When obstacles become adventures. Packrafting route on the Benagéber reservoir

What is the usual reaction when you encounter an obstacle in the adventure you have in hand? We tend to stop, rethink our objectives and well, depending on the type of obstacle it is, we turn around and find another way, to continue enjoying ourselves, right?

(YOU MAY BE INTERESTED IN: Ultimate Guide to Packraft: Learn how not to limit your backpacking trips to the land.)

Adding obstacles to the adventure.

Thanks to the concept of the packrafting (which is no longer a concept but a reality in mountain and natural environment activities), we can consider the obstacle that may arise, in this case a body of water, be it a river, a reservoir, lakes, etc., as an important part of the adventure.

In the planning of our activities, we often take detours around these issues small problems which are now to be converted thanks to the packrafting The new technologies have become an important part of the fun, the adventure and why not, the exploration of those limits that we used to avoid until now.

After investigating the possibilities, a few months ago, with the help of Rowild Packraft we set off on a couple of intense and really fun days exploring a reservoir in the Mediterranean area. The Benagéber reservoir was our choice, knowing that we would bivouac for the night in one of the arms of the reservoir itself and with the intention of making a nice circular route to discover local trails less frequented precisely for that reason, because of the presence of an obstacle.

Packraft on your back, shoes on and enjoy!

The wonderful thing about this new addition to the world of hiking and outdoor activity is that, thanks to its incredible lightness and versatility, we can carry a fully-fledged rafting raft in our adventure backpack. Able to withstand the rigours of rapids, winds and different conditions with great stability and comfort.

We walked a few hundred metres to reach the shore of the reservoir from the car park and from there, directly to inflate the packraft with all the bivouac material inside and to paddle for a few hours enjoying the landscape, the quiet and completely solitary corners. And a bit of a struggle against the wind, who are we going to fool.

The enjoyment of the peace of being in the middle of nowhere between mountains and forests, floating, is something that borders on the magical. You feel light and the feeling of relaxation and escape is almost instantaneous, the moment you stop paddling to appreciate your surroundings.

We take the packrafts out of the water and prepare for the night's bivouac in a small forest that protects us slightly from the prevailing humidity and allows us to enjoy a Michelin-star dinner and a night under a fairytale sky canopy. Of course, the fatigue is noticeable and we will fall quickly. The morning that awaits us is promising.

We decided to investigate a little further up the reservoir instead of heading for the trail we had previously planned, and that's the wonderful thing about this type of new activity options. They open doors to previously unthinkable activities.

One of the actions that characterize Rowild Packraft is the environmental commitment and we are very saddened to see the amount of plastic debris and rubbish in places that should be idyllic. Thanks to the fact that we have access to these places, we can confirm and confirm the need to collect as much as possible and we make a note for future cleaning actions. Adventure, yes. Commitment, always. Arrive and leave without leaving a trace and if you find it, don't leave it there, basically.

We set off on our way to the trail and after collecting the packrafts in our backpacks, we began the walk to complete the circular route designed and discover new places. Always with the track loaded correctly in our GPS and having been informed of the route to follow, in case there was any kind of problem.

15 kms of walking through pine forests, vultures flying over our heads, streams and country houses that had been forgotten for decades. We were even on the verge of being run over by a few roe deer that were going about their daily lives without knowing that some humans had appeared on their land. They didn't even stop to ask if we were lost. Normal, this.

Reaching a ravine, we started the descent on a new disused path that took us back to the reservoir to connect the last 4 kilometres of paddling back to the car. We found that the route we were about to finish was a wonderful place for further action with other friends as there were multiple natural springs and areas to bivouac in case we wanted to do two nights and explore the possibilities of the reservoir more extensively. Great! We make a mental note and head for the last stretch.

Sweaty, tired and excited after the experience, we are aware that the possibilities are beginning to be almost endless. From coves or island circumnavigations to glacier exploration and white water river navigation in multiple days of adventure.

Ready, set, go! Where would you dare to take your packraft on a multi-day trip?

We are looking forward to adding new ideas to the list of ideas we already have, which is not small!

See you on the trails! Or in the water, for that matter!