river was one of the most popular week-long international destination trips in the 1980s-1990s until the Zapatista uprising put a halt to all trips, with no rafting groups going down for >20 years. In 2021, we established good relations with the communities again, and are now organizing raft-support trips with their approval (for general and private groups) in the main season (Nov-Feb). Come see what this incredible travertine river is like!

GENERAL TRIP INFORMATION:

Río Jataté was one of the most sought after class IV+ paddling destinations in the 1980s and 1990s but after the Zapatista uprising and local communities not seeing any benefit to having "gringos play in their backyard", they started harassing, detaining, demanding payments from, and eventually kicking out the groups of paddle tourists that ventured in to paddle the river. No rafting groups have made it through the main canyon for about 20 years, until 2021 when Rocky Contos and friend Dan Ellsworth started going into the communities to talk to them, explain things and gain their trust. We now have permission from the communities, partly due to an agreement to provide support financially for each tourist that we bring down the river. Anyone attempting to paddle the river they do not know or trust will probably find similar angry villagers that will stop, detain and force you out. It actually is a good system to give back something to the local communities each time we come through.

The Jataté is an upper tributary of the Usumacinta (and actually is the hydrological source stream), and thus it is possible to continue the journey after this trip down into the exotic and beautiful Usumacinta, the "Sacred Monkey River". To do so requires about 5-6 additional days (if doing this section with rafts). You'll spend a day rowing through the lower flat San Quintín section of the Jataté to where it meets the Santo Domingo and becomes the Lacantún. There is a short scenic fun class III canyon (Cañón Colorado) on the Lacantún that provides a little excitement, as well as the option to do a day trip down the lowermost class III-IV part of the turquoise-colored Santo Domingo (on a layover). Then there's several days to navigate through the howler-monkey infested Lacantún and upper Usumacinta to Frontera where we normally start the 7-day journey through the Grand Canyon of the Maya (of course with some interesting side excursions to see along the way). Doing the full Jataté-Usumacinta journey is a trip of a lifetime and equivalent to the length of river (~330 miles) and time (~20 days) that you would going through the full Grand Canyon of the Colorado. [Ideal for private groups to schedule]

OTHER ATTRACTIONS: Chiapas is full of natural wonders and Mayan ruins. See this slideshow for a taste of a few main attractions. While you are down here, you definitely will want to visit the ruins of Palenque and possibly also check out some other paddling runs. Greg Schwendinger's MayanWhitewater.com website has descriptions of many runs, including class III Río Chocoljá and class III Río Shumuljá. There may be a few days of class III-V kayaking before or after the trip. Also, if you are competent enough (class IV or V kayaker), you might consider joining Rocky for kayak descents of Ríos Santo Domingo, Paxilhá, Agua Azul, lower Tulijá, or possibly some new exploratories.

TENTATIVE ITINERARY:
The itinerary is modifiable, especially if you make your deposit early and/or your group consists of most people on the trip. Please describe what you'd like to do, and we may make changes. Below is a typical schedule.

DAY 0: everyone meets in Palenque; welcome dinner; HOTEL
DAY 1: drive to river; lunch in restaurant enroute; camp at El Jordan; camp; 0 km
DAY 2: Santa Cruz: day-trip paddling the Santa Cruz; [class V kayakers possible JatatéUpperGorge]; class III; 15 km
DAY 3: Jataté Valley section (flat) to the start of the canyon past Avellanal; class I-II; ~30 km
DAY 4: Jataté Middle Canyon; start main rapids: Slaughterhouse, Candlestick, RockGarden, RoosterTail; class IV+~5 km
DAY 5: Jataté Middle Canyon; Maze, Slide, Corkscrew, PitonFalls, FishLadder, KayaksAway, SkiJump; class IV+; ~5 km
DAY 6: Jataté Middle-to-Lower Canyon; PortageFalls, DoubleDrop, SubmarineFalls; class IV; LaFlorindaCamp ~12 km
DAY 7: Jataté Lower Canyon: ElMico, Bodegas, PasoSoledad(V/P): camp on ReliefBeach; class IV(V); ~15 km
DAY 8: Jataté Lower Canyon: FiveChannels, Dad'sDelight, Escombros ; take-out; class IV; ~5 km (derig, drive back)
[ END TRIP at San Bartolo or La Soledad; drive back to Palenque on Day8]

Note: Some trips may have optional contiguous continuation down the Lacantún and into the Usumacinta.

