The 10 Most Terrifying Whitewater Rafting Rivers on Earth
The 10 Most Terrifying Whitewater Rafting Rivers on Earth
Pavlo Sukharchuk/iStock
https://www.fodors.com/news/photos/worlds-most-thrilling-whitewater-rafting-rivers-for-adrenaline-seekers
From the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon to Chile's Futaleufú and Zimbabwe's Zambezi, these 10 whitewater rafting rivers deliver unforgettable Class IV and V rapids.
Sometimes you hear the roar miles upriver: the churning Class IV and Class V rapids that rumble through boulder fields, drop-offs, and undercuts in the water’s flow that make whitewater rafting so fun and, yes, at times, terrifying. Unlike, say, an amusement park ride, no two rides are the same on wild rivers, where snowmelt or an evening shower may alter the route’s complexion with the intensity of plastic surgery gone awry. Here are ten tours with the potential to transform your grin into a grimace and, assuming you make it out, back again.
1 OF 10
Cherry Creek
WHERE: California
A cherry connotes a complete treat, and a creek suggests casting a fly into a still eddy just beyond a quiet set of riffles. Placed together, however, Cherry Creek resides on top of the West’s Class V rafting experiences. Naturally, outfitters take this whitewater very seriously, as they should, given that Class V+ is defined by “little margin for error” among surging waves in narrow canyons with potentially life-threatening obstacles, steep drops, and swirling water. The 9-mile Cherry Creek features very little lounge time among the chutes, ledges, and holes on a run that descends a whopping 110 feet per mile.
PHOTO: WOLLERTZ/DREAMSTIME
2 OF 10
Colorado River
WHERE: Arizona
Mention you love whitewater rafting to other American paddlers, and the question, “Have you floated the Colorado?” will inevitably arise like a current blasting into an undercut boulder, followed inevitably by ‘how many days?’ For paddlers, the Grand Canyon is not so much a bucket list item as it is a given; one day your lottery ticket will come in, and you will go. Endurance — trips can last upwards of three weeks — is one element, but Class V, excuse me, #10 (The Colorado has its own rating system), freakouts like Lava and Hermit are both known for knocking one out of one’s comfort zone — i.e., the raft.
PHOTO: MUHUR/ISTOCK
3 OF 10
Coruh River
WHERE: Turkey
Whitewater paddling is, for many, a spiritual journey, a cherished period spent genuflecting with complete focus as the outside noise is replaced by the rapid flow state. The Coruh River doesn’t disappear that far from civilization; the 170-mile excursion within the Kackar Mountains passes Byzantine castles with plenty of flat-water meditative moments, accented by rushes through Class 5 bruisers like the aptly named Nightmare and pastorally labeled The Minister’s Rapid. The Yusufeli Gorge is so tumultuous that the entire gorge is considered Class 5 chaos. Say a prayer.
PHOTO: JEREMY RICHARDS/ISTOCK
4 OF 10
Futaleufu River
WHERE: Chile
Don’t let the sublime turquoise glacial till fool you into a false aesthetic; Patagonia’s Futaleufú River can get ugly, quick. Of course, at 45 miles in length, the “Great River” allows for plenty of meditation, though you’ll want to be clear-eyed during Infernal Canyon, a daunting 1.5-mile gorge presenting enough levels to impress Dante. The big water starts screaming at Entrada, the Class V entrance, swirls into the Class V Purgatory before Dancing with Angels among rigidly angled canyon walls. Rafts portage the Class V+ Zeta, then get spit out from Salida to exit.
PHOTO: ZACK FRANK/SHUTTERSTOCK
5 OF 10
Gauley River
WHERE: West Virginia
Many of us first learned about river running during a certain Appalachian-based film accompanied by a pair of banjos. West Virginia’s Gauley River continues the saga across 100 rollicking chapters, including several Class V+ plunges through the oxymoronic Pillow Rock, onomatopoetic Iron Ring and literal Shipwreck. And that’s just the Rated R age 16+ Upper Gauley. The lower Gauley is a wee tamer yet enduring 13-mile stretch of 20 named rapids, including Koontz Flume, Heaven Help You, and Pure Screaming Hell, a trio of Class Vs that would make the late Ned Beatty squeal.
PHOTO: RODCOFFEE.JPG/SHUTTERSTOCK
6 OF 10
Kaituna River
WHERE: New Zealand
You can’t talk about nature in the extreme without visiting New Zealand. Not surprisingly, this luscious environment offers the deepest waterfall drop in commercial whitewater rafting, the outrageous, 23-foot-high Tutea Falls on the Kaituna River. The “ride’s” entrance presents a corset-narrow chute enveloped in vegetation before shooting rafters to cascade down the cataract. Fourteen rapids provide a prelude to the operatic aquatic finale that, like all those arias building to Tosca’s climactic descent, lead to Tutea’s magnificent fall.
