Orange River – Augrabies Rush
Orange River – Augrabies Rush · northern cape
Grade
III
Length
2 sections of 8km
Duration
4 to 5 hours
Type
pool drop
About
Two pristine 8 km stretches just above Augrabies Falls, around 4 to 5 hours total, suited to kayaks, crocs and rafts at high water. Plenty of bird and wildlife viewing, making this a good addition to Northern Cape travel or a warm-up en route to longer Orange River trips. Flow is controlled by Vanderkloof Dam and Bloemhof Dam. The first 8 km starts on a private farm and ends at Khamkirri Private Game Reserve river camp. Rapids are mostly class 1 to 2 with a few bordering class 3 at higher water, and good surfwaves when levels are up. The second stretch runs largely through Augrabies National Park, where a long island splits the river. At normal levels the northern channel is run, delivering class 2 and 3 rapids and excellent surfwaves. At high water the southern channel is taken instead, as the take-out 300 m above the falls becomes risky from the northern side.
Permits
Arrange with commercial operator for access
Commercial operators
- Kalahari Outventures