Buffalo River – Rorke’s drift to Fugitive’s drift
Buffalo River – Rorke’s drift to Fugitive’s drift · kwazulu-natal
Grade
V
Length
12km
Duration
4 to 8 hours
Type
pool drop
About
A difficult section of the Buffalo featuring the full mix of boulders, ledges, drops and waterfalls. After the put-in the character is mostly slides over shelves before the river enters a gorge with serious rapids. Scout thoroughly all the way to the bottom, as there are bad siphons and undercuts in places. Watch for an unrunnable waterfall with a tight sneak on the right; otherwise portage. Not far below, all the water funnels through a narrow gap with a keeper hole at the base that has caused many swims. Lower down is a 100m slide ending in a drop, runnable left or right, or portage on the right bank. Intimidating overall, but rewarding for competent kayakers.
Access
Put-in
Take-out
Permits
Ask permission at Fugitive’s Drift