Erymanthos: Section 1 from Tripotama to Vidiaki

Length: 15 kms.

Put in: Tripotama. There are several places to access the river. One at the village square, a small dirt road, facing the pharmacy, another by the road to Vidiaki, after the confluence, where the gauge meters are. There is a small sign, just before the village square, when arriving from Tripoli, to a small downhill road, turning left, at the gauge keepers (Nikos Antonopoulos) house. After passing a small arced bridge the aspalt climbs up towards Paraloggi and Vidiaki. At the first left turn, there is a small dirt road that descends to a possible parking place, over the river.

Take out: Vidiaki. The take out point is not very obvious, so one should be careful to the landmarks. 1.5km from the last canyon, the gorge had opened and a small white house is visible on the right slope. A left bend with a huge brown-red rock, marks the last short stretch. Take out is 50m further, on the left.
A nice campsite is available there, but is a little higher and not visible from the river.
A quite difficult dirt road (d2) climbs up to Vidiaki, in approx. 5kms.

Character: The river flows through secluded gorges, and three tight canyons. Between the canyons, the river flows calmly in no more than class II. Unfortunately, the are numerous colourful garbish remnants, that shame the landscape's virginity and the great Arkadian people reputation
P.S. Mr. Antonopoulos, the very friendly gaugekeeper, told us that the community has taken some measures against river pollution. We really hope, to a succesfull outcome.

The first canyon, has short walls of great geological interest, but the four significant rapids are too scrambled and usually jammed. We usually portage at three occasions.
The whitewater interest comes in the second canyon, which is very difficult to scout, especially at the last 300m, in high flow. There are the greatest difficulties too!

Time: 5-8 hours, depending the flow and the group number and ability

Gauge info: There are two gaugemeters, at the put in confluence, at river right bank. As they have a 40cm difference, we measure the newer, taller gauge, next to a small building.
Up to 100cm, the flow is restricted in a small channel on the right. Then the water, covers the whole riverbed, rising the difficulty rapidly.

In our own experience, the difficulties encountered in various runs, were the following:

In higher flows (over 120cm) the gorge rapids may become continuous and harder (V)

Km by km description: (Based on a medium flow run - 87cm)

0.0km: Put in (gaugemeters)

3.0km: The river flows calmly (I-II) through a small white gorge. The slopes are lower on the right and the road to Lambia is visible (and accessible).
After a few windings, comes the 1st rapid. A spur of rock, emerges in the middle of a corridor, demanding a technical driving. (III) See photo 1.

3.3km: The river turns sharp left and after a short class III- step, follows an identical left blind turn. This is a mandatory inspection rapid, so catch an eddy on the right!
The river is secluded in a 3m wide mini canyon, running down a multistepped right bend. A tree has stucked in there, creating a possible trap, in lower to medium flows. See our tries to free the pass at photo no 2.

Even if we normally portage this section, we had run it in a higher flow, where the tree is not visible (class IV). It is a dangerous spot, as due to its combined gradient, small width and sharp bend, it usually blocked. Look what we found in November!

4.5km: A sheep pen is visible on the low slope on the right, where the river takes another sharp left turn. Manadatory stop and inspection, as the first ledge leeds onto a possible siphon. In low flow, it can be bypassed on the right. This is the 2nd usual portage.

4.8km: 300m later, a big tree has created a river wide log jam.
Portage is more comfortable on the right.

6.0km: An old arced bridge, marks the end of the first gorge. In a case of emergency one may find the old footpath, climbing to Paralogi, on the left.

8.7km: 2.5km of easier waters, until we see a brown-red landslide on the far left slope. A small tributary enters on the right and the difficult second gorge is in front of us.
I 've been told of a possible take out, somewhere at this area, where a small road, serving the hydroelectric station of Lambia, access the river. I personally haven't spotted it.

The river turns sharp to the right and the gorge welcome the advanced paddler, with a sequence of 1m pool-drops, that can be splitted using the eddies between. The first one has an alternative routing on the left. See Pavlos in the left routing at photo no 3, Pavlos and Nikos in the second drop, at photo no 4 and Dimitris carving between rocks and ledges at the last part of the canyon that can be scouted from the bank.

9.0km: After the first 300m of drops and ledges, vertical wall close high above us , to make scouting much more difficult and safety setting on- shore, near impossible. At the entrance of this 300m canyon, lies a difficult rapid, a split level - left turning ramp ending in a pool. See photos 6,7.

50m later, is the leaning rock rapid. In higher flow, it is possible to make the 2m boof on its right, but usually you run the scale around its left side. See photo 8.

9.2km: Some more easy slalom around big boulders and we reach the canyon's last significant drop, where the water squezes to the right wall. In higher flow this is a really pushy rapid, with a sticky hole in the bottom!

9.3km: In 100m the canyon walls lower and get tighter, to leave just a 1.5m opening at the end. We may now relax and play at the great playspot, formed here, in medium flows.

11.0km: In the next kms, we may gain some distance, paddling continuous class II, until the second arced bridge.

11.3km: 300m later we enter the third (and last) gorge. A big pyramid like boulder, seems to close the river path. In high flows, the only option is to shoot the tight drop on the left (Paddle hard and keep a safe distance from the kayaker in front of you. Konidis nearly crash onto my lifting bow, as I was undeliberately catching ends in the bottom of it!)
In lower flow, you just might try to run the diagonally rapid to the right and squeeze your boat around the boulder. See photo 9.

(?)12.7km: The big ramp (IV+) We slowly enter another tight canyon, of white limestone walls. The water is preety relaxing here, but be alert. Suddenly the river drops a steep and tight 3m ramp, climbing up the sheer left wall, while in the bottom, a really powerfull hole, creates a mini room of doom, prone to hold you recycling, if you fail to land beyond its grasp. See photos below.

13.0km: 300m later the canyon loosen its grip and we paddle the remaining 1.5km to the take out, in easy class I-II waters.

14.5km: The gorge opens, a white building appears through the trees on the right slope and the last stretch, a left bend around the huge brown boulder, to reach our take out, 100m later, on the left shore.

Maps: Anavasi publications, Achaia, 1:100.000

Shuttle: The shuttle from Tripotama to Paralogi, Kardaritsi, Vidiaki and to the river, takes almost 40min.
The road is mostly asphalt, except a part from Tripotama to Paraloggi that is under construction and a difficult dirt road from Vidiaki to the river.
Be careful, to take the road from Vidiaki to the river, take a very sharp right turn, immediately after the village square and take the next crossing to the left.

An other option, is the west access, through Lambia and Marmara, still has a difficult dirt road that reach the river at the same point. We have crossed the river by 4x4 at this point, in August 03 (40cm)

GPS marks list

• First rapid: 37o 51.310N, 21o 52.068E
• Second rapid: 37o 51.275N, 21o 51.852E (possible X in low-med flow)
• Siphon: 37o 51.069N, 21o 51.225E (bi-passable in low flow)
• Log jam: 37o 50.789N, 21o 51.157E
• First arced footbridge: 37o 50.436N, 21o 50.662E
• 4 drops section: 37o 49.653N, 21o 49.317E (entrance of 2nd gorge)
• Second arced footbridge: 37o 48.642N, 21o 48.451E
• Big ramp: 37o 47.743N, 21o 47.744E ??

More pages about Erymanthos:

River map

Trip report (NRY)

You may also see some more pictures in our menu gallery section