Song Dak Mi - "Lang Ro" Section
Section Length: ~ 6.5 km
Put In: Confluence of Suoi ____ & Dak Mi River Take Out: Thon Ro village |
Difficulty: Class IV-V (V+)
Est. Flow: too low < 800 < 5000? < too high Paddlers: Not Yet Finished |
This is the next section above the 3 Pigs Section and Ca Dy Canyon, and provides the next step up in difficulty above the lower canyons of the Dak Mi River. A lot of this section runs over and cuts into huge sheets of bedrock, and the river environment is always different at different levels. Sometimes higher flows open up new channels, and some areas are just outright crazy regardless of the flow. There are several big rapids in this stretch, most notably the "Prime Time" Gorge, which holds 3 distinct and sizable cataracts, and this whole stretch packs quite a punch. This is definitely an area for seasoned boaters only.
There are two put-ins that work for this section, both of which utilize side streams as a way to get into the main river channel. These two streams are about a kilometer and a half apart, and that added distance results in several additional rapids and a bit of extra flat. Getting to the Dak Mi River is always an interesting task; because the Ho Chi Minh Road is elevated above the "major flood" level, and because it is such a large and wide riverbed, it often requires getting creative to access the river itself. INFO ABOUT ACCESS COMING SOON
If using the upper stream put in, the run starts off with a bang as it drops through a nice chunk of limestone bedrock. A lot of the bedrock layers from here to the south are tilted near 90 degrees, and where the river has crossed harder layers, it has cut some interesting mini-gorges and rapids. The first drop is right there at the start, no warmup, and is rather complex. It is ________. Just downstream lies a short but powerful drop, separated from the 1st drop by a flat but moving pool. The best line is ______. A short ways below this is an easy drop that marks the end of this first bedrock section. A couple of small, easy rapids dot the remainder of the length down to the lower put-in.
The lower section starts off rather mildly, and the first few kilometers are winding river broken only by tiny rapids spaced quite a ways apart. Expect to do some paddling in this section if there is not a lot of flow. The riverbed through here alternates between bedrock banks and sandbars, and the gradient is quite minimal. However, slowly but surely the rapids will increase in both size and power, and you have reached the most exciting part of the run when you make a pronounced left-hand bend and the bedrock ramps up. The Prime Time Gorge is just around the next bend, so it's time to start being heads up.
The Prime Time Gorge is a serious mini gorge locked in the bottom of a giant sheet of bedrock. The whole gorge consists of 5-6 decent sized rapids, including 3 that are actually quite large and powerful. The heart of the gorge itself is 3 rapids stacked up in a short section, with a flat but moving pool between each. The first is the most complex, but the second is the most dangerous, thanks to it's setup with two holes placed one above the other, and a boxed in hole between them. It is not a good place for a swim. The first one is run by _____________. It is a complex drop and should be scouted thoroughly first. The current drops into the rapid, and then abruptly turns right, funnels over a chunk of rocks and then ends with a small vertical drop. There are rocks in the landing and it is a potentially backed up.
The second drop is actually fairly clean; what gives it the danger is the hole between the two drops that make up this rapid. The first rapid ends in a decent size hole, and the lip of the second drop can act like a wall, allowing the hole itself to be quite sticky and dangerous. While the rapid itself is fairly straightforward lines, it would do well to try and set safety for this hole in the middle if possible.
The final drop of the gorge is an abrupt drops of boulders. At lower levels it should be possible to sneak around the rocks up top to set up for a nice drop in the bottom, but as the flows go up it will turn into a large drop/hole at the bottom protected by some small holes in the lead-in. Beware the far right side, as it is quite clean but it is also quite sticky. Clean lines can be had but its a roll of the dice.
Below the 3 big drops, there is one more decent sized but easy rapid that lies a short ways downstream. However, very quickly after this the river makes a big bend to the left, the gradient dies out, and you will see your takeout on the left, in the form of a road/track coming down to the river from a small village above (Thon Ro). It's not really worth it to try and link this section with the 3 Little Pigs and Ca Dy Canyon sections down stream, as it there are large and lengthy flat sections between the three that would just be annoying and infuriating.
More to come soon....
All photos and videos copyright Kit Davidson.