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After a shaky start, everyone is settling in and feeling more confident. The bumps and dips in the water are taken in stride, with people more or less staying in their boats now. Every so often, though, the river reasserts itself, reminding us of its power by hurling another rafter into the drink.

After an hour or so of this aquatic roller-coaster, the group is ready for a break. We paddle to shore by a sand bank and refuel on chocolate bars and peanuts. Everyone is soaked but exhilarated, full of accounts of the treacherous passage. Just about everyone has been thrown into the water by now.

"Holy S***, that was scary," says Ohio State junior Adrienne Snyder, one of those pitched out of the raft in the opening moments of the trip.

"At first it's scary, but then after the first few rapids, it's like 'Yea! Bring it on! It makes you feel bad ass!" said another rafter.

The guides seem pleased with how their crews have performed. Conversely, the group is impressed with the cool professionalism the guides have shown under these trying conditions. For many, this is their first time in rapids of this magnitude, measuring between three and four on the whitewater scale (with five being the most extreme, technically demanding water). It is at times like this when experience really matters, and Ecuador Adventure is unchallenged in this area.

"We've been doing this for 15 years," says Alfredo, noting that his outfit also offers rafting and kayaking adventures in the Amazon, the coast and Galapagos.