Tugela River – Gorge

About

One of South Africa's best-known serious whitewater rafting runs, though relatively few paddlers tackle it due to its reputation and awkward access — the long dirt road to the put-in at the Mfongosi rafting camp and the take-out at Jameson's Drift becomes very slippery after rain. The rapids all carry fearsome names but only a few are truly serious, with the bigger drops concentrated in the middle gorge section as the valley narrows. The run from Unicorn to Four Man Hole is largely continuous, and at high levels serious pour-overs must be avoided. Four Man Hole itself forms a big nasty pour-over across most of the river at high water, with a chicken run on the left. Competent paddlers can scout most rapids from the water at low flow, but at high flow the major rapids must be scouted from the bank. The section is runnable in crocs at low levels, but medium to high flows will mean long swims in a croc. At high water the run turns into South Africa's Zambezi, with huge waves and holes — perfect for rafts. Although below Spioenkop Dam, significant tributaries enter downstream, so dam releases have limited influence and levels can rise quickly after rain in any catchment above the gorge. A two-day or longer trip is recommended to properly enjoy the valley.

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