22 & 24 April 11 - 8cm over Mukore Weir
I finally got to meet Tom D - a man who's undertaken some interesting trips on the Pungwe, Sanyati and Zambezi, mostly in the early 90's. Hopefully we'll get some write-ups of those trips on the blog.
Tom, Nick H and I enjoyed the Mukore section at lower levels, with a short run and much time spent on the wave. We all tried different boats and managed to pull some interesting moves. We'd like to claim a few as planned moves, but click here to judge for yourself...
The Z-Rapid was run several times. Tom managed to take an "interesting" line on his first attempt, and managed to boof the rock in the middle on his last. I managed to screw up the second run, completing the last section upside-down as a result.
Click here for photo's of Nick H taking a swim, after 8 attempts to roll (tenacious young man!)
One of the local youngsters "Bigboy" decided to have a go - I held the boat steady while he surfed the shallow part of the wave. He loved it and insisted on having a deck on, but I refused. Unfortunately Nick was already on the water so we didn't get any photos.
Sunday, 24 April 2011
Monday, 18 April 2011
Nyagui Mukore Section
18 April 11 - 10cm over the Mukore Pumphouse Weir
Happy Independence Day Zimbabwe! Andy and I enjoyed the morning at the Mukore section, on low water. We tried a few new lines, or lines that had been tried in the past and were not in common use. Andy ran the left option in the Fluid Detox and then went back up part of the way and tried the Fluid Solo, running the Z-Rapid perfectly. His verdict: he loves them both.
With no driver we were unable to explore further afield, so we settled for an extended play session on the wave. Andy tried all three Fluid boats on the wave, ending with some lovely flat spins in the Nemesis.
I used the Nemesis both on the river run and on the wave. It was fine on the river, a little edgy but controllable at this level, and very loose on the wave, allowing for easy turns and a couple of cartwheels and blunts. I gave Andy a couple of moments of concern when I took my time to roll, even failing a few rolls, as I was still nursing my back and didn't want to overdo the hipsnap.
The road has been repaired in a few places, but is still slow going - it took us 90 minutes either way.
Happy Independence Day Zimbabwe! Andy and I enjoyed the morning at the Mukore section, on low water. We tried a few new lines, or lines that had been tried in the past and were not in common use. Andy ran the left option in the Fluid Detox and then went back up part of the way and tried the Fluid Solo, running the Z-Rapid perfectly. His verdict: he loves them both.
With no driver we were unable to explore further afield, so we settled for an extended play session on the wave. Andy tried all three Fluid boats on the wave, ending with some lovely flat spins in the Nemesis.
I used the Nemesis both on the river run and on the wave. It was fine on the river, a little edgy but controllable at this level, and very loose on the wave, allowing for easy turns and a couple of cartwheels and blunts. I gave Andy a couple of moments of concern when I took my time to roll, even failing a few rolls, as I was still nursing my back and didn't want to overdo the hipsnap.
The road has been repaired in a few places, but is still slow going - it took us 90 minutes either way.
Thursday, 14 April 2011
Zim Kayak Trip - Wrap-up
7-13 April 11
Robin and Hugh drove up on Wednesday afternoon, meeting Ken in Polokwane to help them through the border. They were loaded with new boats and other paddling kit for the Zim paddlers, along with groceries for me. Here's a photo of some of the stuff - before the arrival of Hugh with all his gear and Ben with a load of groceries (thanks Ben)!
The border wasn't too bad, and they spent the night at the Lion & Elephant.
The next morning they set off for Juliasdale, while Nick and I finalised preparations in Harare (such as fetching the keys for Echo Valley from way across Harare) and finally we were on our way too. The race warmed up, and Nick and I only just managed to beat Robin, Hugh and Ken to Echo Valley.
After a quick off-load we left Andy's new boat on his bed, having hidden all the others, as it was his birthday present to himself. We then set off on the long drive to have a look at the Gairezi. After checking road conditions on the far bank and studying the map we agreed it would be a worthwhile run to take on - probably on Monday. That meant we had a perfectly planned weekend:
Fri = Pungwe Commercial Section (with Andy trying his new boat - on his birthday!)
Sat = Pungwe Gorge to the Slide, where porters would meet us with tents etc.
