Río Mame and Río Guata, Honduras (click here for the Honduras table of rivers)

river photo

Class: IV+ ; Flow: 150-2,500 cfs; Average Gradient: 7 m/km; Portages: probably a few in upper parts; Length: up to 68 km; Time: 1-2 days

Season: June to December; rafts? parts; Highlights: remote and scenic; Crux move: arriving safely to your PI

Put-In: Azacualpita (Río Guata, 598 m), Mata de Guineo (308 m), or Los Encuentros (200 m); Take-Out: Puente Mame (117 m)

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

The Río Mame offers a long stretch of varied and interesting whitewater among tropical forest not too far from the north coast. The gradient and meatier rapids are scattered through the sections. There are several access points allowing runs of different lengths and character. I will list and describe them bottom-up:

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

Descent History: Andrew Hibbard, Kent Forte, Zack Hughes, and Dick Eustis from Ríos Honduras ran from Pueblo Viejo in 1994 (story on page 178). Jeff Hastings and I paddled from Azacualpita in September 2007 (300 cfs at the PI and 2,000 cfs at the TO). Flow Notes: When the Río Mame and Río Esquipulas gauges are out (the common case), this river is hard to catch. The Río Sico or Río Yaguala gauges, if working, can give a hint to recent rain. A high Río Cangrejal can also be a positive indicator. History from the Río Esquipulas gauge is shown on page 176.