TRANSPORTATION
The trip contribution includes getting you from Palenque to the Jataté put-in and back to Palenque from the take-out. Palenque is a small city with many hotels and restaurants and is the base for many travelers visiting the ruins of Palenque, Bonampak, Yaxchilán, and the Cascadas Agua Azul and Misol-Ha. If arriving by plane, the best airport to consider flying into is:

Villahermosa (VSA) airport is a 1.8 hr drive ride from Palenque. VSA is serviced by United, American, AeroMexico, Volaris, VivaAerobus and other Mexico-based carriers (also as partner airlines). If several of the group are arriving at VSA airport, we can arrange to pick you up (a little extra fee), but you can always get a taxi from there to Palenque (~1400p) or take the ADO bus service (~350p; generally departs every hour from 7am - 9pm). If you have a vehicle, you can meet us in Palenque and possibly get a discount for use of your vehicle in shuttle.

TRIP COST
This trip is being run to increase appreciation of the river and help preserve this unique natural resource. We welcome everyone: raft passengers, raft paddlers, oarsmen, kayakers, IKers, packrafters and guides. The pricing policy has been carefully considered and takes into account the costs associated with running the trip, the services offered, and what other outfitters charge for similar long multi-day trips. Our contribution schedule can be viewed at: TRIP COSTS. Special discounts are sometimes offered to folks on our email list, so you are encouraged to sign up (Email List info). For large groups of experienced paddlers, it might be of more interest to simply contract Outfitting Services to do the trip.


RESERVATIONS
Trips are scheduled based on those interested to join - many dates are possible in the main season (Nov-Feb). If interested in joining a trip, start a discussion by sending Rocky a note (rocky@sierrarios.org) stating how you found out about the trip and a little background info about you and your paddling experience and what dates might work for you. Once you get the go-ahead from Rocky, you will need to fill out an InfoForm, sign and return an Assumption of Risk agreement, and provide a deposit to reserve your place on the trip. The balance must be received at least 2 weeks prior to trip commencement. See PAYMENTS for payment options.

A trip will definitely occur with a minimum of 6 full-paying participants. Other launch dates can be arranged for groups of 4 or more. For small groups wishing to minimize costs by sharing some expenses, we can list the additional launch date here tentatively to see if others might be interested in joining to make a full trip.


CANCELLATIONS:
We reserve the right to cancel the trip 2+ months in advance. This generally will occur only if there are not enough folks signed up (<6). If we cancel the trip, all deposits and payments will be refunded. 

If you must cancel, you'll get your money back if you find someone to take your place on the trip. If you don't find someone, don't expect any refund. Seek reimbursement from a travel insurance policy that we strongly recommend you obtain. You can find these insurance policies through World Nomads, Ripcord, Squaremouth, Travelguard, and Travelsafe.


TRIP LEADER(S):
(1) Rocky Contos is a potential trip leader. He is fluent in Spanish, explored nearly every river in Mexico, solo kayaked the entire Jataté-Lacantún-Usumacinta in early 2010, has led >17 trips on the Usumacinta, >6 on the Lacanja, >4 on the Jataté, and several on LaVenta (as of 2022). He co-wrote the guidebook to Chiapas and solo authored the guidebook to the Sierra Madre Occidental, and is preparing guidebooks for the rest of Mexico. In Mexico, he has >100 first descents covering ~8,000 km of river and ~55,000 m of drop. He also discovered the most distant source of the Amazon and made the complete first descent of the entire river and all the headwater streams. He has paddled over 150 multi-day journeys on rivers, with dozens in the range of 5-22 days. While attaining his Ph.D. in neuroscience, Rocky worked as a kayak instructor and guide for UCSD's Outback adventures from 1993-1996 and gained valuable trip planning skills for large groups. Although starting as a kayaker, Rocky began rafting in the mid-1990s in order to introduce more people to the wonders of river travel. Since then and throughout his years as a postdoctoral research associate, he organized numerous large group raft and kayak expeditions. He will captain a raft or safety kayak as necessary.

