Scouting the Pro Racecourse of the Machu Pichu Kayak Fest 2017

We are proud at Kayak Session to be associated with the 2017 Machu Pichu Kayak Festival, that will take place from Nov. 3rd the Nov. 5th, on the Rio Vilcanota near Cusco in Peru. Leading up to the event, during the event and after off course, we will be publishing pre race update, live coverage and reports of all sorts (articles, videos, photos).

By: Diane Samardzich

©machupichukayakfest/ kayaksession.com

The festival’s co-organizer and head of security, Leonardo Gonzales, joined by Catalan young guns Aleix Salvat, Aran Balaguero and Jan Larrue descended the stoutest whitewater section of the Vilcanota River on a mission of scouting the rapids for the Machupicchu kayak fest. This year’s edition will take place from the 3rd to 5th of November in Cusco-Peru.

©machupichukayakfest/ kayaksession.com

The 6-kilometer stretch reserved for the professional’s category of the downriver competition will run from the Cocalmayo Hot Springs to the community of Quellomayo. For Aran Balaguero “This is a very fun big water section. The race will sure challenge kayakers as the course offers continuous, powerful and technical class IV and V rapids.” The rainy season in the Andes region has been fluctuating. During the descent they found high water levels but expect a significant drop closer to the event dates. In words of Aleix Salvat “My guess is we will be facing river conditions similar to the first edition. Peruvian whitewater is world-class. I’m really stoked to be back here racing.”

©machupichukayakfest/ kayaksession.com

Safety is one the festival’s main priorities. Participants in the professional category should be confident about their kayaking level and experience. According to Leonardo Gonzales: “After this scouting run, all safety spots have been identified to avoid any potential risks. Our aim is to implement a proactive security plan that assure kayakers can enjoy the river in a safe environment.”

©machupichukayakfest/ kayaksession.com

Last year, the professional category was filled with strong kayakers such as Kalob Grady, Mira Kodada, Aleix Salvat, Franzisca Biechler, Pavlina Zasterova and Alicia Lycan among others. Only two weeks away from the festival, the list of participants keeps growing with promising members of the South American whitewater community such as Alonso Campana (AKA Rambito), Pedro Astorga and Jaime Sandoval (AKA Futita).

For more information on the festival please visit: www.machupicchukayakfest.com