Wit Els River
Wit Els River · western cape
Grade
V
Length
18km
Duration
1 to 2 days
Type
continuous
About
Isolated, hike-in run that can easily turn into an epic. Very experienced paddlers only — remote and prone to cold weather. Two put-in options. From the south: hike in via the UCT Ski Club Hut — a serious full-day hike with a kayak. Pre-arrange trail access with the UCT Mountain Club, who control this part of the mountains. From the north: from a farm called Merwede via a trail known as Adderley Street — also demanding, reaches the river halfway down. Get farm permission first. Extremely continuous. Top section below the upper put-in is very tight, opens up after a few km but stays continuous class 3-4. Most of it can be scouted by eddy-hopping if competent, but some rapids need bank scouting. Watch for several class 5 rapids and two unrunnable boulder chokes. One rapid runs through a ~50m natural tunnel. The final section before take-out steepens again.
Access
Put-in
Take-out
Permits
Permission for both put-in points
Recent sessions
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