(2) German Arroyo (pronounced "Heir-mann") is a bilingual raft guide from Mexico City who has been guided raft trips in Mexico for >15 years. He's guided the Usumacinta >20X, Mulatos-Aros >5X, and also many other rivers in Mexico. He will be paddling an IK on La Venta or rowing a raft (if the water levels are high).

(3) Ariel Diaz will sometimes be trip leader or co-leader. Ariel is a bilingual raft guide originally from Uruguay but has spent many seasons guiding in Mexico, as well as Peru, Bolivia, Chile, Argentina, and Italy. Ariel has been down the Jatate several times as of 2022.

(4) Safety kayaker. Other guides and safety kayakers to be determined.

FOOD/ALCOHOL/WATER
(click here)

CHORES, TOILET AND BATHING
(click here)

WHAT TO PACK:
(click here)

KAYAKS, IKs, and RAFTS AVAILABLE FOR THIS TRIP
(click here)


HEALTH
At least one guide on the trip will be trained in wilderness first aid, and we can provide medical attention to injuries.  We will have one major first aid kit and one minor kit.  Our first aid kit will have some pharmaceuticals such as ibuprofen, anti-allergy pills, immodium, and possibly antibiotics, but if you think you might suffer from something in particular, please bring yourself (especially a dose of ciprofloxacin or similar if you can get it easily).  Probably the most common ailment folks suffer from sometimes is gastrointestinal distress or traveler's diarrhea.  You should try to minimize chances of suffering from it by avoiding potentially dirty foods before and during the trip. If you do end up suffering diarrhea, vomiting, nausea more than a day, you might consider taking ciprofloxacin for a few days  (this generally makes the problem go away quickly).

For more information on recommended vaccinations and other health issues, visit the CDC page for travelers and select your country to visit: in this case "Mexico".  Anyone traveling to Chiapas should be vaccinated against Hepatitis A. You might consider Rabies and Typhoid immunizations as well. 


SAFETY
One of the main safety issues that has plagued those attempting to paddle the Jataté from the late 1990s through about 2020 is the suspicious attitude of the local population with regard to gringos, foreigners and non-indigenous people coming into their area and not explaining exactly what the purpose is for. With a lot of effort going into the villages, Zapatista caracoles, and garruchas, we have established a relationship with the local indigenous community and our groups are welcomed to come and paddle the river. We offer them some financial support in return. Anyone attempting to go into the region and not taking the time to talk to the communities ahead of time and gain approval (and also support them financially) is likely to meet fierce resistance and possibly attacks.

Aside from the local Zapatista and indigenous communities that you need approval from, it is of utmost importance that you take all precautions necessary to avert injury, sickness, and complications while on the trip. As guides, we are there to help get you safely to the river, down it, and back out, but cannot guarantee against accidents. You must accept the responsibility for what happens on the river if you are in control of your craft. If you are concerned about the whitewater or other aspects, it is your responsibility to make appropriate decisions whether to run the rapid or not and to stay close to someone who can watch and oversee you (if you desire that level of protection). If an accident occurs, we will do all in our power to help you, see that proper care is rendered, or evacuate you if need be. Rocky is trained as Wilderness First Responder and will administer appropriate emergency medical care if needed. We will have two basic first aid kits available. We will also carry an InReach device for emergency communicaton and changes of plan.

Drug violence is generally restricted to drug traffickers (narcos) and those associated with them, including law enforcement and the indigenous communities along Río Jataté are not involved with drug trafficking at all. As such, we are not likely to be harassed or molested in any way related to the drug war. For further discussion of the drug war and safety concerns, click here.

