It’s not hard to imagine why no one wanted to paddle down Salto Manduri Waterfall in Parana, Brazil before Pedro Oliva stepped up to the challenge. With exposed rocks throughout the descent, there are precious few paths down it and making a mistake anywhere in the middle could lead to catastrophic outcomes.
Oliva was the first to conquer the falls and only did so by the skin of his teeth making a midair direction change after bouncing off a boulder. It’s not often you would like to see kayakers wearing a full face helmets but in this case it was fully appropriate.
If you ever find yourself in Brazil and are looking for a scenic spot to enjoy the day, Salto Manduri Waterfall is relatively easy to access so you can see firsthand how sketchy kayaking down its face really is.