Sun = Remainder of the Pungwe Gorge
Mon = Gairezi below the Church Rd bridge
Tue = Either more Gairezi or return to Harare for Nyagui or Mazowe.
We returned to Pine Tree Inn where we met Andy and his sons, and enjoyed a fine meal and several cold beers.
Friday, after a night of heavy rain, we did the Pungwe commercial run, mainly to get used to new boats, but also to await the rest of the trip crew for the gorge. Friday evening we were back at Pine Tree Inn, having checked out the porter options, access trail to the gorge and the river levels.
And this is where our carefully laid plans started going pear-shaped. Wayne and Troy pulled out of the trip citing work and neck injuries respectively, but Troy kindly loaned David C his truck so he could join us late that evening.
The day trips are all reported under separate blog entries.
On Saturday, after more heavy rain, the decision was made to try the Gairezi. Andy wished us well and returned to Harare to a birthday party (this was pre-planned). The Gairezi, while providing much humour on he way in, proved to be way too big, so David C suggested we try the Nyamingura. Fortunately I'd purchased a couple of 1:50,000 maps so we soon found it and set off. It proved to be a long day in the Landy, and the river was big, resulting in much unplanned stuff, like swimming and bending boats.
Sunday saw a return to the Nyamingura, for a much more successful day on the river. We also checked out another river which runs past the old trout farm on the Juliasdale/Mutare Rd, as well as a slide on the opposite side - one was not navigable, while the other could be interesting.
On Monday morning I had a sore back, so it was down to Hugh and Robin, as David had to return to Harare. We decided that the Mazowe and Nyagui would be more appropriate, so packed up and headed to Sunungukai, via the dirt road between Mucheke and Murewa. It was another long day of driving, but the chaps enjoyed the river, and even the entertainment provided by the hippo.
Tuesday I introduced Robin and Hugh to the Mukore section of the Nyagui and they are very impressed with the potential of this piece of river - watch this space for details. They ran the section to the weir, and then completed the first 3.5km of the gorge, before heading back to Harare to pack up for the long drive back to Joburg.
I'd like to express my sincere gratitude to all those who made this trip possible, especially to Robin and Hugh for travelling so far, and transporting our boats up; to the ever dependable local paddlers Andy and David; and to Ken, Nick and Mike who spend many hours on the river banks, searching for us, our drifting equipment, and who carry, load and unload our boats, and help us straighten out bent boats late at night. You all make it possible to have the large amounts of fun we do! YOU ROCK!
Robin and Hugh drove up on Wednesday afternoon, meeting Ken in Polokwane to help them through the border. They were loaded with new boats and other paddling kit for the Zim paddlers, along with groceries for me. Here's a photo of some of the stuff - before the arrival of Hugh with all his gear and Ben with a load of groceries (thanks Ben)!
The border wasn't too bad, and they spent the night at the Lion & Elephant.
The next morning they set off for Juliasdale, while Nick and I finalised preparations in Harare (such as fetching the keys for Echo Valley from way across Harare) and finally we were on our way too. The race warmed up, and Nick and I only just managed to beat Robin, Hugh and Ken to Echo Valley.
After a quick off-load we left Andy's new boat on his bed, having hidden all the others, as it was his birthday present to himself. We then set off on the long drive to have a look at the Gairezi. After checking road conditions on the far bank and studying the map we agreed it would be a worthwhile run to take on - probably on Monday. That meant we had a perfectly planned weekend:
Fri = Pungwe Commercial Section (with Andy trying his new boat - on his birthday!)
Sat = Pungwe Gorge to the Slide, where porters would meet us with tents etc.
Sun = Remainder of the Pungwe Gorge
Mon = Gairezi below the Church Rd bridge
Tue = Either more Gairezi or return to Harare for Nyagui or Mazowe.
We returned to Pine Tree Inn where we met Andy and his sons, and enjoyed a fine meal and several cold beers.
Friday, after a night of heavy rain, we did the Pungwe commercial run, mainly to get used to new boats, but also to await the rest of the trip crew for the gorge. Friday evening we were back at Pine Tree Inn, having checked out the porter options, access trail to the gorge and the river levels.
And this is where our carefully laid plans started going pear-shaped. Wayne and Troy pulled out of the trip citing work and neck injuries respectively, but Troy kindly loaned David C his truck so he could join us late that evening.
The day trips are all reported under separate blog entries.