PHOTO: DAVID BUTLER/ISTOCK
7 OF 10
Kicking Horse River
WHERE: British Columbia
It’s fitting the Kicking Horse moniker started with a concussion, when James Hector took a swift hoof from a packhorse. In winter, Kicking Horse Mountain Resort offers the largest set of steep runs in North America; come summer, the Kicking Horse River takes care of the fall (out of the raft) lines. A quick public service announcement: the gentle Upper Canyon is an excellent introduction to rafting for kids and families. The Middle Canyon gets serious with great drops like Man Eater. The Lower Canyon takes no prisoners: two miles of uninterrupted Class IV+ flow.
PHOTO: PAFNUTI/DREAMSTIME
8 OF 10
Pacuare River
WHERE: Costa Rica
It’s easy to go Class V crazy when assessing whitewater. After all, it’s the thrills and, yes, spills, that are most often discussed when safely back on solid ground. Yet some of the finest routes are measured by miles of pounding more than a few monstrous moments. Costa Rica’s Pacuare River rat-a-tat-tats its way through 50 rapids, including plenty of Class IVs, while coursing through a series of canyons dripping with jungle flora. Floaters can even break up the journey with a night or two at Rios Lodge where, yes, one can grab an inner tube to bob about the river, zipline above the river or simply luxuriate beneath a waterfall shower.
PHOTO: PAFNUTI.JPG/DREAMSTIME
9 OF 10
Sun Kosi River
WHERE: Nepal
Ah, Nepal, that mythical Eldorado-like environment worthy of a Voltaire satire. Whatever outdoor adventure you seek, there’s a good chance you can indeed do it here. Paddlers trek to the “River of Gold” to dangle their paddles for some or all of the 170-mile route on 8-to-10-day expeditions. Fortunately, sandy shores make for easy sleeping. One needs plenty of rest when negotiating Class V beauties like Harkapur, the most notorious rapid on the expedition. The Himalayan mountains, pilgrimage sites and historic villages frame what is clearly among “the best of all possible worlds” to explore.
PHOTO: MEUNIERD.JPG/SHUTTERSTOCK
10 OF 10
Zambezi River
WHERE: Zimbabwe/Zambia
From A to Z, however you line up the world’s most treacherous commercial whitewater routes,
the Zambezi comes first. Ignore the crocodiles sunbathing on the adjacent rocks, because you’ll need to focus on a set of Class IV and V rapids that stretch as far as the alphabet is long. Magnificent Victoria Falls fuels this perpetual engine that churns through Batoka Gorge, where naming rapid #18, a trio of 15-foot aquatic walls, “Oblivion” seems like an understatement.
Brilliant Moves: Coffee with Suzano CEO Beto Abreu
https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/packaging-and-paper/our-insights/brilliant-moves-coffee-with-suzano-ceo-beto-abreu?
Beto Abreu is the CEO of Suzano. Tracy Francis is a senior partner and managing partner for Latin America, based in McKinsey’s São Paulo office.
As both organizations begin their second century, Suzano’s Beto Abreu and McKinsey’s Tracy Francis discuss what it takes to lead for the next generation.
Suzano CEO Beto Abreu is guiding the world’s largest pulp producer through a period of transformation. As the Brazilian company expands its global footprint and navigates rapid technological and societal change, Abreu is focused on creating long-term value while advancing Suzano’s sustainability ambitions.
In this episode of Brilliant Moves: Coffee with CEOs, Tracy Francis, McKinsey senior partner and managing partner for Latin America, sits down with Abreu to discuss the values that have shaped Suzano, how to attract the right talent, and why leaders must look beyond their own fence.
The following is an edited transcript of their conversation.
Building for the next generation
Tracy Francis: McKinsey is 100 this year, and Suzano was 100 a couple of years ago. You have been CEO of Suzano for about two years. I would love to hear about the values that are core to Suzano and how you see them reflected over the century.
As part of our culture, we have a very long-term view about what we want to build.
Beto Abreu: We are a listed company with half the shares owned by a family. I believe in this business model. You have rules to follow, and that brings a lot of discipline related to the strategy and the way we allocate capital.
As part of our culture, we have a very long-term view about what we want to build. We are not looking for the next quarter. We are not looking for the year. We are looking for the next generation. And that’s very attractive in terms of managing a business and being able to attract people with the right spirit.
Transforming institutions that shape societies
Tracy Francis: We do notice that you have excellent talent. How do you think about sourcing?
Beto Abreu: Being a leader in the segment helps a lot. We also have a strong sustainability agenda. We are trying to build something that can combine profit, people, and the planet. Our challenge is to keep working and learning because the world changes very fast. You must be awake.
Our challenge is to keep working and learning because the world changes very fast. You must be awake.
