Vaal River – Parys downstream

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The Vaal below Parys is the busiest stretch of river in South Africa. Rafting trips from town are popular and Gauteng kayakers treat it as their home run. Over the past 15 years, many kayakers have moved to Parys for the river-centred lifestyle. The section flows through the Vredefort Dome, a massive crater formed by a meteorite impact roughly 2000 million years ago. The Vaal has since carved through granite koppies, creating a haven for birds and wildlife among densely vegetated banks and islands. The 15km rapid section beginning in town is runnable at normal levels in K1 racing kayaks, and an annual K1 race is held. Water level is controlled by the Barrage weir about 45km upstream; heavy local rain can briefly boost flows. Because the run is so popular, the description below is more detailed than most. Normal put-in: a public picnic area in town on the south side of the river, between Grewer Avenue and the river. 26°54'16.14"S 27°26'19.03"E 0–2km: flat water and easy class 1–2 rapids. Stay in the main channel; some minor channels dead-end. The hanging bridge ~2km from the start signals the first real action. 2km: Big Daddy – class 2/3. About 100m below the hanging bridge. Fairly steep and long, intimidating first-time. Easily scouted from the left bank, but most paddlers run blind. Line is straight down, right of centre for most craft; K1 paddlers should stay far right at low levels. 26°55'6.00"S 27°25'44.44"E After Big Daddy, 4km of flat water. For the first 3km any channel works; after 3km the river splits and paddlers should get into the far-left channel, as others dead-end or contain strainers. 26°55'31.27"S 27°24'6.97"E for the first rapid after the flat water, to confirm the correct channel. 6–7.5km: class 2 rapids. The first rapid after the flat water is called Gaping Jaws of Death — a misnomer but useful for raft guides to wake clients. It is followed by two similar-sized rapids in quick succession. The first after Gaping Jaws produces a small surfable wave at higher levels; the one directly after is bony at low flows with pinning risk. A short pool leads to Paradise, a small but fun rapid. Paradise wave can be surfed in kayaks and crocs at normal levels but is too shallow for vertical moves. The eddy below feeds back to the wave, and flat rocks on the bank make it a popular break spot. 26°55'12.75"S 27°23'59.25"E. After Paradise, stay in the main channel on the right until the 7.5 km access point. 7.5km: access point on the north side, sometimes used as a shorter put-in for trips to Gatsien. 26°54'51.94"S 27°23'52.06"E 7.5–10km: class 2–3 rapids. Above 80 cumecs, it is possible to stay river-right through the next set of rapids, with nice surf waves near the bank at the end. At lower flows, take the left channel in front of the 7.5 km access point through several shallow rapids ending at Little Niagara (V-trap). Most channels rejoin after Little Niagara into a wide shallow section. When the river splits again, stay far right at low flows. The right channel runs through Stepping Stones, Guillotine, then Bistro (Look Sharp) — rocky at low levels and very sticky at high. At higher flows, the channel second from right offers two long but straightforward rapids. When channels rejoin, prepare for Theatre, the longest rapid on the section and source of the longest swims. Follow the main current at low levels; at higher flows stay left to avoid pour-overs over rock shelves. 10km: Gatsien (access point/take-out). Directly after Theatre comes Gatsien (See Your Arse), a short but sometimes powerful rapid. At low levels it is just a small chute (Gatsien's Chute) — great fun in a K1 or croc and a popular kayak play-spot, also responsible for many Gauteng kayakers cartwheeling only to the left. At higher flows it produces nasty pour-overs in the middle and right, and an excellent surf wave on the left with a sticky pour-over ~20m below. Gatsien is the country's only real park-and-play spot; take-out is on the north (river right) bank by prior arrangement. 26°54'3.15"S 27°23'6.28"E 10–12km: class 3 rapids. Above 100 cumecs, stay left after Gatsien and run Choice Assorted, three nice rapids in close succession. At low flows, take the second-from-left channel. Where the channel opens up, choose between Big Knuckle Crusher on the left and Baby Knuckle Crusher on the right — mind the pinning. K1 paddlers should skip this one. 12km: access point/take-out on the south side, commonly used as a take-out for trips from town. 26°54'13.70"S 27°22'9.13"E 12–15km: flat water with two fun rapids. For a full day from town, continue to the 15 km take-out — mostly flatwater but with two nice rapids and less developed banks. 15km: take-out on the bank; exit by prior arrangement. 26°53'2.30"S 27°21'17.36"E Alternative put-in: about 1km downstream of the normal put-in on the north bank (river right). Paddlers must work slightly upstream and cross the river to reach Big Daddy, or negotiate small channels and easy rapids on river right past the large golf island — the river-right channel rejoins the main channel where the 4km flat-water section below Big Daddy ends, so cross back to river left at that point. 26°54'36.82"S 27°25'42.94"E

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