Crocodile River – Gorge
Crocodile River – Gorge · lowveld
About
This gorge contains some of the most dangerous rapids in South Africa. The N4 runs along the northern side and a railway service road along the southern, but dense vegetation obscures both. The flat sections near the two bridges are likely to hold hippos. Ideal for: Kayak. Grade 3 to 5. Length 15km. Duration 4 to 5 hours. Type: short steep technical rapids. Put-in: N4 bridge or further downstream via the railway service road. Take-out: N4 bridge or any rest area on the N4 before it. Dam controlled: Kwena Dam, but the Elands River and other tributaries join below the dam. Permits: None. Many rapids are visible from N4 rest areas but appear deceptively modest; on the water the paddler is dwarfed by house-sized boulders. Water flows under, between and over these, creating highly technical rapids with large drops and numerous siphons and undercuts. The section begins with easy rapids and long pools, gradually steepening until the big boulders appear. From there, serious rapids follow — a nightmare for the unprepared. Lines cannot be prescribed: the river is wide with multiple runnable lines that shift with level. Beyond the hardest rapids a high weir crosses the river; at low levels it can be shot on the far right after scouting, otherwise portage on the left. Some further difficult rapids follow before the river eases. The service road on the right is washed out just past the weir. A trip can end here, though it is worth running at least the three rapids below the weir and walking back to the road. A dirt road descends from the N4 to the weir on the opposite bank but is hard to find without local knowledge. A long stretch of moderate rapids precedes another gradient pick-up similar in character to the weir section — difficult and extremely dangerous, but manageable if the paddler has reached this point. Easier rapids with longer flat pools then lead to the next bridge; alternatively bushwhack out on river left to an N4 rest area for pickup. The hardest sections are short but the many siphons make this a dangerous gorge, suitable only for highly experienced paddlers. Detailed trip report on Adrian Tregoning's blog: Crocodile Gorge — Hippos, a close brush with death.