Adventure Story: Agua Fria

One after the other, I watched my wide-eyed students disappear over the lip. Shortly after their disappearance, each of them squealed loud enough that I could hear them over the rushing water. Clipped into a clump of trees on the edge of the water flow I waited for my turn to descend the final rappel on Agua Fria, a 140 meter waterfall in the Chapada Dos Vieaderos region of Brasil. 

Finally, my turn. I move carefully on the slippery rock toward the anchor and go through the steps to set up for a big

rappel. Tighten backpack straps, untie mule knot, adjust rappel rope two inches to minimize friction, retie a mule overhand, double-check knot, pull rope through and over figure eight, flip figure eight, clip into harness, lock carabiner, double-check carabiner, check anchor, triple check munter, triple check harness and rappel device, weight system, deep breath. Radio check: “On rappel”. Hand on break. Unclip tether from anchor. Slowly I negotiate the low angle terrain made extra, extra slippery from the force of the water. There it is! The edge! 

I plant my feet on the edge, lower, lower, lower, and step down into space. My heart races! The waterfall moves with the wind as I dangle just outside the spray. This is what made my students squeal! The people around the pool 200 feet below me appear so small as I free hang in space. I take a deep breath and try to calm my nerves. Slowly I descend, looking around, listening, savoring. 

On the ground faces are laced with infectious smiles and energy that only comes from incredible shared experiences. We laugh as we shiver in Agua Fria’s shade. We trade wetsuits for dry closes, load gear on our backs, step into the hot Chapada sun, and begin the steep hike back to the top; each of us carrying more than we expected.

Author: Beth Jackson, Coordinator at Maine Bound

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