WATER LEVELS AND WEATHER
The dates of this trip coincide with generally medium to low levels on Río Jataté, allowing for fun rapids and enough water to get the rafts through safely and without too much pushing/shoving. The river in the drier season is primarily spring-fed. Although this river can fluctuate, the average flow in the middle canyon is ~60 cms (2000 cfs), in December ~50 cms (1700 cfs), January ~40 cms (1300 cfs) and February ~30 cms (1000 cfs), March ~25 cms (900 cfs). Flows are double that in the Lower Canyon due to the Tzaconeja entering. Do realize that it can rain at any time, so the flows are variable, but aside from winter rainstorms, the flow is usually stable and decreasing little by little each day. Although trips can be done in March, April and May, the river is getting lower then and it's not as easy to take rafts through (small rafts are probaby fine in March most years; and this is an ideal time for private groups of kayakers to schedule a trip). For weather, expect cool to warm conditions all through the winter season - usually cooler if there is a northern front moving through (which also usually brings rain for a couple of days). In general, average highs Dec-Feb are ~25°C (78°F) and lows 18°C (64°F) during the main winter season for this river, with warmer temps starting in mid February.

.A FEW COMMENTS FROM PAST PARTICIPANTS:

"The Jataté is Chiapas’ signature run, a jade-green river stairstepping through a remote and stunning canyon. This is your jungle river paradise postcard come to life. The middle section is the most famous and prettiest part, but after driving so far, you should also take in the lower also. Going at the pace of a guided rafting group means you have plenty of time to appreciate it, including relaxed scouting and lots of extra safety."
Greg Schwendinger, co-author of Mayan Whitewater: Chiapas and Belize [Jataté descents 2004 & 2008, also 6Mar2022 GGC trip]


"Gorgeous river, excellent rapids, great people. Kayaking through travertine rapids in the jungle was a very unique and special experience.  The river is phenomenal, I'd definitely like to do it again if I could pull it off."
.Anna Herring, [kayaker on 6Mar2022 GGC trip]


"I thought the rapids on the Jataté were great, fun drops and very different from the big rivers in the southwest U.S.  Thanks again for this great experience,  I think that you have put together an awesome trip!  We would like to check out another in the future,  perhaps the USU or the Grand Canon, Argentina, or something else.."
.Taylor Lawrence, [guide in Moab and on Grand Canyon for >15 years; oarsman on 23Jan2022 GGC trip]


"The Jatate and Usumacinta are incredibly unique and beautiful rivers, and traveling between them will allow you to experience the rivers of Chiapas in a way that few can. Sierra Rios does a remarkable job of navigating challenging logistics to showcase these areas while promoting conservation of these wild rivers. I was especially impressed with the degree to which Sierra Rios is striving to involve local communities and help them become aware of the benefits of protecting this area.  This trip far exceeded what I was hoping for, both in terms of whitewater and the experiences available. I enjoyed the balance of whitewater specific focus for the Jatate, and the broader focus on scenery, archeological sites, and wildlife on the Usumacinta. I enjoyed the Lacantun for the wildlife, such as the scarlet macaws and toucans, and was glad to have spent that time on it….  As for whitewater specifically, I really enjoyed the unique travertine drops of the Jatate, and have never done a river with rapids similar to that. I know that other folks on my trip may have thought that the rapids were harder than the rating provided, but I personally thought that the ratings were pretty spot-on in comparison with rivers of similar difficulty in the US, and some other members of the group were just lacking in prior whitewater experience."
.Sam Box, [class V kayaker from Boise, ID; on 4Dec2021 GGC trip "Outfitting Service"]


"As far as the Jatate-Lacantun-Usumacinta trip went, the overall experience was dang-near unparalleled. It felt adventurous, but just safe enough. Also, a huge part for us was having the feeling that we were in control of our own trip. When in the planning phase of this trip, there was a contingent of us that were pretty hesitant if we wanted to do a guided one or not. In hindsight, it could not have been a better choice, especially given the trip we did. But while you and the other guides helped mightily in certain areas, it never felt like we were being talked at or told what to do. It was an even playing field where everyone felt on the same page. That was a major plus for me.  I think I can speak for everyone when I say that we were extremely grateful to have all the guides (including Carlos and Roberto) join us. You all demonstrated safe and admirable leadership skills. Not to mention y'all are quite fun to hang out with. The food and sanitary aspects were all up to par by my standards. I'm looking forward to planning the next trip with Sierra Rios, and I'm confident when I say that there will be another one.."
.Corey Hockett, [class IV packrafter from MT; on 4Dec2021 GGC trip "Outfitting Service"]