Barhal River
Also known as: Barhal Cayi, Altiparmak
Deep wooded Kackar valley below Altiparmak (Six Fingers) peaks; 10th c Georgian churches (Dortkilise, Barhal), castles
Is there water?
Whether there is a river here on your dates, and what kind of water it is.
Kackar snowmelt, weather-sensitive; can jump a full grade overnight
Snowmelt late March-June; tributaries drop later summer
Late March to end of May; best May-June (snowmelt)
Cold silty snowmelt; shortie wetsuit or drysuit; single-digit to low-teens C (est)
Rapid snowmelt/rain spikes; early-season high water; fast level changes
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+ (upper), IV-V (middle), III-IV (lower)
Kayak (creek, self-support)
Small groups only in the middle gorge; lower section suits larger/commercial rafting
Advanced self-support kayak; middle for experts only; lower III-IV also run commercially
The run
Middle gorge below the confluence village: continuous IV-V, tight, few eddies, hard to evacuate; rises to V-VI with 6 in extra water
Wood/log hazard dominant (trees, collapsed bridge, river-wide tree with low wire); portage as needed; middle gorge hard to exit
Middle-Lower Barhal (Altiparmak to Yusufeli)
Low; expedition/self-support solitude; occasional Coruh rafting groups on lower
Access & shuttle
None reported for kayaking (Confirm.)
Permits and operators change - confirm before booking.
Drive up the Altiparmak valley from Yusufeli; unpaved road, put-in where road/water ends; road parallels most of river
Hired minibus from Yusufeli; Erzurum airport approx 2-3 hr to Yusufeli
Yusufeli town pensions, valley pensions (Barhal/Altiparmak, Sarigol); Cemil Pension Tekkale historic hub (verify post-dam) (Confirm.)
Full self-support creek kit; patchy mobile coverage; sat comms advisable in gorge
Yusufeli hub; Coruh rafting operators (basin runs mostly lost to dam)
Hazards & exits
YUSUFELI DAM (270 m, filling from April 2023, pool approx 710 m ASL) drowned old Yusufeli and the Barhal-Coruh confluence; lower take-out now reservoir flatwater, exact point unconfirmed; upper/middle remain free-flowing (Confirm.)
Road parallels river except middle gorge (hard to evacuate); hospitals Artvin/Erzurum hours away; no formal SAR
Self-support expedition kayak; small groups; lower section commercially raftable
This profile is desk research, compiled from public sources - not a first-hand river run report. Coordinates are approximate.