Former kayak waterfall world record holder Pedro Oliva and a team of kayakers including Ben Stookesberry and Chris Korbulic are once again searching the Amazon for the highest runnable waterfalls. The team also hopes to raise awareness about threats to the rainforest in this region.

 

 

 

"At the end of the day the goal of the trip is not to break records, but rather to advocate preservation of the world’s rivers and explore new venues for a discipline that already boasts the most diverse set of experiences of any sport," write the team on their Kokatat blog.

The team's first destination is the huge central state of Mato Grosso. Here, an ever expanding peneplane of soy meets the still intact Chapada forest and the stunning crystal clear tributaries of the Amazon. Among the difficulties the kayakers expect to encounter are rough, muddy roads—sometimes impassable—through the clear cuts and slash-and-burn, and simply finding suitable (read: survivable) drops above 45-55 metres (the current waterfall record stands at 186 feet).

Follow the action on the team's Kokatat blog.

Photo courtesy Kokatat blog