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The chart below shows some of the added precautions Earth River takes. Many of these techniques have been pioneered by us.

River Class Safety Cataraft Safety Kayak Guide Ratio Extra Guide Rafts Wet suits Traverse 3 0 0 1-4 0 Outrigger No Great Whale 4 - 0 0 1-4 0 14' S.B. No Upper Yangtze 4 0 0 1-4 0 18' S.B. No Primrose 4 0 0 1-4 0 14' S.B. No Magpie 4 0 0 1-4 0 14'S.B. No Upano 4 1 0 1-4 1 16' S.B. Yes Talkeetna 4+ 1 0 1-4 1 14' S.B. Yes Bio Bio 5 - 1 0 1-4 1 16' S.B. Yes Great Bend 5 - 2 0 1-4 2 18' S.B. Yes Futaleufu 5 2 0 1-3 2 18' S.B. Yes Colca 5 No 2 1-2 4 14' S.B. Yes Safety Cataraft Flip Drill All Earth River clients wear helmets and 4 buckle type V America Cup life jackets.

KEY Class: River difficulty on international scale of 1 - 6. Class 5 is considered to be the upper limit of commercial navigability. Saftey Cataraft: A stable, two pontoon, oar powered raft. Catarafts are nearly as fast and maneuverable as kayaks but are capable of rescuing far more swimmers. On larger volume rivers (Futaleufu and high water Bio) they are the superior rescue craft. Earth River's giant 19' cats are customized with front decks (a few inches off the water) to simplify rescue. The guides rowing the cats are world class and familiar with the river. Earth River is the only company in the world that uses multiple safety cats this way. Safety Kayak: A stable one-person craft capable of rescuing a single swimmer. Generally safety kayakers are used as "cheerleaders" to help instruct swimmers on where to go. Safety catarafts and kayaks work together as a team. Guide Ratio: The ratio of guides to clients. Generally the tougher the expedition, the smaller the guide client ratio. Extra Guides: On difficult, remote rivers it is important to have at least one extra class five guide along in case of injury or illness to one of the other guides. Rafts: Earth River uses Sotar ( State of the Art Rafts) paddleboats. They are the fastest, most maneuverable self-bailing (S.B.) rafts available. They are made of Lexitron material, the strongest, most tear-resistent raft material. Each raft is equipped with foot-cups and, except on the Colca, there is no gear in the paddle boats, which keeps the boats light and maneuverable. Wetsuits: "Farmer John" wetsuits (long pants and sleeveless tops) are supplied by Earth River on colder or more difficult rivers for floatation and warmth.

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