River description

The river tackles between small boulder gardens and through small ledges, in series of class III to IV rapids, that not all can be scouted from the boat. We may divide the run in three sections, according to the three major features: The first drop, the unrunnable double rapid and the second drop.

A few class III rapids bring us to the first drop that is formed near km1.0. There, a huge boulder in the middle of the river, constrain most of the water to the river right, into a just 1m wide gap, over a 2.5m pool drop.(This drop was at least half a meter higher in 2002). The stopper at the pool underneath, created by the undercut rock, is not the sole drawback to this impressive rapid. The entrance of the drop has also deteriorated lately, scrabbling the access and forming a vertical siphon to the central boulder. In medium to high flow, speed is your friend to hit a perfect line there. On the left side of the river, a landslide has created a boulder haos, prone to hold everything going that way.

Scouting and portage is possible from the right bank. If anyone has already regret it, it's possible to leave the river there, ascenting an easy slope to the left.

Pavlos Georgilas in Upper lousios main drop (picture right)
Nikos Mavris in the the extended rapid after the unrunnable section (picture below)

An easier course through class III rapids, leads us a few hundrend meters later, to the second highlight, the unrunnable section. A left bend, almost hidden in the vegetation, leads to a complex of boulders and chutes. This eddy free run is better be portaged from the right bank, even if catching that eddy is trickier, as the left bank portage, involves passing through an unstable rockslide and a trickier put in back.

After this double unrunnable rapid, the river offers the most technical stretch. The next 50m is a series of turning chutes and holes, class IV to class V in higher flows. Mandatory safety positions, as in the next turn , a new set of drops await!

Keep navigating through class III to III+ whitewater, we pass an array of ledges choosing to jump from the further right one, bypassing an island type division from the right and encounter a semi blind chutte to the left, followed by a speeding ramp to the right. Finally, we reach the second main drop.

Following the flow to the right, the leaning branches of a tree shadow the river's sudden fall to the left. 2m lower the drop ends in a pool. A quick scouting of the drop and the cave-eddy on its right, is possible and suggested via the left shore.

The last section is fast, less demanding and even offers two good playspots. In half an hour, the Atsiholos-Karytaina road bridge marks the end of this beautiful creek and the start of the combined Lousios-Alfios river run.

More pages about Upper Lousios:

• River Data
• River map

See also the photo gallery, in our main gallery section - menu bar above left

TEAMadara was there...

December 6th 2003. TEAMadara took advantage of the last warm and sunny day" before the heavy winter weather, forecasted for this week.

With their new creek boats to test, Konidis and Pavlos...Read more>>>

July 26th 2003. Hotdogging the Upper Lousios!

Low flow in Lousios-Alfios rivers, but Team members Neni and Konidis, went on a photo mission for the needs of the upcoming "inflatable" site page...Read more>>>

May 24th 2003. Upper Lousios was great in 42cm.
Team paddlers for today were D.Konstantinidis, G.Bourlekas and N.Mavris

Two more strainers have been added to the portage agenda of the river... Read more>>>