After Deciding that my luck and our trip funds had ran out, Sean and myself headed back to the big water paradise of the 4000 islands.

For the first 2 days after my impact on running a new line at Tad Lo I was unable to walk, very worried I had re broken my leg, luckily after some time off my leg and some rest I am walking again and getting back to average.

Lachlan Carracher after a month in Laos and some big hits

With the rainy season coming to an end we hoped that the 4000 islands section of the Mekong would drop enough to open up some different lines and or new channels.

Check the photos, I went first down the channel we had ran in the past and the first top hole got ALLOT bigger, after becoming complacent I was soon slapped back by the river and had a horrible but pain free run. Sean’s run’s improved dramatically each time down. Sean has a very strong “dame I stuffed up back I go attitude which I am trying to follow.
Good times though and thankfully for me bad luck didn’t get me three days on the river in a row.

Entry Lachie

After returning to Bangkok with Sean and sending him off back to Australia I headed to a hospital in Bangkok to get the large gash’s on my face looked at.

Sean Giving 'er

Waterfalls are fun, snakes are scared of you, spiders you can kill with a newspaper, BUT hospitals scare the pants off me, especially in Bangkok.

With an hour long operation with my eyes covered, some stitches, a couple of big needles I was on my way.

I found it very funny when the placed a tight leather belt around my torso and the operation table, witch was used to restrain me and to keep me from falling off.
The nurses found it very amusing how I over hung the operation table by about a foot by width and length, at 6 foot 4 I kinda stand out in Bangkok.

Sam and Benji arrive in the next couple of days while I will return to Australia for the Teva Lea Extreme - www.kayak4play.com.au and some recovery time.

A large monsoon hit Bangkok early this morning with the loudest thunder I have ever heard. This monsoonal rain hit from the Laos region so Benji and Sam just had a MAJOR amount of water put into the catchment of the Mekong.

Stay tuned for more info from Laos

Sun Set on a boat ride back to our hammocks after a day of world class whitewater

Lachlan Carracher

The best huck trip of our lives continued today as we awoke to the roar of Tad Hang, the smallest falls in the Tadlo trio at around 25 feet. After coffee Lao and a baguette we geared up and hiked 700m upstream from our guesthouse to Tad Lo. Our ideal plan was to run Tad Lo, run Tad Hang, and pack our gear for Attapeu on the afternoon bus.  It was not to be.

Spot Lachie

Tad Lo was first run by Lachie Carracher earlier in this trip, but a lack of media and a desire to find new lines brought us back. It’s got a sliding entry drop of around ten feet that makes hard work of timing your stroke at the lip of the falls proper. Ideally you’ll be soaring horizontally during the next twenty feet of freefall, and that’s exactly what Lachie did again.

Lachie Entry

Lachie revisiting his first descent of Tad Lo

I followed with a slightly improvisation on the ideal line, but no dramas. I shouldered my kayak quickly and hiked back to the top – there was another line I wanted to drop, hard near the right side of the falls. The lead-in was shallow and uneven, but there was just enough water at the lip to allow the control needed. I slid down the entry and waited for my right stroke at the lip, pulling it through slowly into a forward tuck for impact.

Sean First Descent right line

Next up was the more intimidating Tad Hang. Not as large as Lo, but the tight line required precision and a big boof to avoid the shelves of rock bordering the landing. In similar fashion to Tad Lo there was a weird little entry drop here also. Lachie opted to run first and ended up farther left than anticipated.

Lachie

From my vantage downstream it initially looked like he’d plugged the only ‘Plan B’ line without incident. Upon resurfacing it was obvious his deck had imploded again. He swam to shore with the paddle and hatch cover while I jumped in and retrieved the kayak. It was only when I returned to shore that Lachie informed me he’d actually pitoned at the bottom and was fairly sure he’d re-fractured his leg.

Sean Entry

Always the trooper, he limped to the photo spot and dutifully filmed my two descents of Tad Hang. I got a stroke at the lip both times but still reconnected barely under the surface. One of the gnarliest drops on the trip for sure.

Sean - Tad Hang

Lachie returned to his kayak and we paddled downstream to our doorstep. We’ll chill here tonight while we contemplate the next few days and attempt to work out whatever it was Lachie did to deserve this.

His negative Karma tally of late:
•    Stung repeatedly by unknown insects causing excruciating pain,
•    Deck implodes running 45 foot Tad Champi,
•    Runs first twenty footer in Champi, breaks paddle and disappears,
•    Falls twenty feet narrowly avoiding re-breaking leg but smashing in his face,
•    Runs super funky 25 foot Tad Hang, pitons, likely re-breaks leg, deck implodes.

Wish us luck in Attapeu.

Sean Boz

Upon arrival in Laos and meeting the lads I was regaled with stories of their epic almost-a-night-out in the jungle. Both Craig and Lachie proclaimed no interest in ever returning to Upper Champi, regardless of the beauty within the canyon.

