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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