Umzimvubu River – Welsh Bridge to Dikela
Umzimvubu River – Welsh Bridge to Dikela · transkei
Grade
V
Length
85km
About
A serious stretch featuring continuous class 4 and 5 rapids with several unrunnable sections between them. The bush-covered gorge climbs hundreds of metres; walking out is not an option if things go wrong. The gorge is fully isolated — once in, the only way is down. Scouting many rapids is essential but difficult. Water-level fluctuations must also be watched. Mzimvubu Falls sits about halfway down the section. Take out on the far left of the falls and either abseil down or complete the long portage around. The confluence with the Mzintlava River lies a few kilometres below the falls. Further down, expect chaos at the confluence of the Tina and Tsitsa Rivers if the water is high. The take-out is about 20km after this confluence, with no road access. The river bends sharply right here — the second large right bend after the confluence — marked by steep cliffs on the left and a gentler slope on the right. The slope is deceptive: a steep 6km hike leads up to Dikela. Continuing downstream is often preferable, as the hardest sections are behind at this point.
Access
Put-in
Take-out
Permits
None