Kayaking
The best whitewater kayakers in the world select the top rivers for a wild ride. Get the list here, and start planning your next adventure.
There are a lot of rivers in this world, and picking your favourite isn't easy – especially when you're a professional kayaker. Nevertheless, we put the challenge to six boaters who get paid to paddle, and this is what they came up with...
01
Sary-Jaz, Kyrgyzstan
Introduced by: Adrian Mattern
Location: Sary-Jaz, Kyrgyzstan
Key pull: White water set against the largest and most inhospitable mountains in the world
"If you want to come to this place, you have to be ready… every mistake can have big consequences. The kayaking is actually one of the easier parts,” says Mattern.
Serious white water, incredible landscapes, epic camping spots – the Sary-Jaz and the Tian Shan mountains offered it all. With a combination of tight gorges and wide-open sky, the river featured all sorts of different types of challenges – and incredible landscapes. As Mattern puts it, "Sometimes there [are] vertical walls left and right and the river is like six-foot-wide; other times it's just mountains left and right".
02
Clendenning, British Columbia, Canada
Introduced by: Nouria Newman
Location: Clendenning, British Columbia, Canada
Key pull: Remote, cold water and granite slides
"This place is without doubt the most beautiful I've ever paddled on. It takes some effort to get there – you have to take a hydroplane, paddle across a lake and hike up with your kayak, but it's totally worth it," says the French slalom canoeist.
"You have a stunning view and the river comes straight from the glacier. It's an incredible feeling to stand next to huge ice packs and realise that you are at the very source of the river. There are also a few good runnable granite slides, which recently appeared with the glacier's retreat."
03
Santo Domingo, Chiapas, Mexico
Introduced by: Aniol Serrasolses
Location: Santo Domingo, Chiapas, Mexico
Key pull: Steep, technical and hard
"Far down south in the beautiful region of Chiapas, Mexico, is the craziest river I've ever paddled on – so steep, so technical, and so hard – nothing really compares to it."
With waterfalls that range from seven to 30m high and warm, blue water, it's not hard to see the appeal. Says Serrasolses, "This is a place to go if you want to push your limits with extreme kayaking."
04
Noguera Pallaresa, Spain
Introduced by: Maxime Richard
Location: Noguera Pallaresa, Spain
Key pull: Big waves and nostalgia
"My favourite whitewater river is in the north of Spain: the Noguera Pallaresa," says the sprint canoeist. "It's a famous river, with big waves, frozen water, and technical lines." It's also no short stroll – it's 25km long and requires focus the entire time.
But in the end, it's not just the whitewater that keeps Richard travelling back – it's history and nostalgia. "I scored my first wild water sprint world championship gold medal there in 2010!" The river may be cold, but it holds a warm place in his heart.
05
Rio Blanco, Argentina
Introduced by: Aniol Serrasolses
Location: Rio Blanco, Patagonia, Argentina
Key pull: First descent of an enigmatic river from source to sea
Serrasolses says of the Rio Blanco project: "The legend of an incredible river hidden deep inside the cordillera of the Austral Andes. I've studied maps for years, gathered videos, and talked with many people who have hiked around the area. Everyone had the same opinion. The wildest and most beautiful place they had ever seen, but to their eyes, impossible to actually run any of the whitewater or even get there with kayaks."
Newman, who joined Serrasolses on the Rio Blanco attempt, adds: "It was a tricky project to line up with a tricky combination and balance to find between filming and making progress on the river."
06
Veracruz, Mexico
Introduced by: Dane Jackson
Location: Veracruz, Mexico
Key pull: Perfect waterfalls
"My favourite place to kayak for steep whitewater and waterfalls is Veracruz, Mexico," says Jackson. "This place is paradise, and it has some perfect waterfalls."
His favourite waterfall to run there is the Truchas waterfall. It requires a 50m rappel into the gorge, right alongside this big waterfall. From there, it's a multi-drop line to the finish. The final drop – nearly 20m – has a tricky exit to add to the excitement. But in the end, it's worth it. "Once you finish the drops and make it to the bottom. It's pretty surreal looking back up. As if the waterfalls weren't epic enough, you hike out of the gorge and finish the hike at a nice restaurant and enjoy an awesome meal."
07
Wainui River, New Zealand
Introduced by: Ben Brown
Location: Wainui River, New Zealand
Key pull: Takes a hurricane to come into force
Despite travelling the world on kayak expeditions, Brown's favourite river run is in his home country. "My favourite place to paddle is New Zealand. If I had to pick a favourite waterfall I would say the Wainui Waterfall on the Wainui River in the North Island's Bay of Plenty."
The river is unique in that it only flows after heavy rains, giving existence to such drops as the Wainui Waterfull. Good to know hurricanes are good for something! But despite a bit of a rarity in opportunities to run the river, Brown loves it. He concludes: "In my mind is very close to the perfect river and a spot I always get super fired up to get back to."
08
Filer Creek, British Columbia
Introduced by: Ed Muggridge
Location: Coast Mountains, British Columbia
Key pull: Descents on high-gradient rivers
"It was a classic BC Coast Mountain rapid. There was a lot of fresh rock – moved there by recent landslides – which made the whitewater choppy, unfriendly and definitely not clean. It was scary, powerful whitewater and had nasty features throughout," says Muggridge.
"There were some really solid sections, but its high exposure and riskiness, as well as its remoteness, removed the option of pushing any boundaries. The whole feel and character of the river put me on edge. With less water, I think I would have run more. But, all in all, the gorges and scenery throughout were beautiful."
09
Little White Salmon, Washington, USA
Introduced by: Rafa Ortiz
Location: Little White Salmon, Washington, USA
Key pull: Continuous white water
"To put the Little White Salmon River (AKA Ldub) into a few words, it's the most quality, continuous piece of whitewater I've ever paddled. People live here because of this river; others drive hours; others of us fly here just to paddle it."
So says Mexican kayaker Rafa Ortiz of the river in the state of Washington that few outside of the whitewater industry have ever heard of. But you'll need to know what you're doing – this is dangerous territory for paddlers who aren't highly experienced.