Song Tram - Lo Thung Cataracts
Section Length: ~ 5 to 9 km
Put In: see text Take Out: Cau Tien Phuoc |
Difficulty: II ( 3x IV / 1x P )
Est. Flow: too low < 1000 < 2000 too high Paddlers: Phan Duc Toan, Cuong Tran & Kit Davidson |
Tucked away in the rolling foothills of Tien Phuoc District, the Song Tram, or Tram River, winds its way out of the the hills of Nui Thanh and through a couple of small canyons before joining the Song Tien just outside of Tien Ky. In this final "canyon", the river crosses over several large beds of sandstone that have been titled at a sharp angle, and the result is four large rapids, a scattering of small rapids, and a lot of flatwater. It is an interesting piece of water, without a true "good" level, and yet doable at many levels. It's not a classic piece of whitewater and it wont ever top anyone's Top 10 list, but it is real whitewater and does deserve a closer look.
The Song Tram starts in the mountains of Nui Thanh, the east-west range that separates Quang Nam from neighbor Quang Ngai to the south. There is actually a beautiful and larger canyon upstream from this section, although it lacks the whitewater that this section holds. The valley run from the bottom of that upper canyon down to the put-in for this cataracts run does hold a decent number of smaller rapids, including one that may have a surprisingly powerful hole at higher water, but they are not consistent or concentrated and would only be worth doing if you were spending time in the area.
Finding the best put-in for the run is tricky. The run can be anywhere from 5 to 9 kilometers in length based on access points. However, is always worth remembering there is quite a bit of flatwater on this stretch. A lot of it, in fact. And, factor in time to scout the big rapids (which is not that easy) and time whittles away quickly on this run. If you want to run the full 9 km, put on early and still expect a late finish.
The best put in is at a bridge over the river about 5.5 km upstream from the takeout. This bridge has no name and there is nothing nearby to distinguish it but there is good access, and it allows for a brief warmup before turning the corner. There is another put in at this first corner, on a big sandbar on river left. Whether you float by this or put on here, enjoy the tiny rapids here and just downstream, because the first cataract is not far downstream.
The best put in is at a bridge over the river about 5.5 km upstream from the takeout. This bridge has no name and there is nothing nearby to distinguish it but there is good access, and it allows for a brief warmup before turning the corner. There is another put in at this first corner, on a big sandbar on river left. Whether you float by this or put on here, enjoy the tiny rapids here and just downstream, because the first cataract is not far downstream.
Each of the four "big" rapids on this run, or cataracts, has one feature in it that makes it kind of awkward. The only exception to this might be the 2nd. Likewise, each one of the cataracts also has one feature or characteristic more than any other. The 1st Cataract is the longest, and it's consequential feature is the ugly mess of holes at the bottom of this long drop. It is also a sneaky rapid, coming up quick around a corner, so be ready to catch an eddy on river left or river right as you make the bend.
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The 1st Cataract has a primary left line, with a secondary right line that only has water at higher levels. Even then, there is one drop halfway down on the right that is ugly and shouldn't be run. The left line is long, with at least three series of features at the top giving way to the big ugly mess at the bottom. At many levels, the salvation comes in the form of a late left-to-right line that drops down the left and conveniently ducks over to the right to miss the big mess. When this door closes, it is not possible to run the whole length of this drop. Most of the moves in this rapid are by themselves easy, but the presence of the big mess downstream makes this more stressful than it really is.
Below the 1st Cataract is a short flat section, broken by a small rapid just downstream of the big one. A right line offers a small drop to a pillow move, and left is a straight clean shot with moving water. The 2nd Cataract, "Bridge Falls", is not far downstream. This rapid starts with a very easy move to a flat, moving pool, and then falls over an interesting drop made up of two "tiers". There are several lines through this rapid, but the easiest is to stay right, and then break through the two holes on river right, aiming for the green tounges that each drop has. Center may offer some fun lines, and far left is possible, although it tends to be a bit shallower and more zesty over there, so use caution. There is a HUGE pool below the 2nd Cataract so yard sales and swims are easily managed.
After a decent flat pool under the suspension bridge, the 3rd Cataract, "The Fun Box", comes up around the corner. This drop consists of the "main line" which drops down far left around the corner, through a couple of features, and then into a quick moving pool. A junky and abrupt right side line that is jarring and only comes into play at medium to high levels also leads into this fast moving pool. From here the entirety of the flow squeezes down into a narrow gap of about 1.3 meters, and this is where the rapid gets its name. The wave at the bottom is powerful but not sticky, so you will likely get flushed pretty quickly were you to swim here. Success is a gamble.
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The 4th and final Cataract comes up after a tiny series of class II rapids. This drop, "Lo Thung Falls" is, at medium and high levels, sadly unrunnable, as the main current falls into a dangerous boxed in hole backed up by a lump of bedrock. At lower to ELF flows, it may be possible to squeeze down in the gaps around this bedrock lump, but do scout it if attempting. Fortunately, the portage for this last cascade is quite easy. Playboaters will find a fairly juicy wave in the runout of this cataract.
Once past the 4th Cataract, the river slows down big time and takes its time getting down to the takeout bridge. This bridge, which is just a few kilometers south of Tien Ky, makes a great access, thanks to a convenient eddy on river left, with a dirt road leading directly up to the highway, where there is also a juice shop/coffeeshop. However, getting down to this bridge can be a chore. Spaced between the end of the last big cataract and this bridge are around 4 to 5 mini rapids, and while none of these are worth even mentioning on their own, each one is formed by a small "wall" of bedrock, and each one of those slows down any current the river has. The result is around 2 kilometers of flat water that feels more like a lake than a river. Expect to do some heavy paddling in this section. Once you reached the bridge, run the last splashy hole and take out!
As with any stream in the area, this is best caught in the "shoulder" seasons on either side of floods. The nature of this run, with large bedrock cataracts, suggests that at high water some of these drops may become quite large and scary. Its possible smaller sneak lines may open up, but realistically, this difficulty for this stretch will go up as the water goes up. However, because it is channelized into the bedrock so much, it is also possible that parts of this run may be fun at low flows too. The underlying bedrock geometry suggests that while it may not possible to run everything, slots and channels big enough for boats may be found to have fun in. So, while I would suggest avoiding this run during extreme high water or typhoon events, it is probably best done between Dec-Jan-Feb, or maybe before the high water in August or September.
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All photos copyright Kit Davidson.
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