Olifants River – Visgat
Olifants River – Visgat · western cape
Grade
V
Length
40km
Duration
10 hours / best to do overnight
Type
pool drop
About
40 km creek run through the Groot Wintershoek wilderness - one of SA's most spectacular gorges. Rarely paddled. No road approaches the gorge edge - once committed, no exit until the walls open. Best as an overnight; ~10 hours on the water. Most action is in the first 15 km: numerous class 4 and several class 5 rapids. Some sections are fully walled in, making rapids unportageable. Mandatory portage within the first 3 km: look for a cottage on river left with a zipline into a big pool. Exit on river right before the flow accelerates; seal launch below the portage around a potholed waterfall. Beyond this the gorge proper begins, very tight walls. Paddlers confident on the Wit will enjoy it. Avoid at high water. Rapids are technical, mostly pool-drop with a few continuous sections. Long flatwater stretches follow the gorge to the take-out at Citrusdal Warm Baths. Black wattle clogs parts of the river - channels exist through most of it but watch for snagging branches. Access: Cape Nature permit required; Glendonald farm permission still not guaranteed.
Access
Put-in
Take-out
Permits
Cape Nature permits and Glendonald farmer permission
Recent sessions
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