Rio La Venta Expedition
A three to six day packraft or inner tube descent of the La Venta River gorge, sometimes called the Sacred Canyon, linking rapids, caves and the 400 foot walls of Arco del Tiempo. Entry at El Aguacero has required a permit and wristband from the Reserva de la Biosfera Selva El Ocote since 2020, a genuine government requirement rather than a local toll.
A guided group camped just below Arco del Tiempo in December 2015 was caught by a sudden flood: they abandoned a campsite high enough to be safe, tried to paddle to better ground, then held onto the canyon wall for nearly 24 hours before being swept through Class 5 rapids below. Everyone survived, but one person was not found for two days and lost all their clothing to the water; all personal gear was lost. Do not launch when heavy rain is forecast anywhere in the watershed, not just at the put-in. Boat pickup across the Malpaso reservoir at trip's end is its own logistics project: arrange it in advance from Raudales, or use the El Encajonado ranger station as a fallback to reach a boatman in Carricel.
Logistics
| Manager | Reserva de la Biosfera Selva El Ocote (federal biosphere reserve) |
|---|---|
| Permit | Permit required since 2020 to enter via El Aguacero, issued on site by Reserva de la Biosfera Selva El Ocote along with a wristband. |
| Distance | 55.302 mi |
| Technical | 1-5 rappels, longest 200ft |
| Season | Oct-May |
| Vehicle access | Passenger |
| Coordinates | 16.75918034455495, -93.5260963439942 |
Sources
- permitType: https://ropewiki.com/index.php?title=Rio_La_Venta_Expedition&action=raw
- permit: https://ropewiki.com/index.php?title=Rio_La_Venta_Expedition&action=raw
- manager: https://ropewiki.com/index.php?title=Rio_La_Venta_Expedition&action=raw
- nearest town: https://ropewiki.com/index.php?title=Rio_La_Venta_Expedition&action=raw
- feeUsd: https://www.xe.com/currencyconverter/convert/?Amount=1&From=USD&To=MXN
- desc: https://ropewiki.com/index.php?title=Rio_La_Venta_Expedition&action=raw
- notes: https://ropewiki.com/index.php?title=Rio_La_Venta_Expedition&action=raw
- coordinates: https://ropewiki.com/index.php?title=Rio_La_Venta_Expedition&action=raw
- heroPhoto: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cascada_el_Aguacero,_Chiapas.jpg