Rafting Lava Falls - 25,000 CFS - July 18, 2011

Left run of Lava Falls in the Grand Canyon on July 18, 2011. Flows are 25,000 CFS. While our six boat private trip was scouting, AZRA showed up and scouted. We let them run first to see their line. No flips or swims for all boats. AZRA video recorded with Canon 7D. Private trip recorded with GoPro. Royalty Free music obtained from incompetech.
Watch the flag on the first AzRA boat (0:47). It is blowing downstream in calm water, goes limp, and then blows upstream at full sail during the rapid showing the speed of the boat.

[@peggynulsen1365]

Gone twice many years ago. Most fun a grown up can have. Very nice, showing excellent reading and paddle skills.

[@MrLonghorn1980]

Been over Lava three times, twice with this same company in their paddle rafts ... but the flow was a lot less than 25,000 CFS, probably only 6,000. We were able to run over a ledge on the right and punch thru a big hole ... great rapid. love it. Pucker up time.

[@vanislerider7311]

Just finished this run before the Covid 19 shut down. March 26, 2020. We set up to go left of centre and paddled hard to provide the necessary momentum......all went well for our 3 rafts and 4 kayakers. Recovered a flipped raft earlier below Crystal. Two of our kayakers were able to push it off the rocks and return it to it's owners further down the river. Needless to say they were VERY happy and kind, feeding us beer. Crazy Canucks to the rescue.

[@abanaana]

Nice ! No Ik line here!

[@whaleshrimp111]

It must be me just getting old but doesn't that look like just barely a class 3 rapid at 25,000 cfs? Why in the world would anyone want to miss the bigger waves on the right?

[@diemman70]

I want to see someone got to the right😂

[@jrsportsfanatik]

Kind of washed out at 25000, everything looks punchable except ledge hole. Still, nice lines.

[@KaileyCyrus]

Right on. I was on a private trip that launched 7/4/11... We might have gone through lava on the same day!

[@SupernalOne]

what's with the Exorcist music? It's a hairy rapid, but they all made it fine -

[@SegoMan]

My first trip to the grand there was vultures setting on Vulcan's Anvil , not good for the ego..

[@1046Fay]

Looks totally awesome....love the music too, what is it?

[@rampking1]

Went through Lava in my Life jacket during Easter Vacation of 1973 ( with Wilderness World) . Despite the Life Jacket I was held under in the hole and eventually spit out and tossed over underwater boulders. Rule one, never hit the top center hole with a 17 foot raft.

[@jfl7887]

Or just don't hit the ledge hole period.

[@rampking1]

@@jfl7887 Sadly I was not the experienced** (professional ) boatman who was taking our raft right into it. I was only 16 at the time in 1974. I've had a lot of experience paddling or row my own raft since then and I will forever wonder what he was thinking . Yes, we scouted the rapid but it did not matter, went right for the center. Perhaps he smoked a big one shortly before.

[@petereernisse7447]

You should stick to movie making.

[@elendal]

The captain of the passenger boat did good job steering.

[@Jhardy64]

We ran lava falls at 20,000! Not washed out but still movin fast, it was great. Great ride.

[@ChristopherForsyth]

Nice run Tony and Ben!!

[@matthiaskawski6222]

Beautiful run! I have only gone right, three times.

[@todddaugherty110]

The lowest we have been able to run left is 18,000. Nice runs.

[@KRich6]

Great run! Couldn't get much better than that. Looks similar to the same water level we ran in 2008 - we ran the right line though. We're actually headin down in 2 weeks and I wanted to use my goPro like you did. What you did you do to mount yours up above the raft? It's a solid camera angle. Thanks!

[@bbc415]

I did it at 10,000, rode the tunge far right, pillowed off the cheese grader rock and that was it. I gotta say, though obviously a massive rapid and to be respected, Lava is not that hard with the one must miss hole at the top. It is nowhere near the difficulty of say Vortex on the Forks of Kern, which requires a complex series of maneuvers to successfully navigate, even though they are both rated 5. Lotta fun though!

[@AlaskaB83]

There is no way Lava is class V. More like IV-

[@gamer20kool14]

@@AlaskaB83 are you stupid? Biggest whitewater in the country. Class 10

[@mcriser]

Text book left run.

[@CharleeHanna]

Nice clean run.!!

[@tsunamiscale]

Flushy

[@StephenLandry]

Wow! That's a heck of a drop. I had no idea! Great video! Thanks for sharing.

[@mcsheaman]

Why on Earth would anyone take the left line at 25k!?! All the fun is in the right side run!

[@bobk2966]

Exactly! How may time will you have a chance to be there? A time to go for it!!!

[@cathiegappa]

Exactly what I was thinking - you’ve got a longer run with more verticals to hit on the right....must have taken the safe route or didn’t scout it

[@jerrykiser7753]

We ran it May 2011 at 25,000 and if you have not been there or seen it at that flow don;t second guess the decision to run left. When we scouted the right had a huge eddy/boil that looked very unpredictable with what looked like a good chance of ending up in the ledge hole. I have run it right and left and at 25,000 we made the right call going left.

[@Michael65429]

@@jerrykiser7753 Based on the video, your argument is not valid but I don't question your decision to run left. The eddy/boil thing you mention that pushes into the ledge hole is not visible in this video. After reviewing the current above the right side run I don't see anything that looks bad enough to go left. With that said, I know the choice is up to each boater and how they are feeling at that point on the river. Lava is not the place to be swimming for sure. I've seen people go under and pop up 100 yards downstream. FYI, I guided there in 82 & 83 and have multiple private trips under my belt.

[@google1metro596]

@@jerrykiser7753 whats a ledgehole and what happens if you end up in one?

[@paddler110]

It was definitely higher than 6,000 in the video.

[@gamer20kool14]

25000

[@weirdbeard1980]

Where's the emerald mile?

[@worldofsoccer4104]

That book is so good....

[@gamer20kool14]

Love that book

[@kevoyeah]

Azra runs rowdy. Your line was sweeeet. Nice help from the paddler. Beefy rapid.