Tracy Francis: Awake. I like that. Something we talk about quite a lot in Latin America and at McKinsey is partnering with the boldest leaders that are transforming the institutions that shape our societies. This idea that, through the private sector, you are genuinely transforming the societies in which you operate.
Beto Abreu: I used to say, Tracy, it’s not only about the job. There’s something else that you want to build in the long term.
It’s impossible to look at this without understanding what’s going on around you, without understanding the ecosystem. At the end of the day, it’s about society, it’s about the environment, and it’s about the country. In our case, we interact with more than 200 cities in Brazil.
You have to understand what’s going on beyond your fence. You also have to be aware of what’s going on in the world and prepare yourself. Because we supply pulp to more than 100 countries, I think the only way to do this is not by reading reports. It’s having a team sitting there, having breakfast, lunch, and dinner in the city, interacting with people and living there. The team is 100 percent dedicated to doing business, interacting with the private sector and the central government, and understanding what’s happening.
Learning before leading on AI
Tracy Francis: Talk to me about implementing tech and AI in your business. How are you moving?
We plant one million trees every day. We have a lot of data to work with. On the operational side, how do you plant? How do you transport wood?
Beto Abreu: We see opportunities to apply AI in most of our main processes: supply chain, sales, and understanding our customers better. We plant one million trees every day. We have a lot of data to work with. On the operational side, how do you plant? How do you transport wood?
The concerns that I have are how to implement it in the right way, because there is a big risk in taking on the cost of the new technology without measuring the savings and the gains, and cybersecurity- making sure that you have protocols to protect the business.
And I realize we must go back to school; that’s where we are now. It’s a learning process. You must know which questions you’re going to ask the team. To ask the right questions on the AI side, you must learn.
Tracy Francis: That’s true. Everything you say gets magnified a million times, so if you ask the wrong question, people are scurrying off doing 100 different things that you don’t need.
Beto Abreu: That’s right. I don’t believe in leading a team or managing a team without having a clue about what you’re talking about. You must dedicate time, learn, and try to be together with the team on the journey.
Global ambition, complementary competencies
Tracy Francis: Suzano was already a global company, but you have embarked upon quite a transformation, including the JV [joint venture] with Kimberly-Clark. Talk to us about your aspiration.
Beto Abreu: There’s an obligation to try to understand the market outside of Brazil if we plan to keep growing. We see Kimberly-Clark with a lot of competence on the marketing side, including product development and branding. We thought it was a great combination in terms of complementary competencies.
Balanced leadership, out of the spotlight
Tracy Francis: Let’s talk about you as a leader. You are a very discreet leader. If we were to spend half an hour on the internet searching about you, we would come up with very little about you personally. In today’s world, it is a deliberate posture. Talk to me about how you chose that posture, the value it creates for you, and how you maintain it.
Beto Abreu: I don’t believe in the leader moving alone, being the superstar. The strength of building something is in bringing the team together with you. If I could, I would be under the radar.
I want to do everything that we do without losing the connection with my family. I’ve been married for 23 years. I have three kids who still need me. My younger boy is only 12.
Tracy Francis: Yes, I have a 12-year-old, too.
Beto Abreu: And I really like the idea of underpromising.
The strength of building something is in bringing the team together with you.
Tracy Francis: Speaking through action. You have said that leaders should never lose their right to be outraged.
Beto Abreu: In our role, you must be very consistent. You have capital markets. You have shareholders. You have your team. You have suppliers. And if you do this in a very consistent way, when somebody else is doing something that you think is not fair, I think you have the right.
But you get the right if you are consistent all the time with what you believe and with your values. Someone who is working for a better world, a better country, and a better business.
Lightning round
Tracy Francis: What’s your favorite sport?
Beto Abreu: Biking and swimming.
Tracy Francis: Like long-distance swimming?
Beto Abreu: Yeah, in the sea.
Tracy Francis: Oh, in the sea. I like swimming in the sea, too. Right now, I really love surfing. I am obsessed with surfing right now.
Tracy Francis: What’s a small habit that has a big impact on you?
Beto Abreu: Reading every night before getting to sleep.
Tracy Francis: One book you’ve read recently that you would recommend to others?
Beto Abreu: The trilogy by Ken Follett. It’s a trilogy about the 20th century. I love history. It helps you to understand what’s going to happen in the future.
Tracy Francis: Who do you call when you need honest advice?
Beto Abreu: My wife. She’s my partner, and I’m proud of it. It’s a privilege to live with her.
Tracy Francis: I was going to say, my husband. Did you ever think you’d be a CEO?
Beto Abreu: I have to say that I was always very focused on choosing the movements that would give me the opportunity to learn more. At the end of the day, it’s what I did. But I didn’t plan to be a CEO.
And I used to say that I’m not a CEO. I was a CEO for a period of time.
