Song Tuy Loan - "Lower" Section
Section Length: ~ 9 km
Put In: Ba Na Hills parking lot (!!!, see text) Take Out: Hoi Phuoc bridge |
Difficulty: Class II (P)
Est. Flow: ~ 100 cfs / ~ 30 cms Paddlers: Cuong Phu Huu Tran, Kit Davidson |
9/8/2017 - While this may be a MUCH higher quality stream (both water quality and river character) than last week's mission to Khe Le, today was still not a super big win because the flow was too low. That being said, we did get some honest to goodness paddling in today, and despite a few easy portages the day was well spent exploring the lower section of the Tuy Loan River.
We chose to drop our bikes at the take-out at Hoi Phuoc, and figure out a ride up to the put in at Ba Na Hills. At first we looked at paddling all the way to Dieu Phong and the confluence with the Song Luong Dong, but after looking at the last section between Hoi Phuoc and Dieu Phong, and seeing how low it was, we decided to skip it and take out at Hoi Phuoc itself. We first tried to talk to a local party rental supplier, but he was not around, and fortunately enough just around the corner at a small tap hoa we found ourselves a ride in an air-conditioned Fortuner up to the put in. Score! Luxury shuttles today.
Ba Na Hills Access - Warning!
We chose to put in at Ba Na Hills, because it simply offers the best access around, with its huge parking lots and streamside access. However, do be aware that the local Security Force is not too keen on paddlers, and will try to stop you from accessing the stream. The closer you get to the Ba Na Hills base area, the more likely you are to be stopped. So, if you choose to enter the stream somewhere along the parking lot, going further downstream will likely increase your chances of success. Its best to unload from a vehicle quickly, and then move everything to the stream side, below the wall, before getting ready, preparing boats, etc. We had luck today, but this is not a guarantee for everytime!
The river has three sections, that while not distinctly different, do enable you to follow your progress down the river. The first section is the "canyon" stretch, as the Tuy Loan finally exits the Ba Na Hills/Nui Chua massif. This section is different from below in its abundance of bedrock in the stream. While there are no river-wide features or rapids, there are plenty of hefty chunks of rock both on the sides of the stream and on the riverbed itself. This first section has several of the most prominent feature of this stream- low flow gravel bar "rapids". These were consistently distributed throughout the run, and we ended up having to portage probably 8-10 of them. Most times we were able to simply stand in the stream and walk our boats down to the next deep section but a couple times we had to go up and over small islands. Up here the brush is much more overhanging and tighter than the below, although it only actually interferes with progress once or twice. There are great views up the mass of Ba Na Hills, as well as back into the mountains of Hoa Ninh.
The second section runs along the edge of the Ba Na Hills golf course, although you don't really notice it much from the river. Along this section the mountains have receded and the riverbed has grown a bit, allowing more paddling and lessening the portages. There are really two things to note here: the first is the low head dam, and the second is the pump station underneath the Old Ba Na Road bridge. The first one is not really a low head dam but it looks like one. It is actually just a mass of rocks and concrete chickenwired into the riverbed. Its a definite portage, and be careful doing so as there is lots of old rusty chickenwire everywhere just waiting to cut an unsuspecting foot. A short ways down is a pump station, where they are drawing water to help re-build the bridge. Just be aware of workers or heavy equipment in the stream.
At the end of the golf course, a small high rises on the left side of the river, forming a super short, "mini-canyon" on the stream. There are no rapids, nor does the character of the stream change, but it is a noticeable swing away from the open flat lands for a minute. From here down is an alternating mix of deep and calm pools, and shallow riffles, with an occasional small wave train rapid thrown in. Some of the pools are surprisingly deep, and still, requiring quite a bit of paddling to cross them. There are also a very good amount of birds on this stretch, including herons, egrets, bee-eaters, coucals, and songbirds all seen in one trip. The too-low riffles tend to be annoying after a while but they are all short and quickly passed. A bridge comes up after you leave the "canyon", a small, local affair, which is a good indicator that the bridge at Hoi Phuoc is coming up.
A few bends of the river below this is a common spot for buffalo to lay in the river. Don't mess with buffalo- they may seem quiet and docile but a 1,500kg buffalo could mess your world up. If they are in the stream, portage around them. Seriously, don't mess around with them, they are the most dangerous thing on a river like this! |
The best takeout is at the Hoi Phuoc Bridge. While the river does continue for perhaps another kilometer, it loses any remaining gradient, and widens and slows even more, meaning lots more brush in the river, low flow riffles, and zero current. So for a day like today, with low flows, it's a better takeout as it is right on the main road that cuts through this area. I have been over this bridge countless times, and the view is one of my personal favorites anywhere in the greater metro area. Every time I stand on top of it I wonder what it would be like to come boating under it, so it was nice to have finally actually done it. After walking up to the road, it was but a 5 minute walk to our bikes, and the friendly tap hoa we had visited eariler.
We put on around 10 am, and took out around 1 pm, so we paddled approximately 9 km in 3 hours, which really isn't too bad considering how many portages we did. I would estimate our flow to be around 100 cfs, maybe a touch less up top and a touch more at the bottom.
Would I come back and do this stream? At the water levels it usually runs at, no. While it was not a garbage stream like Khe Le, it was nice to have done it, but the effort-to-reward ratio is just too low to make a return trip. However, with about 60% more to double the flow, this stream could actually be a whole lot of fun and well worth the trip. Stay tuned as rainy season approaches! Map coming soon.
Would I come back and do this stream? At the water levels it usually runs at, no. While it was not a garbage stream like Khe Le, it was nice to have done it, but the effort-to-reward ratio is just too low to make a return trip. However, with about 60% more to double the flow, this stream could actually be a whole lot of fun and well worth the trip. Stay tuned as rainy season approaches! Map coming soon.
All photos and videos copyright Kit Davidson.
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