On Saturday, after more heavy rain, the decision was made to try the Gairezi. Andy wished us well and returned to Harare to a birthday party (this was pre-planned). The Gairezi, while providing much humour on he way in, proved to be way too big, so David C suggested we try the Nyamingura. Fortunately I'd purchased a couple of 1:50,000 maps so we soon found it and set off. It proved to be a long day in the Landy, and the river was big, resulting in much unplanned stuff, like swimming and bending boats.
Sunday saw a return to the Nyamingura, for a much more successful day on the river. We also checked out another river which runs past the old trout farm on the Juliasdale/Mutare Rd, as well as a slide on the opposite side - one was not navigable, while the other could be interesting.
On Monday morning I had a sore back, so it was down to Hugh and Robin, as David had to return to Harare. We decided that the Mazowe and Nyagui would be more appropriate, so packed up and headed to Sunungukai, via the dirt road between Mucheke and Murewa. It was another long day of driving, but the chaps enjoyed the river, and even the entertainment provided by the hippo.
Tuesday I introduced Robin and Hugh to the Mukore section of the Nyagui and they are very impressed with the potential of this piece of river - watch this space for details. They ran the section to the weir, and then completed the first 3.5km of the gorge, before heading back to Harare to pack up for the long drive back to Joburg.
I'd like to express my sincere gratitude to all those who made this trip possible, especially to Robin and Hugh for travelling so far, and transporting our boats up; to the ever dependable local paddlers Andy and David; and to Ken, Nick and Mike who spend many hours on the river banks, searching for us, our drifting equipment, and who carry, load and unload our boats, and help us straighten out bent boats late at night. You all make it possible to have the large amounts of fun we do! YOU ROCK!
Tuesday, 12 April 2011
Nyagui Gorge
12 April 11 - Medium to Low
After two hours of driving, including an hour of dirt roads and rutted tracks, Robin and Hugh realised they'd left their paddles at home! Eish! Click here for the official explanation.
We had a late start because I felt a bit of a lie-in was justified on my birthday. We were using unfamiliar dirt roads on the east bank of the river, as opposed to the usual Mukore farm road (which has deteriorated badly this season), which proved pretty good, except for the last km or two. The east bank option also allows us to break the gorge section into smaller pieces, as opposed to the traditional 25km run.
Due to slow driving by Robin the tortoise, navigational disputes and steep cliffs, Robin and Hugh put in at 10:50 just above the Mukore wave and ran the bottom part of the Mukore section, on to Merlyn's Siphon, Vespids and then about 3.5km of grade 2 and flat water, before dropping over the weir and into the gorge. The first photos and video in the gorge were taken at 12:20, so I can only assume they made hard work of the flat water, or that Vespids stung them hard.
The first bit of video is of a drop to avoid. The lads tell me things got gnarly right after the weir, and stayed that way (which supports all the other stories I've heard). The feeling is that at any higher water it would be a very tough section - well done Andy, Ian, Adrian and the many others who've taken it on at high levels (and no wonder this section is known as a boat eater).
The plan was to complete the entire gorge run of about 6.5km, but by around 14:10 they radioed to say they were about still 1km from the first checkpoint, so it was agreed to end there. I set about hiring porters, for which Hugh and Robin were most grateful as the walk to the car is pretty steep (up to Leonard and Samuel's village). They arrived at 14:50, which is a total of 4 hours, of which about 3 would have been spent covering the 3.5km gorge section.
Here are a couple more videos of this section:
Hugh runs a straightforward looking drop,
Robin runs a similar rapid.
The timestamped photos help to tell the story.
After two hours of driving, including an hour of dirt roads and rutted tracks, Robin and Hugh realised they'd left their paddles at home! Eish! Click here for the official explanation.
We had a late start because I felt a bit of a lie-in was justified on my birthday. We were using unfamiliar dirt roads on the east bank of the river, as opposed to the usual Mukore farm road (which has deteriorated badly this season), which proved pretty good, except for the last km or two. The east bank option also allows us to break the gorge section into smaller pieces, as opposed to the traditional 25km run.
Due to slow driving by Robin the tortoise, navigational disputes and steep cliffs, Robin and Hugh put in at 10:50 just above the Mukore wave and ran the bottom part of the Mukore section, on to Merlyn's Siphon, Vespids and then about 3.5km of grade 2 and flat water, before dropping over the weir and into the gorge. The first photos and video in the gorge were taken at 12:20, so I can only assume they made hard work of the flat water, or that Vespids stung them hard.
The first bit of video is of a drop to avoid. The lads tell me things got gnarly right after the weir, and stayed that way (which supports all the other stories I've heard). The feeling is that at any higher water it would be a very tough section - well done Andy, Ian, Adrian and the many others who've taken it on at high levels (and no wonder this section is known as a boat eater).
The plan was to complete the entire gorge run of about 6.5km, but by around 14:10 they radioed to say they were about still 1km from the first checkpoint, so it was agreed to end there. I set about hiring porters, for which Hugh and Robin were most grateful as the walk to the car is pretty steep (up to Leonard and Samuel's village). They arrived at 14:50, which is a total of 4 hours, of which about 3 would have been spent covering the 3.5km gorge section.
Here are a couple more videos of this section:
Hugh runs a straightforward looking drop,
Robin runs a similar rapid.
The timestamped photos help to tell the story.
Monday, 11 April 2011
Mazowe Gorge
11 April 11 - 15cm over Hippo Pools Weir
After considerable debate it was agreed that the Gairezi and Pungwe would probably still be too big, and as we were down to 2 paddlers it was felt that safety would be compromised. So we packed up and set off to run something smaller - Mazowe.
I briefed Robin and Hugh on the lines, the hippos, and to take out 500m below the weir. They set off after trying to convince Nick to join them, but he was intent on bird photography. Apparently they ran everything, but agreed that there are several pinning opportunities on the big rapids, and a few more besides. Click here for a clip of Hugh running the second big rapid, which Robin is pictured on below.
Mr Piggy-ears made an appearance at the headwaters of the weir, and he was in a foul mood. Robin wasted no time getting onto dry land, but apparently Hugh didn't appreciate the urgency, until they spotted a "torpedo wave" heading towards him - at which time he performed feats of gymnastics, getting himself and his kayak out of harms way. It turns out there is a new addition to the family, which explains the high level of aggression.
Having waited a while by the river (experiencing what Ken and Mike normally go through) I returned to the vehicle and the braai Ken had set up. Not long after that the radio squawked to life, with Robin telling us they were 500 meters below the weir. Sadly, that takeout is useless, so I told them to walk back to the weir where we were, and set about readying a hot meal (with cold beers).
I've included time-stamps on the photos to augment my rather meagre account of the trip.
After considerable debate it was agreed that the Gairezi and Pungwe would probably still be too big, and as we were down to 2 paddlers it was felt that safety would be compromised. So we packed up and set off to run something smaller - Mazowe.
I briefed Robin and Hugh on the lines, the hippos, and to take out 500m below the weir. They set off after trying to convince Nick to join them, but he was intent on bird photography. Apparently they ran everything, but agreed that there are several pinning opportunities on the big rapids, and a few more besides. Click here for a clip of Hugh running the second big rapid, which Robin is pictured on below.
Mr Piggy-ears made an appearance at the headwaters of the weir, and he was in a foul mood. Robin wasted no time getting onto dry land, but apparently Hugh didn't appreciate the urgency, until they spotted a "torpedo wave" heading towards him - at which time he performed feats of gymnastics, getting himself and his kayak out of harms way. It turns out there is a new addition to the family, which explains the high level of aggression.
Having waited a while by the river (experiencing what Ken and Mike normally go through) I returned to the vehicle and the braai Ken had set up. Not long after that the radio squawked to life, with Robin telling us they were 500 meters below the weir. Sadly, that takeout is useless, so I told them to walk back to the weir where we were, and set about readying a hot meal (with cold beers).
I've included time-stamps on the photos to augment my rather meagre account of the trip.
Sunday, 10 April 2011
Nyamingura - Take 2
10 April 11 - Medium Level
We woke to another cold morning and the crew was slow to get going. The rain had persisted through the night, but there were signs it might be letting up. We finally got underway at around 8:30 and wound our way down the mountain, stopping briefly at the old trout farm to have a look at the river (which drops quickly in that area, and has plenty of strainers).
Despite ridicule from my colleagues I held fast to my theory that my paddle was waiting in the eddy where I swam, and so I drove straight to the previous day's put-in. We walked downriver a short way and Ken was soon heard chuckling jubilantly. Sure enough, the paddle was sitting in the shallows of the eddy, almost 24 hours after I'd left it there. How lucky is that! I was ecstatic, and so was Ken at the prospect of receiving the $20 reward.
Hugh tried to talk us into going further upriver, but even though it was a lot lower, the rest of the gang was happy to start at the hydro intake (once operational the hydro system will divert a substantial amount of flow from the river for 2-3km).
Hugh, Robin and I set off on the first section, which is arguably the steepest. The going was intense, with small eddies and one drop after the next. Robin and I portaged twice, while Hugh executed a spectacular "rail slide" down a log and ran everything with great skill.
After the first bridge the gradient eased slightly and we set a good pace, right until Robin avoided a hangman's noose (a looped vine at neck height). Robin was forced to roll under, on the edge of a small drop, which unfortunately resulted in a broken paddle and skinned knuckles. He made a halfhearted attempt to roll (seeing as he still had the shaft and right-hand blade) but soon ejected for a short swim - fortunately he was in a smaller part of the river and he self-rescued while I trapped his boat on a rock. Hugh located the broken paddle, which was left on the bank and Robin recovered it later.
At the second bridge I pulled out as my back was starting to play up. David had decided to get in at the second bridge, where things get a little more sane, and he took over in the Solo. From there it was a quick run to the third bridge and then on to the Pungwe confluence (Ken, Mike, Nick and I in the Landy made light work of it anyway).
Hugh some trouble extracting himself from his dry-top at the finish:
Once we saved him from certain death by asphyxiation, we set off up the mountain back to Juliasdale, stopping to explore the slide in the forest, north of the main road, which appears to be very runnable in a kayak. The evening ended with an enjoyable braai and several cold beers around a warm fire.
Click here for the photo album.
We woke to another cold morning and the crew was slow to get going. The rain had persisted through the night, but there were signs it might be letting up. We finally got underway at around 8:30 and wound our way down the mountain, stopping briefly at the old trout farm to have a look at the river (which drops quickly in that area, and has plenty of strainers).
Despite ridicule from my colleagues I held fast to my theory that my paddle was waiting in the eddy where I swam, and so I drove straight to the previous day's put-in. We walked downriver a short way and Ken was soon heard chuckling jubilantly. Sure enough, the paddle was sitting in the shallows of the eddy, almost 24 hours after I'd left it there. How lucky is that! I was ecstatic, and so was Ken at the prospect of receiving the $20 reward.
Hugh tried to talk us into going further upriver, but even though it was a lot lower, the rest of the gang was happy to start at the hydro intake (once operational the hydro system will divert a substantial amount of flow from the river for 2-3km).
Hugh, Robin and I set off on the first section, which is arguably the steepest. The going was intense, with small eddies and one drop after the next. Robin and I portaged twice, while Hugh executed a spectacular "rail slide" down a log and ran everything with great skill.
After the first bridge the gradient eased slightly and we set a good pace, right until Robin avoided a hangman's noose (a looped vine at neck height). Robin was forced to roll under, on the edge of a small drop, which unfortunately resulted in a broken paddle and skinned knuckles. He made a halfhearted attempt to roll (seeing as he still had the shaft and right-hand blade) but soon ejected for a short swim - fortunately he was in a smaller part of the river and he self-rescued while I trapped his boat on a rock. Hugh located the broken paddle, which was left on the bank and Robin recovered it later.
At the second bridge I pulled out as my back was starting to play up. David had decided to get in at the second bridge, where things get a little more sane, and he took over in the Solo. From there it was a quick run to the third bridge and then on to the Pungwe confluence (Ken, Mike, Nick and I in the Landy made light work of it anyway).
Hugh some trouble extracting himself from his dry-top at the finish:
Once we saved him from certain death by asphyxiation, we set off up the mountain back to Juliasdale, stopping to explore the slide in the forest, north of the main road, which appears to be very runnable in a kayak. The evening ended with an enjoyable braai and several cold beers around a warm fire.
Click here for the photo album.
Saturday, 9 April 2011
Gairezi and Nyamingura - Take 1
9 April 11 - High Level
After another night of heavy rain, we woke early to a continuing guti (drizzling rain). We'd had a look at the Pungwe falls the previous day and the decision was made to abandon the Pungwe Gorge attempt as the river was very high, and probably still rising.
By a dint of supreme logic Robin managed to convince us that the Gairezi would be less likely to be too high, so we agreed to run the 9km (steep) section below the Church Rd bridge. After two hours of slow driving, removing 4 or 5 trees from the road, we arrived to a very swollen river. I asked Mike if he thought Troy would run the gairezi at high level - here's his emphatic response, and below is a photo of Dave opting out.
We repaired to Troutbeck for tea and scones and the gang briefly considered a paddle on the pond, before consulting the maps and agreeing to take a look at the Nyamingura. So we set off for another very long drive, arriving after 1pm at the EHPL gate. We managed to talk our way into the estate and headed upriver as far as we could go (to the new hydro-electric project).
Apparently Brian Igo (son of the founder of the tea estates) used to run the river, and maybe others have done so too.
The Nyamingura runs directly from the flanks of Zimbabwe's highest mountain, and appears to run all year round, albeit at lower levels than what we experienced. The level was certainly very high on this steep creek, with few pools to allow recovery of swimmers and gear.
The start was positive, but pretty soon David was struggling to roll, so I raced in to help. Unfortunately, being in an unfamiliar boat, I was instantly edged and ended up pinned up against a rock, unable to roll either right (against the strong current) or left (into the rock). Abandoning my paddle I attempted to handroll, and then to roll using the rock as support, but all to no avail, so I ended up taking a short swim. David was also swimming by then. I searched downstream for my paddle, before setting off to alert the support party who were waiting at the first bridge. (More about the paddle in the next blog entry).
After a couple of hours we recovered most of the equipment, including foam bulkheads, water bottles, sponges, boats and David's paddle. Hugh had taken a mini-swim and the boats had drifted a long way before being recovered, taking quite a beating in the process. Alas, my paddle was not found, despite a concerted effort by all.
We trudged wearily up the mountain in the rain, stopping briefly for beers and then to refuel the Landy. While we were busy with fuel tanks Robin discovered a young bovine wandering around on the main road and took it upon himself to steer Betsy to a better place (apologies for the poor quality photo - just look for the glowing eyes).
Supper was a jolly affair at Pine Tree Inn, along with several beers, around the warm fire. The night was not over though and we spent the next hour or two repairing bent boats using hot water, Ken's power and a wooden spoon. I even tried "glute-force", which involves bouncing up and down on the area requiring adjustment. Unfortunately the videos we took were underexposed.
I went to bed, sad about the loss of my favourite (and expensive) paddle, while maintaining my theory that it was sitting in the eddy where I swam, waiting for me.
Click here for the photo album.
After another night of heavy rain, we woke early to a continuing guti (drizzling rain). We'd had a look at the Pungwe falls the previous day and the decision was made to abandon the Pungwe Gorge attempt as the river was very high, and probably still rising.
By a dint of supreme logic Robin managed to convince us that the Gairezi would be less likely to be too high, so we agreed to run the 9km (steep) section below the Church Rd bridge. After two hours of slow driving, removing 4 or 5 trees from the road, we arrived to a very swollen river. I asked Mike if he thought Troy would run the gairezi at high level - here's his emphatic response, and below is a photo of Dave opting out.
We repaired to Troutbeck for tea and scones and the gang briefly considered a paddle on the pond, before consulting the maps and agreeing to take a look at the Nyamingura. So we set off for another very long drive, arriving after 1pm at the EHPL gate. We managed to talk our way into the estate and headed upriver as far as we could go (to the new hydro-electric project).
Apparently Brian Igo (son of the founder of the tea estates) used to run the river, and maybe others have done so too.
The Nyamingura runs directly from the flanks of Zimbabwe's highest mountain, and appears to run all year round, albeit at lower levels than what we experienced. The level was certainly very high on this steep creek, with few pools to allow recovery of swimmers and gear.
The start was positive, but pretty soon David was struggling to roll, so I raced in to help. Unfortunately, being in an unfamiliar boat, I was instantly edged and ended up pinned up against a rock, unable to roll either right (against the strong current) or left (into the rock). Abandoning my paddle I attempted to handroll, and then to roll using the rock as support, but all to no avail, so I ended up taking a short swim. David was also swimming by then. I searched downstream for my paddle, before setting off to alert the support party who were waiting at the first bridge. (More about the paddle in the next blog entry).