Gencom restructures to boost capacity for deals, improve asset management
Company expects to be more aggressive chasing opportunities, chief investment officer says
Gencom has created two new focused divisions to prepare the company for further growth. One of its most recent acquisitions was the Ritz-Carlton New York, Central Park in February. (The Ritz-Carlton New York, Central Park)
https://www.costar.com/article/545950386/gencom-restructures-to-boost-capacity-for-deals-improve-asset-management
By Bryan Wroten
To prepare itself for further growth, real estate investment firm Gencom has created two new divisions, one focused on deals and the other on its portfolio.
Under the Gencom umbrella and founder and CEO Karim Alibhai's leadership are Gencom Capital and Gencom Real Estate. Chief Investment Officer Alessandro Colantonio heads up the capital side while Gencom Real Estate President Donald McGregor leads the other.
Miami-based Gencom has $8 billion in assets under its management, including 24 owned assets in operation or under development with more than 6,000 hotel rooms worldwide.
The restructuring has been a long time in the making, Colantonio said in an interview. The company has grown significantly over the past almost two decades, and the last 36 months in particular have seen some real wins for Gencom.
Among its most recent buys were the Ritz-Carlton New York, Central Park in February, the majority interest acquisition of the Ritz-Carlton Coconut Grove in Miami and the InterContinental New York Times Square, both in December 2025.
Gencom also recently sold its 30% stake in the Peninsula Papagayo in Costa Rica. Colantonio said the company has another three deals set to close later this year.
As it has evolved on the buy side, Gencom’s investor base continues to grow and the demand continues to grow, he said. The investors want to see execution.
“It’s great to structure these deals, and you do make a large percentage of these deals on the buy, but then you have to go out and execute,” Colantonio said.
Historically, members of the Gencom team have had to wear many hats, and they will continue to do so, he said. Over time, however, they realized they needed to have two distinct lines of business.
“There needs to be a deal sourcing, structuring, investor side of the business, and then a clear line and handover to that execution/operation side of the business,” he said.
By having a team solely focused on acquisitions and investments, the division lifts a big burden, allowing a much clearer transition to the real estate execution team, Colantonio said.
“This really now draws a clear line that you hand over to that team to execute, and we can really continue to focus on sourcing opportunities, focus on capital structure and put a lot more attention into the investor base,” he said.
McGregor’s real estate team will include Shaun Johnston, promoted to head of portfolio finance and accounting, and recently hired Jake Lynch, now senior vice president of asset management. They will focus on development, construction and asset management.
McGregor was unavailable at the time of the interview due to travel. In a statement, he said, “Gencom Real Estate will play a pivotal role in leveraging our firm’s expertise across the full real estate life cycle. Whether it’s spearheading a new development, undertaking a major renovation or repositioning an existing asset, our ability to execute exceptionally well is ultimately what translates investment strategy into long-term value.”
Colantonio's team will more or less stay the same size at the moment but will be more defined throughout the year. Within the capital division, the acquisitions and investments will be headed by Managing Director Ignasi Puig, who has been Colantonio’s No. 2 for several years. Peter Trujillo is managing director of corporate investments, and Blythe Pierre-Louis is managing director of special situations, a “Swiss Army Knife” role within the firm, Colantonio said.
It’s always a testament to a company’s growth when it can promote from within, and Gencom has a track record of this, he said.
“That’s something that personally I’m more proud of than anything,” he said. “You’re able to grow talent in Gencom, and a lot of longtime associates here are moving up to the next level.”
Though the structure has changed, the strategy has not, Colantonio said. The deals strategy still calls for a disciplined approach, and Gencom will continue to focus on the upper-upscale and luxury segments. It will be opportunistic with the ability to invest globally.
“This now does allow us to be even more aggressive or more nimble as we work through opportunities,” he said. “To be able to attack a deal, maybe sign it up faster, be a little bit more aggressive on bidding. I think our track record of closings and executing have been right up there with our key competitors in the industry, so I think that will continue to get better and get more efficient.”
Gencom hasn’t let the hotel industry cycle dictate its buying ability or strategy, Colantonio said. Whatever the environment has been, the company has stayed disciplined in its approach and sought good stories on deals.
“You don't bookend yourself that you can only look at this subset of opportunities,” he said.
Even with predictions for a more active transaction market in the near future, Colantonio said that isn’t going to drive Gencom to buy more aggressively. Similarly, having more clear lines between acquisitions and asset management within the company won’t necessarily translate to buying everything.
“We need to continue to stay very disciplined, and then also stay equally as focused on the execution,” he said. “Because you also need to be cautious that you don't overload the portfolio.”
Even with the new divisions in place, collaboration will still be key, Colantonio said. The teams still work in the same office and talk to each other daily about opportunities and how to match business plans with the modeling.
“Collaboration is key early in the process and all the way through,” he said. “That's how these platforms are built successfully.”
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