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Section 1 ( Driskos - Charokopi ):
Length: 10km.
Put in: at the road bridge connecting Driskos and Krapsi.
Take out: at the bridge connecting Charokopi and Petrovouni - Put in for section 2.
Character: 5kms of open river and then 3kms into a remote gorge. Medium to big volume river
General Difficulty: Grade II - III in medium flow, III (IV) in high flow.
Shuttle: From Krapsi to Anatoliki, Palaiochori, Potistika to Petrovouni.
Gauge info: There is a gaugemeter after the take out bridge of Charokopi, on river right bank. 20cm under the top, marks the high flow upper limit. 120cm from the top, marks the lower paddling limit.
Maps: Anavasi publications, Tzoumerka - Peristeri - Kakarditsa, 1:50.000. Go to our Arachthos river maps.
GPS marks: Take out bridge: 39o 34.573N, 20o 58.601E
Section 2 ( Charokopi – Ambelochori ):
usually run together with section 3.
Length: 9.0km
Put in: the bridge connecting Charokopi and Petrovouni. See below for GPS marks.
Take out: the bridge connecting Kostitsi and Ambelohori. See below for GPS marks.
Character: Big volume river, flowing through remote gorges. Boulder gardens, walls, wavetrains.
General Difficulty: Grade III (IV-) in medium flow. III, IV in high flow.
Time: 2-3 hours, depending the flow and the group number and ability
Km by km description:
0.2km Main rapid (IV). 150m of class III boulder garden, lead to an eddy below a big boulder at river left, where the rapid gets pushier, featuring Alfredo's siphon (see Caution notes below). The usual line is to the left side. (see picture)
0.3km 2nd rapid (III). 1.5m ledge, usually pass 1-2m left of the boulder.
0.5km 3rd rapid - boulder garden. Possible run far left (III) or diagonally from left to right (IV). Be carefull to avoid the undercut wall to the end of the second rooting (Haris's wall - where Haris had a close encounter with a quite mean cave)
5.8km 4th rapid (III+)
6.3km steel wire bridge
7.0km Kalaritikos river confluence
7.3km 6th rapid (III+) 1m strong pourover, run left of the boulder.(Neni's ribs)
9.0km Take out bridge of Poulitsa (Ambelochori)
Shuttle: Taking the west (river right) road, from Harokopi to Koutselio, Serviana, Aetochori, Lazaina, to Kostitsi and down to the river bridge (take out of section 2 - put in of section 3)
Caution: The class IV first significant rapid, involves a siphon rock formation, named after our Team member Alfredos, who had concluded the first witnessed swim through it, in spring of 2002! The siphon is at river left, just before the final ledge. Bypass from the left. Portage is also possible by the left bank. Very dangerous in medium flows...(see picture).
Attention should be always present concerning a propable dam release. Piges Aoou Dam (Aoos fountains ) release into Metsovitikos river, a northwest tributary of Arachthos, at Chrysovitsa area.
Gauge info: Put in bridge. See section 1
Maps: See section 1
GPS (WGS84) marks:
Put in bridge: 39o 34.573N, 20o 58.601E
Rapid before Kalaritikos confluence: 39o 31.994N, 20o 59.750E
Take out bridge: 39o 30.723N, 21o 00.443E
Section 3: ( Ambelochori – Plaka )
usually run together with section 2.
Length: 9km
Put in: the bridge connecting Kostitsi and Ambelohori.
Take out: the bridge at Plaka. See below for GPS marks.
Character: Big volume river, flowing through remote gorges. Boulder gardens, walls, wavetrains.
General Difficulty: Grade III (IV) in medium flow, III in high flow.
Time: 1-2 hours, depending the flow and the group number and ability
Km by km description:
0.9km undercut wall on the right - water showers
1.3km We see power cables coming down the right slope of the mountain, to a concrete pumping house. 100m walk from there there is a highlight, the hidden falls
4.7km The rock tower
5.0km The Room of Doom III(IV) A name given by the authors of Greco guidebook, for a feature that is formed at certain (medium)flow levels. The elevated gravel riverbed on the left, drives all the flow against the wall to the right, forming a whirlpool like corridor, that put every paddlers braces and rolls to test. This spot is situated between the great monolithic tower, approx. 500m before the entrance of the great gorge (see GPS marks list below)
5.4km Two rocks rapid (III)
5.5km Entrance of the great Arahthos gorge (1,7km). Totally unaccesible walls, caves, magnifiscent watershowers 200m before the end. A spectacular place with no difficulties whatsoever.
7.2km End of gorge
8.6km The stone bridge of Plaka. The larger single arced bridge in Greece (see picture)
9.0km The iron (Bailey type) bridge of Plaka. Our take out is at river left, before the bridge or after it, next to Via Natura rafting base.
Shuttle: Taking the west (river right) road, from Kostitsi to Fortosi and Kaletzi, passing from a tight cliff pass, down to the river bridge at Plaka (30min)
Caution: The Room of Doom at certain levels
Gauge info:
Maps: See section 1
GPS (WGS84) marks:
Put in bridge: 39o 30.723N, 21o 00.443E
Room of Doom: 39o 29.018N, 21o 00.503E
Take out bridge: 39o 30.723N, 21o 00.443E
Section 4: ( Plaka – Skoupa )
Length: 13km
Put in: at the bridge of Plaka.
Take out: the bridge of Tzaris, at Kardabo, on the road connecting Skoupa and Ramia.
Character: Wide, big volume river, flowing through open gorges. Ledges, walls, wavetrains, huge holes. Technical lines III and IV and great playholes, are easy to find but can also bypassed.
General Difficulty: Grade II, III in medium flow, III (opt.IV) in high flow.
Time: 2-4 hours, depending the flow and the group number and ability
Km by km description:
0.5km 1st rapid II (opt.III, IV). A boulder at river left, forms a powerful eddy line, just at the confluence with Sgara tributary on the left.
7.5km A waterfall on river left, visible from far away, marks a significant rapid III (IV), in a right bend, where the vertical left wall forms a few tricky steps, easily avoided from the right.
9.0km possible take out (not visible from the river) by dirt road to Dafnoti (on the right) or Makrykambos (on the left)
13km Take out at the new bridge of Tzaris, or 100m later, on the right, at a public recreational place, where there are a basketball field, a few benches and a water fountain.
Shuttle: Taking the west (river right) uphill road, from Plaka towards Arta, we reach Skoupa in 18km/25min. From there we turn left towards Kardabo and Tzaris bridge in 5.7km/25min. Another option is to take the eastern way, from Plaka to Sgara, Mikrospilia, Ramia and from there down to Tzaris bridge.
Caution:
Gauge info: Take out bridge: When the water reaches 9.5 lines from the top, on the central column of the take out bridge, then the river is in medium to high flow III (IV)
Maps: See section 1
GPS (WGS84) marks:
Put in bridge: 39o 27.271N, 21o 02.003E
Take out bridge: 39o 22.119N, 21o 03.143E
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