Waooow, Rafting cliffs!!!

Foggy morning on the Onibe, ...

It might seem a bit radical but with a good porters team, one can go over the worst cliffs. We run into major drops cascading bluntly for hundreds of meters over a few miles.

Well supported, the eastern escarpment become a greta playground.

I don't have much to explain! that's always messy sections with portages and an average of ten days is necessary for a serious traverse to the coast. Few escape routes and difficult trails for porters.

The problem is essentially climatic! rain ain't so bad for whitewater but all day long it ain't so much fun. Well, usually it's rather late afternoons and early morning that we get showered and a few days are bearable. However when you hit a damp sack everynight it gets a little bit harder to stand. That's why, despite the water levels I recommend the Sept-Nov period to raft those rivers.

No options, beach camps everynight, ...

The two main descents I did :

- The Onibe, East of Ambatondrazaka till Foulepointe. Attention, the pages are a bit heavy. I love this river, my nicest eastern expedition, 400 Ko of clorophyllian delirium.

- The Mananjary, east of Ambositra till Kianjavato. I haven't been around to the full story. The river banks are terribly deforested and except the last days when the river fills up with gold panners, not as exciting

- The Sahatandra, from Perinet to Brickaville. Possibly the most accessible, a great ride.

I also rafted a short section of the Sakaleona.

Rivers of the Eastern Escarpment: