| ||||||
| ||||||
| ||||||
 | News (print)
Level: 824 cumics (Flooding) Put in: Mabinz Take out: just above the weir (click on the pic to enlarge)
We had just returned from the Sabie X Festival and heard that the Olifants River was “very full” according to the local farmers. This was the signal for us to get gear and go chase some big water.
With paddlers and gear thrown onto the vehicle and our trusty suicidal driver Chris (trusty cause we know him, suicidal because he cant paddle with a shoulder injury) we were off to see what the story really was. We crossed the bridge over the Olifants and realized that the river was more than “very full”. Some of the faces of the raft crew went a bit pale and frowns stayed upside down.
Arriving at the put in at Mabinz we were greeted by this monstrous brown snake of a river, the usual entry rapid was no longer there. The river was smashing into the cliffs and bouncing back of forming monstrous surging waves. There were some huge laterals coming of the inside of the bend that I thought I could surf but the river was to strong to actually make the ferry glide across. We couldn’t see around the bend and the only place that (violent) eddies formed was on the inside of the river bends, they were surging boil pots filled with trees and all kinds of other rather large debris. Almost resembling a vegetable stew for a giant. Once everybody was on the water there was just no turning back. We made the first bend and the next rapid “Double Trouble” was on us. No time to try and get off to scout, Bura signaled that we should just nail it in the middle. The raft had come past the two of us. As we go charging down the massive wave train formed by laterals coming together in 2-3m high standing/smashing monsters, we look in front of us and see the raft do a classic back flip about 20m ahead of us. We couldn’t do anything to help; the water was too violent for us to actually chase swimmers or gear. The raft crew was luckily smart enough to reflip the raft in an instant and throwbag Sheena who had been swept away by the currents.
Bura had dislocated his shoulder whilst running the rapid but luckily it popped back in and he managed to get himself off the river on river right about 300m down stream. I managed to get into a tree-ridden eddy just on the corner of the rapid. There was no sign of the raft and the last that we had seen them they were hauling ass to try and make the banks after their flip. After some severe scrambling through the bush they popped out on the corner where I was. The line for the rapid was dead center but the raft was to close to the entry to make the line in the middle. The crew then scrambled around and we got the raft through the hole on the corner with some ropes. Bura had been spotted coming back across the river, we all moved further downstream to just above the next rapid “Long Drop” normally the biggest of he day. We scrambled through the bush trying to find Bura and scout the rapid. Bura was found but with his shoulder he could not risk running the rapid and taking a swim, as he would not make it. Bura and Sheena walked down river to try and find a spot where we could then pick them up. I went with the raft, first crossing over to river right into some trees to wait and see where Bura them come out on the left. They found a place just below a huge pour over where the raft could eddy out and pick up Sheena. The ferry and pick up went well. Side runs were the order for the rest of the trip down over “Simple Simon” and then on the corner was where the raft would take out. They made it safely and I had a good run on the last rapid of the day “Roller Coaster” below where the raft and Bura took out. Massive wave train and just massive everything.
I think everybody that paddled was happy to make it alive to the end and all of us were amazed and humbled by the volume/strength of the river. When you were on the top of a wave you could see the mountains and banks when you were in the trough of the wave no matter where you looked left,right,up stream or down stream all you could see is water and very angry water. This was a trip that I think none of us will ever forget. But hey as they say “just another shit day in Africa”.
pics: Sheena; Lelani; Deon; Ronel words: Deon
- WWT Back to NEWS | |||||
| ||||||
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
After this I think it really sank in that we are in a serious situation. Me and Bura ran the next rapid “Corner Post” the usual house sized boulders were gone and the river was bouncing of the cliffs forming huge hydraulics against them that turned into massive laterals and they then get together in the middle forming these crazy violent surging standing waves/ hay stacks.
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)