Christmas on the Zambezi

Batoka Gorge, Victoria Falls Bridge in background.

White water rafting the Zambezi River is one of the highlights for rafters of any caliber.  For us amateurs, it was an all time, life time, top five.  Just after the 1.7 kilometer wide Victoria Falls, the mighty Zambezi River enters the narrow Batoka Gorge.  Jon and I rafted  more than twenty rapids in succession for the next 24 kilometers..... it was an awesome way to spend Christmas!

Quoting Wikipedia (is that allowed?): "The Victoria Falls are considered the boundary between the upper and middle Zambezi.  Below them the river continues to flow due east for about 200 kilometers (120 miles), cutting through perpendicular walls of basalt 20 to 60 meters (66 to 200 feet) apart in the hills 200 to 250 meters (660 to 820 feet)  high.  The river flows swiftly through the Batoka Gorge.  It has been described as one of the world's most spectacular whitewater trips, a tremendous challenge for kayakers and rafters alike....Over the distance of 240 kilometers (150 miles) below Victoria Falls, the river drops 250 meters (820 feet).

Jon and I paying close attention.  I'm not scared!

It is serious business, proven by any number of videos you are free to peruse for yourself on You Tube.  Prior to departure, we were given a rather serious briefing from our guide Ilam, aka "The Terminator."  It covered the details of the short rescue, the long rescue and the proper manner of proceeding down the rapids if, or more likely when, one is ejected and becomes a "Zambezi guppy."   Ilam counseled us to count to 10 if we were ejected, and to expect to have air again at that point.  If we reached 100, we were to go back and start over, because we were counting too fast.  The hardest part, which they forewarned us, was the hike down into the gorge and the tortuous hike back up and out of the gorge at the end our run.  My quads are still sore.

This poor bloke took a face plant, but was OK.

The Zambezi has a number of Class 4 and 5 rapids, which means rocking and rolling.  There was one class 6 on our run, but we had to walk around it because it is too dangerous.  Ilam told us that two kayakers have attempted it, but the "outcome was not good."  We didn't ask.  For us, all the rapids were fun and our raft, with Ilam at the stern, never over turned.  The same cannot be said for the other three rafts that accompanied us.  Fortunately, all those over turned or ejected were rescued, either by us or by the kayakers who accompanied us for that purpose.  It should be noted that our guides, the kayakers and the photographers along the way were all really cool guys.  They spend five days a week on the river, some for years, and were really good at what they seemed to love doing.  Thanks to them, we had a safe trip down the river, and have these photos to remember our Christmas on the Zambezi.  Thanks, guys!  And a happy new year to our new Zimbabwean friends, and to all of our family, friends, and blog followers!

Our raft going successfully through a class 5 rapid.

It was an awesome run.