Chico River
Also known as: Rio Chico
Cordillera gorges, Maligcong rice terraces, Buscalan tattoo village (Fang-Od), Tulgao / Palan-ah waterfall, Sleeping Beauty Mountain
Is there water?
Whether there is a river here on your dates, and what kind of water it is.
Rain-fed monsoon flow, unregulated; peaks in rainy months
Wet season Jun-Jan; operators cite Jun-Nov/Dec
June to December (wet season peak)
Cool mountain river water (est)
Monsoon flooding and typhoons; Class V-VI unraftable at peak flow
Grade & who can come
A river changes grade with its level. These grades describe a normal flow - in flood the same run is harder, and often a different run entirely. Check the gauge before you commit.
Class III-IV (up to V high water); Class VI unraftable in peak rain
Whitewater rafting (kayak possible)
Cliffhouse day segments (Tinglayan-Bantay 15 km, Cagaluan-Bantay 19 km, Tinglayan-Tomiangan 20 km); Uncharted 6-day full expedition
Moderate fitness; remote; age 12+; beginners on lower Ullalim Run, advanced on Mataguan Run
The run
Narrow limestone gorges and deep canyons; consecutive Class III with several Class IV on upper/middle (Mataguan Run); big boulders
Boulder gardens, undercut limestone walls; remote evacuation; scout in high water
Upper Chico (Bontoc-Anabel), Middle Chico / Mataguan Run (Tinglayan-Pasil), Lower Chico / Ullalim Run (Pasil-Tabuk)
Remote, few tourists; solitude
Access & shuttle
Cliffhouse 2,500-3,500 peso per run (min 6 pax); Uncharted USD 1,060 pp for 6-day tour. Confirm.
Permits and operators change - confirm before booking.
Jeepney access to river villages (Bontoc, Tinglayan, Tomiangan, Cagaluan); take-out Bantay / Tabuk
Jeepney transfers included by operators; evening bus Manila-Banaue-Bontoc
Homestays / inns: Tinglayan (2 nights), Tabuk area; Cliffhouse Kalinga lodge (Lubuagan)
Gear provided; boodle-fight riverside lunch; limited mobile signal in gorges
Tabuk / Tinglayan / Lubuagan hubs; Chico River Quest, Cliffhouse Kalinga, Uncharted Philippines
Hazards & exits
Remote multiday expedition; monsoon floods; Class V-VI in peak rain; commit only with experienced operator. Confirm.
Remote; nearest hospitals Bontoc and Tabuk; limited rescue infrastructure
Guided only; White Water Rescue-trained skippers
This profile is desk research, compiled from public sources - not a first-hand river run report. Coordinates are approximate.