Gata Media Canyon
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| | Raps:6, max ↨98ft
Red Tape:No permit required Shuttle:Optional 2mi Vehicle:Passenger Rock type:Volcanic | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Best season: | Jan-Mar
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10.2496, -84.2601
10.2465, -84.2677
10.2574, -84.2695
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Introduction[edit]
Beautiful travertine falls, clear sea green water, and surprise waterfalls coming in from the sides, this canyon is a wonderful descent in Bajos del Toro. The rappels are straightforward and there are several jumps. Overall another magical experience in the Costa Rican mountains.
The beta site UnoDeAventuras below has additional information on descending Rio Gata proper, which is the side stream with clear turquiose water that enters RDC at the bottom of R2.
Approach[edit]
You need to pay for parking at the exit because the exit trail passes over private property owned by Will, a Dutchmen who runs Blue Falls and charges a fee for hikers to access the waterfalls. Go to the Blue Falls payment building and tell them you are doing the canyon and will park a vehicle in their lot. They are open Monday to Saturday, and Sunday is closed. The fee was $10 per person in March 2023. The parking lot is about 300m down the road from the payment area; a local guy should be checking wristbands here.
For the approach, park along a dirt road; a sign might indicate that cars cannot go beyond a certain point. The road itself is public. Walk along the road another 20 min to where it crosses Quebrada Pilas river with a suspension bridge, and suit up here, follow the riverbed from here. Do not cross the forest, and respect fences. By playing it by the rules, many can keep enjoying this section.
If you only have a single vehicle, you can still do most of the canyon, in which case you'll need to exit just after rappel four on canyon right and hike on a well-established trail for about an hour back to the parking area for the approach. You can explore downstream a little before heading up this trail if you like. You can leave a rope on rappel 5 (30') and plan to ascend back up it, if you explore downstream, up to the brink of rappel 6 (100').
Descent[edit]
The beauty of this canyon starts quickly with the first tobaggan in about 5 minutes, followed by the first rappel, in beautiful sea green water.
R1: 85', bolts LDC
R2: 100', bolts RDC. Note that these bolts get removed regularly. You will see multiple empty bolt holes at this rappel. As of March 2023, there are bolts on the face, but no hangers or nuts. So - BYOH&N or plan to use a natural anchor, of which there are plenty. (Bring webbing & a quick link) At the bottom of the second rappel, a surprise waterfall appears on your right (Rio Gata proper) with deep blue water merging in.
R3/4 combo, 15'/50': A short ways downstream is this combo. Although it looks like canyon right would be a good place for an anchor, dropping off that side would put you directly into a massive hydraulic at the base of the falls, and therefore do not rig on that side.
Here you will find the well-established Alt exit trail heading up the hillside on canyon right. This will bring you back to the parking area in about an hour.
R5: 30' A single bolt on the large boulder in the middle
R6: 100' bolts LDC A rappel into a dramatic ampitheater. There are observation ledges for tourists on canyon left, don't exit here but continue downstream until you reach the long skinny ladder on LDC for the exit.
The canyon eventually reaches a dammed reservoir of the power generation company, and there is no way to exit from this reservoir, with steep walls on all sides, so you must exit just prior to this. You can push on down past rappel 6 (the most narrow/beautiful part of the canyon) and exit a janky ladder river left (across from river markers measuring depth), which was put there by the power company, and hike 150m on a trail out to the road.
A 'Dutchman' named Will has bought property near this ladder and claims to own the property with the access trail. The actuality of that claim is disputable, and local canyoneers have had disagreements with him about it. Will offers guided hiking tours to see the waterfalls, and you will likely see guided groups. The guides will approach you and ask how far you intend to go. They report you to each other and presumably to Will if you haven’t communicated with him in advance. Exiting on the alternate exit after R4 puts you on a different private property. The owner will still charge you, but is friendly, and does not expect you to communicate with him in advance. As a visiting canyoneer, it is best just to pay the 6,000 colones per person fee for parking, or plan to exit after R4, and then you'll have no issues with access.
Note from Will the Dutchmen: The river is public, the ladder is public, but there is only one way to exit the river: through our private property and/or from the power company unless you follow the river to the bridge. You can check the Catastro if needed. Those who tell you differently are dead wrong, and they know. They cross fences, destroy fences, ly, and cheat. They let you illegally cross our private property and that of the ICE, the electric company. I guess that is not what you want to do during your holiday. The best thing to do here is to play it straight and respect our property as you want to be respected. Keep it pleasant for all and for the ones who come after you. End of Note
Exit[edit]
If doing the shuttle, you'll exiting via a janky ladder on river left. Above this the trail will come to a fork, TURN LEFT (where it states private property/no trespassing), going straight/right takes you to the dam. Once in the open area, try to navigate and stay on the faint road, which will lead to a cow gate and a more established road, follow this curving to the main road which will eventually lead you to signs for the waterfalls, a bench at a viewpoint, and a gate at the main road where you crossover a large pipe for the dam.
Be sure to contact Will (The Dutchman) about access prior to doing the canyon. (Cataratas del Toro: 10.25408, -84.27204) He is there Monday-Saturday. He is nice and pleasant if you respect him and talk with him beforehand. He has 5 very large dobermans.
Red tape[edit]
You must pay a toll to use the approach trail. It is on private property and the owner maintains the trails. The fee is 5,000 colones per person in 2021.
Also Will/The Dutchman (Cataratas Del Toro, aka Blue Falls) requires 6000c per person for the exit (Jan 2023).
Beta sites[edit]
Toros Canyoning Group : Gata Media- UnoDeAventuras.com : Canyoning Costa Rica: Cataratas Las Gemelas
Trip reports and media[edit]
Costa Rica Jungle Canyoneering
Background[edit]
This canyon was opened by Toros Canyoning Group. More information about descending it can be found on their website (link in beta section).
First descent from Cabrada Gata on April 28, 2018 by Kenneth Ugalde; Edu Gómez and Javito Rodríguez. The first descent of the Pilas creek was held by the Toros Canyoning Group Group of Costa Rica. Descended and reinstated by Kenneth Ugalde; Edu Gómez and Javito Rodríguez on April 28, 2018.