Río Wampu, Upper, Honduras (click here for the Honduras table of rivers)

river photo

Class: IV ; Flow: 300-1,000 cfs; Average Gradient: 2 m/km; Portages: no; Length: 15 km; Time: 2.5 hours

Season: June to October; rafts? yes; Highlights: some nice class IV; Crux move: dam access

Put-In: Culuco plancha (480 m); Take-Out: Wampu dam (450 m)

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

The Upper Río Wampu offers a very nice, but not very long, stretch of class IV rapids near Dulce Nombre de Culmí. The first half is quite flat, allowing you to appreciate the scenery as well as some wildlife (including perhaps Muscovy ducks and iguanas). To limit the flat 200 Northeast Honduras water you could put-in at the Las Flores hammock bridge 35 minutes downstream. You will see a side creek (Río Negro) enter on RR 35 minutes further. 10 minutes later, the good stuff begins, lasting for an hour down to the Wampu dam. Expect to scout a few times. The exit is RR, but dam access must be negotiated.

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

Descent History: I ran this in July 2017, with 400 cfs at the PI.