Paddling in the pot of the river
in Jalcomulco ,
VERACRUZ
Words and photos : Karla Held “ To run rivers is to live in the present , realizing ever more fully what it means to be fully human across the earth amid powerful natural forces ,” reads the first paragraph of the chapter , ‘ Keeping out of trouble ’ in Charlie Walbridge and Wayne Sundmacher ’ s book , Whitewater Rescue Manual .
Maybe it ’ s the lush , green mountains that surround the area or the steep canyon walls with bromeliads hanging from the cliff walls of the Rio Pescados section of Rio Antigua that make you feel so alive while paddling the rivers of Jalcomulco , Veracruz , or the locals yelling out “ a huevo ” ( hell ya ), while you run rapids , but running the river in Jalcomuclo ( Rio Antigua ) makes one feel alive .
In Nahuatl , Jalcomuclo ( Xalkomolko ) roughly means ‘ En el rincón / olla de la arena ’ ( corner / hole of sand ), as the riverside town of approximately 5,000 residents is basically a curve ( corner ) on the river where the sections referred to as Rio Pescados turns into the section known as Rio Antigua .
When I first visited and paddled this river in January of 2020 after having finished a five-day trip on the Usumacinta River in Chiapas , I knew I wanted to live here . I ’ ve been living here since July of 2020 , and I haven ’ t regretted it . The town for me is a nice , cosy size , and its river offers challenges for all levels – the beginner to those wanting to paddle class II , III , IV and V rapids . You can find paddlers under the bridge practising their skills on the local wave / rapid on any given day .