Rafting on the Putorana River: How to Overcome the Rapids

Fishing trips in the "land of 1,000 lakes and waterfalls" – the Putorana Plateau– are offered in a variety of picturesque locations. For an unforgettable fishing experience, guests are offered waters abundant with a variety of fish species.
Surrounded by the wild taiga, you can see many interesting places. This includes not only spectacular waterfalls but also beautiful river rapids with a lifelike current.

What are rapids from a scientific point of view?

How are rapids typically defined in water tourism descriptions? They are defined as areas with fast-flowing currents and varying water drop rates. Those located near rocks or their debris are called standing boulders.
Experienced tourists and fishermen can recognize in advance that a river rafting trip is approaching a rapids area. This can be recognized by the following signs:

• Significant increase in water flow downstream;
• The appearance of extraneous sounds;
• Change in the flow speed of a mountain river.

Moreover, isolated rocks or protrusions in the water are not considered rapids. Extreme tourists dream of reaching such parts of bodies of water, which are often full of obstacles. But it's important to know how to safely navigate river rapids.

How to navigate river obstacles

To safely navigate obstacles, the following must be taken into account:

• What kind of watercraft is used for rafting (boat, kayak, canoe, etc.).
• It is necessary to start from the existing dimensions of the vessel.
• You should also consider what the draft of the boat will be.
• The speed of the current and turning jets is of particular importance.

Recommendations for passing river rapids:

• Overcoming a small obstacle doesn't require a lot of maneuvering. It'll pass at the speed of movement, as they say, in rapids.
• And in cases where there's a difficult fairway ahead, it's necessary to first conduct reconnaissance. Carefully scan the entire route along the dangerous area.
• On difficult rapids, overcoming them is possible with the help of various maneuvers of the watercraft.
• It's advisable to have a person on each boat who has previously navigated dangerous sections of water. Everyone else on board must strictly follow their instructions and requests.
• Rapids can only be navigated with special equipment. This includes a helmet, a life jacket, and a wetsuit of at least category 3.
• To navigate the dangerous river obstacles, tourists must be completely sober. Consuming alcoholic or other alcoholic beverages is strictly prohibited.
• When there are a large number of fishermen on the route, it is necessary to insure each other when overcoming rapids.