Slot Canyon Atlas

Atlas › Costa Pacifica

Rio Agujas

verified Ungraded Low flood risk Bijagual, Puntarenas

Seven rappels on the Pacific slope building to El Salto, a roughly 100 m fall taken outside the water in three stages, with the real pinch at a narrow R4.

Rope choice changes the route: 60 m ropes let you skip the R6 subdivision entirely and shorten the day. The 22 km shuttle is the longest in this Bijagual cluster and needs planning before you commit. After R7 it is an hour to an hour and a half of jungle walking back to the car. First descent 13 April 2018 by Edu Gomez and Javito Rodriguez.

Logistics

ManagerPrivate land, specific owner not published
PermitUnknown, and the source says so outright. It notes only that the route passes through private property and asks that it be respected. No fee, contact, or government permit is published.
Distance~0.3 canyon (500 m); 22 km shuttle required
Elevation~490 ft of descent
Time~4.7 hr (40 min approach, 2.5 hr descent, 1 to 1.5 hr jungle exit)
TechnicalShale. 7 rappels, longest 35 m; no ACA grade published. The first half is short rappels in wide channel with few technical difficulties. R4 is the one to watch when the flow is up, because the channel is narrow at its landing and because of the move needed to reach the threshold of the next installation, which heads the big fall. La Cascada El Salto, about 100 m, is descended outside the watercourse in three sections. The first rebelay at R6 is where the vertical ends and a large ramp begins, reaching down a few metres from the trees; with 60 m ropes that subdivision can be skipped. R7 is also set away from the waterfall, though its landing does put you under the fall. A 22 km shuttle is required.
SeasonJan-Apr
Flood riskThe source names R4 as the flow sensitive point: the channel is narrow at its landing and getting across to the next anchor is the problem when the water is up. The 100 m fall below is taken outside the watercourse, so the pinch is R4, not the big drop.
Coordinates9.69639, -84.59126

Sources