Sports Unlimited goes whitewater rafting in Davao
abs-cbnnews.com | 05/08/2008 6:15 PM
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Sports Unlimited
April 26, 2008
Sports Unlimited continues its passion for the outdoors! We live for adventure and we admire excellence in sports.
They say "art imitates life", we say "adventure adds life" that's why we are adding bright and bold colors to our summer by heading to "WOW DAVAO" to experience the best of adventures from islands to highlands!
So far on this Sports Unlimited DESTINATION DAVAO SPECIAL we have experienced the peak of exhilaration from mountain trekking, to zipping, island hopping, nature, and this time we are going on a WHITE WATER RIVER RAFTING ADVENTURE to further feed our massive appetite for the OUTDOORS.
Before heading to the Davao River we made a pit stop at the CROCODILE PARK where the DAVAO WILDWATER ADVENTURES HEADQUARTERS is to fill out the necessary paperwork and also to get some of the gear we will need for this river rafting adventure.
All riders need to be in HELMETS. You’ll see why later and since this is a water adventure LIFE VESTS are a must.
Once you have everything you need there is a special shuttle bus that takes you from the crocodile park directly to the Davao River.
Once we got to the river we were given an important BRIEFING about everything we need to know to assure a safe, injury-free journey from start to finish.
Helmets on! Life vests are securely fastened….paddles in our hands brand new state of-the-art rafts are waiting by the river. We're all set and raring to go on this river adventure that we're told should take about 4 to 5 hours.
Marc and I went on the same raft and of course what mommy does Matthew wants to do too so Mat was also in our group.
Sonny Dizon ordered all the rafting equipment from abroad for this adventure so there will be even more reason for everyone to come and visit Davao... Sonny's Mantra... "See what is out there and then do what you can to make it more exciting to go there".
Allright, I know we may seem all relaxed and dry right now enjoying the paddling and the magnificent scenery surrounding us...but it will not stay as calm and quiet like this for long we were told that the rapids are approaching and we should be focused and prepared.
A few more reminders if you plan to go white water rafting. Getting very wet is part and parcel of this adventure even if you do not fall off the raft that does not mean you will not get drenched. In fact getting wet is inevitable so make sure you wear something that is suitable for the water.
If you plan to bring footwear make sure it is the kind that cannot fall off your feet the river does not need another pair of flip-flops there have been way too many of them that have fallen down the deep end already.
We ourselves practiced what to do in the water if we fall off the raft and then the ones on the raft practiced how to get the person who fell back in the raft we're already having so much fun and the real wildness of the rapids has yet to begin.
HERE COME THE RAPIDS.... PADDLE! PADDLE!! PADDLE!!!
Again!!! HARD PADDLE!!!
RIGHT PADDLE!!!
LEFT PADDLE!!!
EASY PADDLE!!!
This is brilliant, our river guides told us if we want to have a fighting chance when we paddle through the rapids we need to follow their directions on when to paddle hard.
When to paddle easy and when to stop paddling. It's not as simple as just paddling any way you want.
Also we are seated strategically on both sides of the raft...when we hear our guide say PADDLE RIGHT that means only the people seated at the right side of the boat will paddle and PADDLE LEFT only the ones seated on the left side will paddle.
More rapids up ahead this time we need to maneuver and get our raft to go in between boulders… big boulders PADDLE HARD! STOP PADDLING! and just go with the flow PHEW that was close.
Now this is what white water rafting is all about. Not knowing what lies ahead and what to expect is the bulk of the thrill of this adventure. That was a wicked rapid the more rapids the merrier is what we're saying. Now this is the kind of wildness we like.
What is this? A cave! Now how cool is this pit stop in the river is in a real cave.... VERY COOL.
Drinking water dripping from the cave...that's even cooler. Alright gang... our guides say...we need to get going... we still have a long way to go... and there's still a lot of
fun and action to be had.
What makes this river journey so fabulous aside from the wet and wild action you get from the rapids there are also so many sights to be seen like this waterfall. Sonny and our guides tell us that sometimes you will find this waterfall here but sometimes you don't, depending on the weather that's why they call it "THE DISAPPEARING WATERFALL".
Well luck had it that today the waterfall appeared and we took advantage of everything it had to offer. There is nothing more exotic than taking a shower under a waterfall the water is cold a lot colder than the river.
We may have left our cell phones on dry land but not our cameras thanks to technology our waterproof cameras will allow us to remember this unforgettable experience forever.
We may be wet but believe me all that paddling has created heat in our bodies which is why a nice cold dip in this natural pool by the waterfall was a great relief.
We were having so much fun on this journey that we did not even think of having a meal but THE GROUP are outdoor specialists and have everything planned for us.
They have a specially prepared spot by the river where they make a stop for all their guests to enjoy a packed picnic feast!
Look at this they even took the time to put up an awesome welcome banner for Sports Unlimited. You guys are the best!
Lunch was great this stop also gave our whole group an opportunity to bond and of course to re-fuel before we tackle the last part of the river which we were told was where the rapids get a little more challenging. BRING IT ON!
With satisfied stomachs we all got back on our respective rafts and paddled away.
We see WILDER RAPIDS up ahead and bigger boulders. Our guide tells us that we need to paddle more aggressively or else we could get stuck in the boulders.
One of the best parts about making it through the rapids is when we all raise our paddles and celebrate in unison you feel an instant sense of accomplishment.
If you like paddling this adventure is perfect for you!
The great part about white water river rafting is that it has everything you get exercise, camaraderie, and good times. Combine that with the BEAUTY and
GRANDEUR of the river and you have the perfect anecdote for an unforgettable adventure.
We passed through a few more brilliant rapids and then we finally reached the end of this 13-kilometer river journey. This white water rafting adventure has definitely turned what could have been an ordinary day at the river into an unforgettable time.
This is absolutely one of the best times we've had on a river all our five senses were treated to a field day. This white water rafting adventure was wet, wild and wicked "WOW DAVAO" that's what we're saying.
ABS CBN's Sports Unlimited
Originally Posted by nicko_dvo
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