Mourgani trip report

Mourgani trip report - River day

We woke up early by the roar of a truck driving up the gravel, still under construction road, to Agia Triada, next to our camp for the night. We had a quick breakfast waiting for Dimitris to arrive and we then headed towards the put in bridge, between the villages of Koniskos and Foteino.
The river was hardly paddleable at the put in. The edge of the foot of the bridge column was 10cm over the water. As we scouted the first hundred meters, of a mini white canyon, we had the first second-thoughts about running the river in a possibly low flow condition. It would probably not worth the try -we said- but, what the h@$%, lets give it a try.

Dimitris in one of the early stretches.
Photo by N.Mavris

As always, it took us for ever to get ready and we started paddling at 10.30, an hour later than scheduled.
The first mini canyon was relatively easy, with a couple of boulder garden slaloms, not greater than class III, but with first run's necessary scouting at most of the turns. The canyon walls were still moderately low and the river flowing through small boulder stretches, felt familiar and fun as we were getting used to it, without too much struggle or equipment abuse. We also had the chance to shoot some pictures and video, at stretches that seemed classy at that time.

As I was shooting Dimitris bumping over a supposing tricky staircase, Pavlos went scouting the next corner, where the river was turning right and then sharp left. A significant drop was heard roaring. I turned back to see Pavlos smiling, an uncomfortable smile, giving me a signal that could only mean: serious trouble ahead
We all climbed over the rocky left edge, to see something we had never seen again. A view, which I will personally never forget, along with the feeling of that moment. The feeling when something that beautiful and that impressive, appears suddenly in front of you. A whitewater drop, way biger than the ones we 've seen in Greek rivers. We left standing there, staring at it, smiling like stupid.
I remembered at once, the author's note about the river: I didn't know whether to laugh or to cry with this river. This must be The Diamond Cutter (VI). But it looked so smaller in the photograph!

A view from above. The Diamond Cutter!
Photo by N.Mavris

The river was following a blind left turn, to drop a 5m fall into a tight pool with an undercut to the right. A large rocky slop at far left offering a difficult portaging option. Underneath that slope the river was droping over multiple ledges creating the most impressive part of the rapid.

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