# Hardest stretch of commercially rafted whitewater



## De la Boot (Apr 21, 2004)

I remeber seeing video of a commercial raft guide getting launched 15 feet in the air on a massively huge wave train on the Zambeezi (sp?) in Africa at like 450,000 cfs.
I would say that between the rapids and the croc's, that it would have to be the hardest commercially run river that I've ever heard of.


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## GAtoCSU (Apr 18, 2005)

I'd venture that the most dangerous section in the US that is rafted is Sect. 4 of the Chattooga. Way too many rafter fatalities there. But, I hear some of the Cali shit is big as well.

Scott


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## gh (Oct 13, 2003)

my understanding is that the hippos are much more of an issue than the crocs


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## Geezer (Oct 14, 2003)

Zambezi for sure. Big ass stuff. It's funny watching video of that river and seeing the kayaks shoot through and the rafts getting flipped all over the place.


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## WesternMD (Dec 5, 2003)

Def not the Zambesi or Section IV!!

I'm betting the hardest commercial raft run in the US is Cherry Creek in CA.


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## JBL (Jun 7, 2006)

The Russell Fork in VA/KY is likely the hardest commercially rafted stretch of h2o in the states. It's f-ing legit. 

http://www.americanwhitewater.org/rivers/id/2010


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## JBL (Jun 7, 2006)

an interesting list: http://www.iexplore.com/activities/raft_top10.jhtml?activity=Whitewater


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## Don (Oct 16, 2003)

*Rafting*

I'd say the Russell Fork as well. Remember I look at some dailey stuff too. Like the Cheat River when it flooding, or any commercial group going down any thing that's peaking or flooding. But, for the hardest stuff you have to look at the day in day out stuff. Don't forget about the Futala Fu in Chile.


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## leadpipes (Feb 2, 2006)

Cherry Creek of the Tuolumne... 
what are they thinking?


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## poudreraft (Sep 21, 2004)

I've also heard Cherry Creek stretch of the Tuolomne(sp?) or maybe Forks of the Kern?


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## sj (Aug 13, 2004)

Well it is subjective. But everytime this comes up. Russel Fork and Cherry Creek seem to aways win out. However as Scott pointed out some rivers kill more than others. Gore may be harder but more people die on High water Animas than on Gore. sj


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## cdw (Mar 28, 2005)

russel fork is hard but dangerous- lots of undersuts and a fair number of rafting fatalities given the few weekend it runs. I'd say Upper Yough is probably more technical than it and definitely more so than Forks of the Kern, and probably less dangerous. Never got on Cherry Creek to compare, but all of these are harder than Section IV.


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## JCKeck1 (Oct 28, 2003)

In talking with a friend who's guided all of these execpt the russel fork, he says cherry creek hands down over the fu, gore, and definitely sec IV. I didn't even know the fork was commercially guided though....damn. Sec IV doesn't count just because it's killed lots - I'd bet browns has killed more, but it's a numbers game.


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## oopsiflipped (May 9, 2006)

sorry boys, but ya'll is fuckin wrong! don't know about worlds most dangerous commerical run but colorado and the usa's top scary commercial shit is the v's on clear creek.


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## Caspian (Oct 14, 2003)

Different things being discussed here - hardest, most dangerous, and scariest are all different. But, I would vote Russell Fork or CC of the Tuolumne for all three.

Gore, Clear Creek...I'd rather swim either of these than the Russell Fork or even certain drops on Sec. IV. People used to think the Gauley was soooo dangerous because of the prolific undercuts, but the fact is, if you stay in the main flow of almost every rapid there, you're gonna be fine. I think you have to look at the margin for general error, the margin for recovery from those errors and the consequences for bad mistakes, and Gore and Black Rock are serious water, but they just don't hand out death like a bad move or swim in a rapid like Fist or Crack-in-the-Rock.


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