Apies River
Apies River · gauteng
Grade
II
Length
16 km
Duration
6 to 8 hours
Type
pool drop
About
The described section begins roughly 20km north of Pretoria, well upstream of the dangerous weirs that obstruct the river through the city. Flow is reliable year-round thanks to releases from Bon Accord Dam, with peak levels typically in January and February during the rainy season. The route runs through farmland where landowners are generally paddler-friendly, and two bridges between put-in and take-out provide additional access. The river is narrow with long flat pools and easy rapids. Watch for strainers, weirs and remnants of low-level bridges; at normal levels these are manageable. Most rapids are runnable in a K1, though some tight turns are difficult in that craft. Put-in to the first bridge takes 2 to 3 hours and is the least eventful stretch. The middle section between bridges offers the most play and takes 3 to 4 hours. The final run to the take-out is about an hour.
Access
Put-in
Take-out
Permits
Permission from Pro-Act Ventures at take-out
Commercial operators
- Pro-Act Ventures