After a couple of hours we recovered most of the equipment, including foam bulkheads, water bottles, sponges, boats and David's paddle. Hugh had taken a mini-swim and the boats had drifted a long way before being recovered, taking quite a beating in the process. Alas, my paddle was not found, despite a concerted effort by all.
We trudged wearily up the mountain in the rain, stopping briefly for beers and then to refuel the Landy. While we were busy with fuel tanks Robin discovered a young bovine wandering around on the main road and took it upon himself to steer Betsy to a better place (apologies for the poor quality photo - just look for the glowing eyes).
Supper was a jolly affair at Pine Tree Inn, along with several beers, around the warm fire. The night was not over though and we spent the next hour or two repairing bent boats using hot water, Ken's power and a wooden spoon. I even tried "glute-force", which involves bouncing up and down on the area requiring adjustment. Unfortunately the videos we took were underexposed.
I went to bed, sad about the loss of my favourite (and expensive) paddle, while maintaining my theory that it was sitting in the eddy where I swam, waiting for me.
Click here for the photo album.
Friday, 8 April 2011
Pungwe Commercial Section
8 Apr 11 - Medium Level
Today was Andy's birthday, and he'd given himself a new Fluid Detox as a present. Ken and I outfitted Andy's new boat, while he made breakfast, Hugh entertained the boys and Robin kept a record. Here's the video.
The excitement (and trepidation) was high as we made our way to the Pungwe after a night of heavy rain. Robin and Hugh were pleased to be back on the water after a long drive from South Africa, and I was trying out a new Fluid Solo.
The day started on a lighter note with Hugh complaining about the rain - inside the Landy. We drove higher up the hill, past the commercial put-in, to check out the porters walk-in to the overnight stop, and the steep, slippery road, which sheer drops on either side, resulted in raised pulse rates all round. The walk-in was exceptionally treacherous and Robin soon did a wheels-up, so we took it very slowly. From the fork it was a race to see which was the better option - the left fork won, and I can attest to it being a lot easier than the rocky right, mainly because the boat can be dragged more.
We scouted McGregors Pin, and all ran it without too much drama (except that Andy did part of it backwards). Hugh managed to get himself caught in the hole above the blender, but extracted himself easily enough.
After a bit of indecision Hugh decided to run Four Clowns Folly. For a brief instant we thought it would become 5 Clowns Folly, but he managed to pull through.
Andy's sons hopped in for a quick paddle at the takeout, and David promptly set off unattended down the river. Hugh quietly raised the alarm, resulting in Andy and Robin setting off in hot pursuit. The rescue was easy, but the walk back was rather tough. Hugh meanwhile tied a rope to Luke's boat to prevent the same happening to him.
Click here for photo album.
Today was Andy's birthday, and he'd given himself a new Fluid Detox as a present. Ken and I outfitted Andy's new boat, while he made breakfast, Hugh entertained the boys and Robin kept a record. Here's the video.
The excitement (and trepidation) was high as we made our way to the Pungwe after a night of heavy rain. Robin and Hugh were pleased to be back on the water after a long drive from South Africa, and I was trying out a new Fluid Solo.
The day started on a lighter note with Hugh complaining about the rain - inside the Landy. We drove higher up the hill, past the commercial put-in, to check out the porters walk-in to the overnight stop, and the steep, slippery road, which sheer drops on either side, resulted in raised pulse rates all round. The walk-in was exceptionally treacherous and Robin soon did a wheels-up, so we took it very slowly. From the fork it was a race to see which was the better option - the left fork won, and I can attest to it being a lot easier than the rocky right, mainly because the boat can be dragged more.
We scouted McGregors Pin, and all ran it without too much drama (except that Andy did part of it backwards). Hugh managed to get himself caught in the hole above the blender, but extracted himself easily enough.
After a bit of indecision Hugh decided to run Four Clowns Folly. For a brief instant we thought it would become 5 Clowns Folly, but he managed to pull through.
Andy's sons hopped in for a quick paddle at the takeout, and David promptly set off unattended down the river. Hugh quietly raised the alarm, resulting in Andy and Robin setting off in hot pursuit. The rescue was easy, but the walk back was rather tough. Hugh meanwhile tied a rope to Luke's boat to prevent the same happening to him.
Click here for photo album.
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