It was finally time to load up the rafts and head into the famous whitewater of the Zambezi River! We were transported in the morning from the Old Drift Lodge back to The Lookout Cafe where we had our safety briefing from Stewart, our local rafting trip leader. I would have definitely enjoyed another night or two in the luxury of the Old Drift, but the river awaits!
We had to get down there first though! Do not underestimate the hike down to the river, which began with a climb down metal ladders (a few rungs were missing in some spots) then big step downs between rocks. With my short legs, step downs are always a challenge for me, but this was made even more so because I couldn’t see my feet around the life vest with my Chacos, water bottle, and dry bag attached to it. Once we were finally down closer to river level, then we still had to navigate through and around more rocks to get around the bend where the rafts were waiting for us. Just get me in the boat!
It was a little chaotic at first as we all hopped into whatever raft was available. Kurt and I ended up in Diego’s boat with Karen, Greg, and Angie, while the other two boats had local guides, Stewart and Sugar. Given the range in ages and big water rafting experience of the guests, I thought that we would all be assigned a particular boat in order to ensure an even distribution of strength. That didn’t happen though, and we ended up having the strongest boat of the three. Given what was coming on the river, I was thankful that we ended up where we did.
Our first maneuver was over to The Boiling Pot, just below Victoria Falls (after the Minus rapids). It was impressive to see the Falls from this perspective! Vic Falls is one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World with a height of 351 feet, width of 5,698 feet, and average volume of 38,846 cubic feet/second. “Low water” season runs between July and mid-February, which means that Rapids 1-19 are raftable, whereas “High water” season runs between February and July with a “closed” season in April and May. The traditional name for Victoria Falls is Mosi-Oa-Tunya, which means “The Smoke That Thunders” in the Lozi language.
The Zambezi is a high volume, pool-drop river with minimal exposed rocks to be concerned about. And, in contrast to our kayaking adventure on the Upper Zambezi above the Falls, we didn’t have to worry about hippos and crocs in this section. The baby crocs are the only animals that could survive going over the Falls because their skeletal system isn’t fully formed yet. While we did see some smaller crocs along the riverbank at times, they were the least of my worries once we got going down the river.
The rapids started pretty much immediately. And, we were honestly shell shocked by how big the waves were. All I could think about was that this was “Big F* water;” apparently, the current level was on the high end of low water. If this is considered “low water,” now I understand why these rapids aren’t raftable during high water season!
The Wall, Rapid #1, Class 4/5
An unpredictable rapid at certain water levels the Zambezi flows out at the “Boiling Pot” and crashes into a wall, at higher water level this creates a large cushion wave. Cross over the wave train before the cushion wave and you make it look easy, lose your angle and you could be looking at your first flip of the day!
Our crews didn’t have too much trouble here, but you can see in the video where Diego points out the waves crashing into the wall that can easily flip boats which we have seen in videos taken from other trips. This is also the best place to see the bridge between Zimbabwe and Zambia from on the river!
Between Two Worlds, Rapid #2, Class 3
As you paddle down the relatively straightforward wave train, you pass under the Victoria Falls Bridge, at certain water levels an awesome surfing wave forms. Named “between two worlds” because the bridge is also the boundary of Southern and South Central Africa.
Rapid #3, Class 4
A steep and radically fast wave with an easily avoidable hole. The second part of this rapid is best in the early part of the season – a small wave train with an excellent pocket on the Zambian side.
Morning Glory, Rapid #4, Class 4/5
Morning Glory or The Wake-Up Call. As with many of the Zambezi’s rapids, this rapid changes vastly with water levels, various lines at the top all lead in to a crashing hole at the bottom.
Stairway to Heaven, Rapid #5
Spectacular Grade 5 whitewater, the river drops 30 feet in 50 feet making this one of the largest commercially run drops anywhere in the world. As you approach this monster, you can only see a horizon line until the last few seconds. The first time you run it is unforgettable. It was called “Stairway to Heaven” after the song by Led Zeppelin.
This is where things got real. Our raft got inundated with so much water that I briefly thought that we were actually underwater (note the amount of water left in the boat in the video)! Kurt lost one of his contacts here, and Greg temporarily lost his sunglasses (only to be miraculously found later on the front of the boat).
The Devils Toilet Bowl, Rapid #6, Class 4
At higher water, a narrow constriction in the river creates a large whirlpool. At lower water levels, two cheeky waves are formed that can cause problems. Sneak left or right and you should stay upright.
Gulliver’s Travels, Rapid #7, Class 5
The longest of our rapids, navigate past “indicator rock,” across the “green highways,” around the “crease” and the “gap,” and through “Land of the Giants” and you are home clear. “Gulliver’s Travels” is one of the most technically challenging of the Zambezi’s rapids.