After a successful reconnaissance mission a day previous to locate a take out before the unrunnable drop, I had Lachie convinced. We put on to Upper Champi River with confidence and spirits high, despite knowledge of the inevitable jungle hike out. It was to be my first run and for Lachie, a chance to recapture the river on film.

On the Way to the Put In

The first 35 foot falls at the put-in is as yet unrun. There are two possible lines apparent; one that involves reconnection after 20 feet and one slide into boof line whose pools appears shallow. In either case, we left them for another day – preferably one with a little higher water.

We put in below and cruised down through fun, creeky class 3 with a couple of funky shelves until the first horizon line loomed. Getting out to scout I was stoked to see a perfect, super friendly 7 metre drop. Lachie remembered the line so went first, opting to drop off an angled lip with a correcting boof. From my vantage at the lip I watched him nail his line and disappear. Seconds passed and I started to weigh my options for rescue. Maybe ten seconds after leaving the lip Lachie appeared, upright and okay, from behind the left side of the falls. His paddle had snapped on impact and without the power to escape he’d been sucked in behind the falls by the eddy. From the top, I had seen nothing.

Sean in The heaven Canyon before HELL

After I ran the falls and subsequent slide drop below, Lachie and I began hoisting boats up the muddy escarpment for another run. With the boats up and just his paddle to reach, Lachie’s footing gave way. LC slid seven metres down the near vertical wall and landed softly on his feet, taking most of the impact with his face. Two deep lacerations were the result. Champi strikes again.

Mid Canyon First Aid

I patched Lachie up and we ran the rest of the creek, being very sure to catch the take out eddy. It was easy to see why the boys continued on from here; nothing sinister appears to be lurking around the bend, and upstream is just perfect.

The end of Heaven

Following our markers left behind during yesterday’s recco, we struggled up the muddy ridge. The clay soils give no grip whatsoever and most plants that would work for handholds are thorned or prickly. It truly is hell, even without a broken leg.

From the top you’re treated to a teasing view of the valley downstream and it’s a short drag through the coffee trees to our waiting tuk-tuk. I wonder if I can convince Lachie on a third descent…..

From Hell

Back on the road this arvo, heading east again to Tad Lo.

Sean Bozkewycz

Sean and I have returned to Pakse with some unfinished business on the Champi river.

On the day Craig and I completed the first descent on the Upper Champi he lost his camera with our only shots of the white water. It was not described in much detailed but this section of river between the abseil and the horrible hike out was some of the best creeking I have ever done in my life.

Hiking Back into "Hell" - Upper Champi

I promised that I would never return to that eddy I sat in and truly wondered how I was going to get out alive. Today I saw it again, Sean and I hiked in through the jungle where Craig and myself spent 6 hours trying to escape, in hope that we could possibly return to the Upper Champi and get some media from this amazing river.

Last eddy on river right is where Craig and I found ourselves on the first descent

Tomorrow we plan to do just that.

On our hike out just when things looked like they were going well I stood both legs in some kind of wasp or flying ant nest, it was the most I have screamed since I was two I think. I was honestly in more discomfort then when I shattered my ankle and broke my leg. The jungle always has surprises!

After our hike out we travelled further upstream to look at the 45ft waterfall that Craig had run earlier on in the trip. The decision was easy for Sean and I, feeling good after spending a couple of weeks back in out creek boats.
I went first hitting my line but unfortunately my deck popped on impact, too proud to swim I paddle my full boat of water to shore.

Lachie Tad Champi 2nd Descent

Sean ran the drop twice and stomped his line both times.

Sean on Tad Champi

Our plans for the next few days are to run the Upper Champi again, head to Tadlo to get some good quality photos of these drops. From Tadlo we plan to head to the wild west town of Attapeu, near the Vietnam border. From here we are looking at a couple of first descents; 30 and 60 foot waterfalls.

We may be away from the Internet for a while so wish us luck,

Lachlan Carracher

Sean and I have been in Dong Det (an island in the middle of the Mekong) now for a few days. What we have found here is an amazing place with more white water then we could ever achieve in the few days we have here. Big waves, some of the scariest looking grade 6 big water I have ever seen, and big water boof lines that shame the Zambezi.
Scouting missions have been filling our days with amazement, allot of lines would be foolish to run with only two of us, but they go!

There was a guy fishing out there, don't ask how he got there though because we have NO idea

Yesterday we both paddled a big water channel down the section that is known as The Four Thousand islands. We found big waves and big holes that are formed from the tops of 15m  waterfalls (in the dry season).

The river its self is amazing, the biggest river by volumes I have paddled before  (much more volume then the Nile) and the crazy thing is the river  changes up to 4ft a night.

Today Sean and I paddled the biggest rapid that has been fired up on the trip. (In terms of volume and length)

The line down this rapid something like punch giant hole on the right, Paddle, paddle, tuck and hope for the next hole, Then HARD right, then HARD left.

Lachie feeling very small

Sean Resurfacing after "Paddle, Paddle, Tuck and Hope"

When rain hits Paradise

Bomb Saftey 101

Committing Jungle

Lachlan Carracher