Río Colorado, La Adela and Pedro Luro prepare to live a party in defense of the river and in homage to “the crazy four” who navigated it in its entirety for the first time in 1973. They did it without a nautical chart, with 150 kilos of provisions, a radio to communicate and on two rubber boats, the only way not to turn around in the rapids of the spring in the mountain range.
Alfredo Barragán, Rubén Tablar, José Luis Godoy and Jorge Iriberri are around 75 years old and they are going to repeat a part of that historic journey of 1,100 km. which lasted 27 daysin a river that trained them to later undertake the unforgettable expedition on the “Atlantis” raft and 30 others across five continents.
Now they return to the water with their kayaks to pay homage to the river and its inhabitants. They will walk in a symbolic way the stretch that separates the town of Río Colorado from Fortin Mercedes, where they will row alone, as they did back then.
They will have the assistance and support of their children, grandsons and some of the settlers who saw them arrive half a century ago.
Why “the madmen of the Colorado River?”
From the astonished gaze of those riversiders who saw them sail half a century ago, and from the word of mouth that grew as they got closer to the feat, the term “locos del río” emerged as an identification,
“El capitán” Barragán celebrates the old occurrence, but he has already clarified Black river in an interview published last year that they are “not crazy or adventurous; we are expeditionary, absolutely serious to plan and execute”.
A river damaged by drought and the bid for water
The one that the four expeditionary friends will navigate once more is a different river. The flow of the Colorado, which is born in Mendoza and crosses Neuquén, Río Negro, La Pampa and the south of Buenos Aires It is affected by the 16 continuous years of drought and the bid for water between the provinces.
The new journey will begin on Thursday in Río Colorado-La Adela and will end on Saturday in Fortín Mercedes. There will be protocol acts, discoveries of plaques in the squares, the projection of the documentary “Río Colorado Expedition 1973”, lunches and special guests. The music band of the Argentine Navy will bring epic and color to the arrival of the expedition members.
Many kayakers and admirers showed interest in giving them support and company from the river, but the organization made it clear that the idea is for the expedition members to repeat the journey under the same conditions as in 1973. That is, in solitude and camping on the coast.
an inseparable group
“Happily we are all very well, active and the most curious thing is that in 50 years we have never separatedSome of them are from Mar del Plata, Mendoza or Buenos Aires, we are always twinned”, explained Barragán.
using sea currents and wind.
A special moment will take place on Saturday followingnoon, following arriving at Fortín Mercedes. “El Capitan” Barragán and his boys will have a meeting with the general public to answer questions and exchange opinions regarding the historic expedition and the state of the Colorado River today.
the new journey
Next February 9 the four rowers will leave the neighboring towns of Río Colorado and La Adela (La Pampa) and on the 11th they will arrive at Fortín Mercedes (Buenos Aires).
The day before, at 8:30 p.m. and at the Río Colorado Tourism Office, will present the documentary “Río Colorado Expedition 1973”.
You had to solve whatever it was: waves, current, headwind, stones, repair the boat and continue. We saw the first human on May 25, La Pampa»
Alfredo Barragan
They adhere to the tribute and will send representatives to the event in Fortín Mercedes: members of CADEI (Center for Sports Activities, Exploration and Research), Argentine Navy, Prefecture, National Geographic Institute, Naval Hydrography, National Academy of Geography and Argentine Center of Cartography, among others.
The original expedition departed from Butacó (Neuquén) and crossed Río Negro, La Pampa and ended in Fortín Mercedes, province of Buenos Aires.
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