Río Babaska, Nicaragua (click here for the Nicaragua table of rivers)

river photo

Class: III+ ; Flow: 200-500 cfs; Average Gradient: 11 m/km; Portages: a big one; Length: 10 + 10 km; Time: 3 + 1 hours

Season: June to October ; rafts? no; Highlights: nice creeking; Crux move: the El Salto portage

Put-In: Babaska (302 m); Take-Out: Yaosca Abajo on Río Yaosca (170 m)

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

The Río Babaska offers some very nice intermediate rapids at the price of a 45-minute portage. Call it "appreciate the life of a local farmer in the rugged hills of Nicaragua." Starting at the PI, the portage starts 5 minutes down, at the first rapid asking for a scout. (Just below are a couple rapids leading into the short but steep "El Salto" chasm.) Get out RL, hike straight up the steep hill first through cacao trees then maize fields to attain the ridge, then follow the ridge downhill for 5 minutes, then angle left back down to the river.

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

Descent History: Nils Saubès and I ran this in October 2021, with 250 cfs at the PI.