In the blink of an eye our destiny was on us — a suddenly voracious current ripped us out of riverine peace and quiet and into the thunderous Great Ravine. The first assault was upon our ears: the roar of churning whitewater reverberated off the cliffs above us and drummed our senses. Then the drop itself loomed terrifyingly, until the nose of the raft bent and we were swept over the wall into a cauldron of whitewater.

This was "The Churn," the first monster rapid rafters encounter when they enter the Great Ravine, the most spectacular chasm on the wild, untamed Franklin River. It's a stair-step river — over a pounding wall of whitewater, then a tranquil stretches of flatwater, then another boiling mass of foam and thunder; you bounce along from Inception Reach to Serenity Reach, the Coruscades, Transcedence Reach, Thunderush, and finally, after The Cauldron, you float into Deliverance Reach.

From here the Franklin takes on a more gentle nature; there are still some gorges and rapids to pass through, but you can take them on knowing that you've topped the ultimate challenge.

Trip Facts
Difficulty rating: Moderate - Hardcore
When to go: January - May, August - December