Things went upside down and sideways in #7. Stewart’s boat flipped behind us in the rapid. As we approached to assist their raft once it floated downriver (still upside down), we were coming in with speed to find Italo was pinned underwater by their raft and he couldn’t roll up in his kayak. We pulled Dave into our raft, then he and I had to “get down” as we worked our way out through more whitewater until we could return him to his boat and replace my paddle that had broken when we were coming through the main rapid. Somehow in all of the chaos, my right forearm got slammed into something (an oncoming raft, rock wall, and/or Diego’s oar), and I legitimately thought that it was broken because it hurt that badly.
The Midnight Diner, Rapid #8, Class 3/5
Choose your line from the menu – “Kentucky-Fried Chicken Line,” the “Mighty Muncher,” or “Star Trek.” The names of the line say it all! Most people seeking an easy run go down the “Chicken run” to avoid the large waves in the middle. The “Big Mac,” named after McDonald’s hamburger, is the middle run and so the rapid became known as the “Midnight Diner” because of options on the menu for guests to decide on. On the left is “Star Trek” with a hole of up to 5m reserved for the brave.
Our first time through and after the chaos of #7, we had no qualms about having KFC! Even the easy lines are no sure thing on this river though.
Commercial Suicide, Rapid #9, Class 5/6
An enormous rapid, commercially un-runnable in rafts. We disembarked from the rafts, and we watched in awe as the guides paddled the rafts down through the rapid solo.
The Gnashing Jaws Of Death, Rapid #10, Class 4
A beautiful wave train that is usually no problem, with shallow rocks on the bottom left. An easy run before lunch.
We stopped for lunch after #10. Thanks to the porter who hiked our lunch down to the beach!
The Overland Truck Eater, Rapid #11, Class 5
“The Overland Truck Eater” or sometimes “Creamy White Buttocks” is another of the Zambezi’s rapids that changes its nature; at low water it features a steep drop with a horrible hole and churning boils, at high water it is a tubing wave ideal for surfers, body boarders, and kayakers.
The 3 Ugly Sisters, Rapids #12A, B & C, Class 3/4
A pretty continuous section of whitewater for approximately a kilometer, three rapids close together at different levels. If you are a kayaker, 12B’s huge surf wave is a must!
The Mother, Rapid #13, Class 4/5
The mother of all wave trains, the first and fourth waves can be enormous, the big highlight after the “Three ugly sisters.”
The Mother. She did not treat us kindly. This is where we went vertical and lost our first man overboard. I have no clue how the rest of us didn’t fly out the back when we went airborne. Nyami Nyami.
Rapid #14, Class 3
Big S-bend in the river. Center chute to be avoided at lower water levels.
The Washing Machine, Rapid #15, Class 5
At low water a recirculating pour over is formed in the middle of the rapid, generally avoided on the right hand side of the river.
Terminator I & II, Rapids #16A & #16B, Class 4
Famous for high water. Terminator 1 & 2 combine to create a huge wave train with the largest wave at 16B flipping many a raft who chooses to go there. At low water relatively straightforward down the middle.
Double Trouble, Rapid #17, Class 5
A similar rapid to The Washing Machine. Two large holes situated in the middle of the river. These can be safely run at medium to high flows. When the river drops lower, they should be avoided on river left or right.
Oblivion, Rapid #18, Class 5
Three waves make up THE rapid on the Zambezi. The third crashing wave is responsible for more raft flips than any other in the world – only about 1 in 4 attempts succeed! This rapid marks the end of the “low water” one-day run.
Rapids #19 to #21, Class 2/3
Easy runs at the end of the day.
It was a special surprise to be greeted by local singers/dancers who had hiked into the gorge to perform for us when we arrived at our beach camp at the end of the day.
Unfortunately, we were preoccupied with getting settled into our tents before the sun went down and collectively processing what we had just gone through on the river (approximately 27-28k of Big F* whitewater). But, after a bit of time, and with drinks in hand, we settled in to watch them perform in this unique setting.
Then, it was time for a chef-prepared dinner around the campfire. All of the food, drinks, tents, our dry bags, and other supplies had been hiked in by porters earlier in the day. The porters are the real stars of the show that make this moving adventure possible downstream on the river!
The only times that Kurt and I have been camping together have been riverside during a rafting trip. Even though we aren’t big campers, there’s something special about falling asleep to the sound of the water flowing underneath a nearly full moon. My right arm was still hurting though from the aftermath of Rapid #7, so it made sleeping a challenge.
What.A.Day.