Río Grande de Agua Caliente, Upper, Honduras (click here for the Honduras table of rivers)

river photo

Class: III; Flow: 1,200-3,500 cfs; Average Gradient: 2 m/km; Portages: maybe the crux; Length: 22-29 km; Time: 3-4 hours

Season: June to October; rafts? yes; Highlights: long remote easy-intermediate run; Crux move: III+/IV- Gauntlet rapid

Put-In: El Panal (592 m) or La Montañuela (574 m); Take-Out: Puente Río Grande (524 m)

Description: (click here for general notes about my descriptions)

The Río Agua Caliente (not its full name) is a bit out of the way, perhaps a little too far out of the way for most intermediate boaters, but can make a good warm-up for those driving in to investigate the other nearby runs. The best shuttling value (and the best chance for nice flows) is starting at La Montañuela, since the roads higher up are long and rough.

A full description is in the Mayan Whitewater El Salvador, Honduras, & Nicaragua guidebook.

Descent History: Tom van Rijs and I ran the Upper Río Agua Caliente in October 2018, with 1,500 cfs at the PI and 3,500 cfs at the TO.