Scouting Lava Falls Rapid - Grand Canyon AZRA raft trip

Lava Falls Rapids are legendary. Every Riverguide and Rafter is always nervous and anxious above Lava. This is a rapid with very little margin of error. If a Guide runs it wrong, Lava will toss you into the river and then stomp on you. We stopped just above, hiked up and over to this scouting overlook. The Rapids change depending the the flow rate of the River. Lava is radically different at 15,000 cfs than 8,000 cfs. The Guides have to read The Lip, The Ledge, The V Wave, The Hole, The Rocks, The Big Kahuna, and the Cheese Grater before you jet out the other side.

www.advantagegrandcanyon.com/lava-falls/ describes LAVA better than I can
Lava Falls
Lava Falls is the most famous and most formidable rapid in Grand Canyon National Park. Fabled for its steep drops and highly technical rapid layout, Lava Falls is rated as a Class 10 rapid, the highest rating a rapid can receive under the Grand Canyon's older classification system. Located at river mile 179 in the Lower Grand Canyon, Lava Falls is inaccessible to tourists who are just visiting rim-side observation centers. If you really want to experience the spraying waves and thunderous roar of Lava Falls, you'll need to see it up close by rafting down the Colorado River or by trekking down the Lava Falls Trail.
What Is The History of Lava Falls?
Intersecting both Lower Grand Canyon and full Grand Canyon river rafting trips, Lava Falls Rapid is a particularly well-known and somewhat notorious rapid system. To understand what makes Lava Falls such a famous rapid, it's important to first understand how Lava Falls was originally formed. Located at the foot of Prospect Canyon, Lava Falls Rapid developed due to the presence of a significant alluvial fan, a geological term for a triangle-shaped accumulation of channeled sediment. Due to its proximity to the Uinkaret Volcanic Field, the alluvial fan at Lava Falls is actually the second-largest alluvial fan in the entire Grand Canyon.

I went on a non-motorized Raft trip down the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon with Arizona Raft Adventures from May 16 through May 31. Four Oar rafts, a Dory, and a paddle raft.
AZRA has perfected Colorado River / Grand Canyon rafting. The guides were great, the food was great. Other than the weather, the experience was great.
I went with the idea that this was not a photo adventure. I was going to enjoy the experience and the ride. So I don't have photos of our put in at Lee's Ferry. But you know that you can't get that photo bug out of your system. I did not take my good cameras. This is a nice little Olympus TG-5. Everything takes a beating on a trip like this. It came out a little worse for wear but held up like a champion. On a trip like this you get sand in places you never knew you had places.

GRCA1919

P5280125 acd

Taken in: United States / Arizona / Tuweep (show map)

Taken on: May 28, 2019

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Sets appears in: • Grand Canyon - All GC Sets Combined by Interestingness • Grand Canyon - Rafting 2019 more » • Grand Canyon Rafting 2019 & 2009 « less

Groups appears in: • Arizona • Water... Oceans, Lakes, Rivers, Creeks more » • U.S. National Parks and Places • Arizona Discovery • Arizona Wonders (up to 3 in a row) • Grand Canyon • Rocks & Water • ARIZONA HIGHWAYS WANNABE • Sacred Water • Arizona Passages • Best of U.S. National Parks • Arizona Raft Adventures • Grand Canyon National Park « less

Camera: Olympus TG-5, f/5.6, 1/160 sec, 14.4mm, ISO 100 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	Olympus TG-5
Aperture:	f/5.6
Exposure Time:	0.006 sec (1/160)
Focal Length:	14.4mm
ISO:	100
Exposure Bias:	0 EV
Flash:	Auto, Did not fire
Exposure Program:	Program AE
Exposure Mode:	Auto
Metering Mode:	Multi-segment
White Balance:	Auto
Color Space:	sRGB
Software:	ACDSee Ultimate 2023
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