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Long, intense and demanding river, for teams with experience at class 4 and tight gorges. The last 5 kms of the river is a class 3 joyful run.
Name: Selinus or Selinountas
Area: Achaia β North Peloponessos
Closest town: Aigio, Patra, Kalavryta
Facilities: For bank, post, fuel at Aigio, Kalavryta. For hospital at Aigio, First aid at Kalavryta. Smaller food & sleep facilities also at the village of Fteri.
Put In: The left tributary bridge below Makelarias monastery, 2km before the confluence.
Take Out: Above the 4m weir, 2.5km after Kato Mavriki bridge (10km after the Korinthos - Patra highway)
Length: 14 km β 11 of them into a remote gorge.
Difficulty: 3, 4 (5) 1Ξ§, at medium flow level.
River type: (River - Creek)
Volume: Low
Rapids: Continuous class 3 with several class 4 rapids . The first rapid, half a km from the gorge's entrance is a class 4 rapid ending in a siphon trap. Mandatory portage of the siphon on the left. At the landslide area, at the 6th km, there is a 1.5m high and river wide boulder ledge rapid that is dangerous at certain water levels.
All rapids can be scouted and safeguarded from the bank, with moderate difficulty.
Danger: The siphon at the first rapid! Be careful for log jams in a few places. Blind falls should be scouted for pinning reasons.
Playspots: A few good spots at the second part of the gorge. Not a play-river
Access: There is no known road to access the gorge, except to dirt roads that reach the entrance and the exit of the gorge.
Paddling time: 5 - 7 hours for a group of 4
Suggested flow level: Medium. We paddled with no real problems at medium to low level. At lower flows though, many stretches could become dangerous for people and equipment. In higher flow, some rapids could become way more continuous and intense at class V.
Gauge: There is no gauge. During our run, the water was 5-10cm over the side concrete slabs, below the put in bridge. Look at the photos of put in and take out weirs.
Sightseeing: A beautiful waterfall and a surprise illusion by the end of the gorge. For the shuttle bunnies, a visit at Agios Leontios old skete, over Taxiarchon monastery, worth a visit.
Shuttle: Ξ long shuttle. Leave the highway at 175th km at a gas Shell station and go towards Kato Mavriki, around the lower gorge. After you pass the river at a bridge over a broken weir, watch for a dirt road that leads through a work site, to a 4m weir. Take out is above this weir.
To the Put in, there are two alrternative routes: The safest is to return to the higway and go east until the next exit to Pyrgaki, Fteri and Petsakoi, where you take a dirt road that first crosses the right tributary of Selinountas (Maneseiko ) and then reaches the standard put in at the left tributary bridge. (At a white chapel turn right)
The shortest scenario involves 38kms of both asphalt and 4x4 suitable dirt roads, via Taxiarchon monastery to Pyrgaki and it lasts around 1h 30min.
Map: Anavasi 1:100.000 Achaia
GPS WGS84 coordinates:
Put in bridge 38ΞΏ 06.067Ξ, 21ΞΏ 59.296Ξ
1st rapid 38ΞΏ 06.589Ξ, 22ΞΏ 00.518Ξ
Landslide area 38ΞΏ 07.897Ξ, 22ΞΏ 00.507Ξ
River wide ledge rapid 38ΞΏ 07.925Ξ, 22ΞΏ 00.327Ξ
Take out weir 38ΞΏ 10.797Ξ, 22ΞΏ 02.286Ξ
See also: Selinountas river map
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