ALL DETAILS OF PRICING AND ARRANGEMENTS ORANGE RIVER GORGE 4 NIGHT (31/2 day) KALAHARI COOL SEASON May-September ONLINE VIDEO AT YOUTUBE!   TRAIL DESCRIPTION, PHOTOS AND ROUTE MAP TRAIL PRICING & ARRANGEMENTS

QUICK FINDER Bookings & rates Weather and climate Personal & Group kit How a boat is packed Trip Special Orders MAP - the drive Guiding and safety Heritage & environment Stopover: Kalahari Cliffs Questions? Book your place

Print this page with all details The most scenic whitewater rafting trail in Southern Africa take us though a region bypassed by most travellers and still today regarded as a wild and abandoned frontier. The trail lies west of Augrabies Falls, in stunningly scenic mountainous country. Below Onseepkans is a moonscape of baked rocks with a roaring river. You will learn to love this ancient river course with its many moods and wily character: it is a wonderful environment for self-discovery and for cementing family and relationships or building team spirit.

Follow the Nile of the Kalahari

WHO CAN DO IT

Orange River adventures are ideal for groups of friends and families with teenagers. Minimum age 10.  We paddle downriver in fully self-contained 2-seater croc inflatables so if you have a small youngster, be prepared to look after him or her!For parents and kids, this is a wonderful relationship-building experience. Get to connect with your teenagers before they connect with someone else! The trip is also very suitable for corporate teambuilding groups. We can arrange it to suit your needs and will lay on special meals, transport or equipment depending on what you wish to achieve.

WHAT TO EXPECT

No previous experience is required and we provide a kit list on booking. All boats, group equipment, and logistics are arranged by us, with menu lists provided for self-catering groups. The pace is not hurried and we take time to enjoy the environment and study the marvellous semi-precious stones brought down by the river. You do not need to be superfit but should be able to handle camping out, paddling during the day, hiking, swimming and group fun.Bring your own sleeping bag.

WEATHER AND CLIMATE

Autumn, winter and spring are the ideal time to go rafting in the Kalahari - it's far too hot in summer! In June-July frost is very rare, and the days are mild to warm. It can be chilly earning in the morning but the sun usually shines and it's pleasant on the water. By August-September the weather is generally warm to hot. Average temperatures range from March (+30degC Max - 15C Min), through July (21C - 2C), and September (26C-8C), compared with more than 40degC in summer. It is unlikely to rain, but during the "green season" at midyear rain is a welcome offering, and very localised. The Kalahari is a semi-desert forming part of the temperate Savannah or grasslands of Africa, but the further west we go the drier it gets

To Top

PERSONAL AND GROUP KIT

When you book, we send a personal kit list. It's not hard or expensive to put the kit together: you need what you probably already have. Clothing: "dry gear" for nights, and "wet gear" to wear during the day. We have tents for hire but you can bring your own provided it is lightweight and compact. We do not recommend blow-up lilo mattresses and suggest that you use closed-cell foam or something else that will not puncture on thorns. Again, sleeping mats must roll up nice and tight and light. On self-catering trips you need to provide your own coolboxes which must be light, strong, and sealed properly against sun and water (ie Coleman coolers).

Group kit includes the kitchen and cookware; mugs, plates and cutlery; tarp shelter; chairs and tables; the portable loo; emergency cellphones & medical kit; and other accessories. We provide drybags/bins for the packing of clothing, sleeping bag, tent and air mattress. On catered trips we hanble the packing of food and bottles which are carried in clipdown crates and cold food in coolers - although everyone shares in carrying the loads. Naturally, we also provide all the boats, lifejackets, helmets and paddles for the river trip. In other words, all you need is your own personal stuff and away you go.

How the boat is loaded:

The famous "Croc" - a design for SA rivers originally thought up by Graeme Addison - is a robust river touring craft. It can take a lot of gear and still be perfectly seaworthy in rapids. This diagram shows roughly how kit is tied on for a multi-day trip. The guides and assistants paddle load-boats containing their own and group equipment.

To Top

GUIDING & SAFETY

With RIVERMAN you are in the most expert hands. Graeme Addison pioneered the river touring trails of South Africa (including this one) and is regarded as the father of the river adventures industry. He is the author of Whitewater Rafting: the essential guide to equipment and techniques, and of a White Water: The world's wildest rivers (bothpublished in 2000-1). Most of the guides and assistants on the water with you have been personally trained by Graeme, or if not, they have used the training materials he originally designed.

We'll want to know if you can swim and will make sure you wear your lifejacket and helmet at all times. We'll need to know if you have any medical conditions affecting fitness or judgement. But don't worry - so long as you are reasonably able to handle physical exertion in the outdoors you'll do fine.

We are obsessive about safety, having seen and experienced how rivers play tricks. Trips begin with a safety talk and we show you how to handle the boat in smooth and rough water. We are on hand to help you out of tough corners and provide rescue. As the trip goes on you'll gain confidence in the techniques of paddling, swimming in rapids (for fun!), and recovery of the boat and equipment after capsize - hopefully not too many of those!

HERITAGE & ENVIRONMENT

We care about the rivers we run, we learn about them and try to impart some of our love and enthusiasm for them to you. Water is the most precious resources. Seen in its natural state, carving a giant canyon through bare rock, it is the most impressive too. The birdlife and animal life in the riverine environment are rich - all the richer in remote areas. We may see otters, buck, monkeys, many species of waterfowl, fish eagles and black eagles, and much more.

To conserve the environment we use a portaloo and insist that all garbage carried with us is also carried out. Please support us in this, it's vital for the health and survival of the rivers we run.

TRIP SPECIAL ORDERS

To make the trip memorable, a range of options is open to you, provided you order in advance:

	Picture album - the whole trip and nothing but the trip. We can do both stills and video clips.
	Riverside bar - custom order for drinks, including ice
	Special menus - tell us what you would like and we'll try to oblige
	Souvenir -  Rafting mugs and T-shirts
	Orange River wines with personalised raft tour label

• Orders must be received at the time you pay your trip deposit and must be paid in advance. Go here to place orders.

• VISIT AUGRABIES FALLS AND STAY OVER AT OUR KAKAMAS CAMPSITE
  

  

We strongly recommend that you take two nights before the trail to get to know this magnificent area. "Do" the region - including the Augrabies Falls and the wine route. We'll take you on a morning run down the wonderful Neus Gorge (R250 per head plus VAT), just to warm up for the main trail. Kalahari Cliffs is our base on a wild rocky stretch of riverbank with nearly a kilometre of Orange River frontage, only 6km from Kakamas and 1km off the main N14 highway. Nearby is the delightful Vergelegen Restaurant. The Augrabies Falls is 30km away. At Kalahari Cliffs you may camp and use either the river or the canal to cool off. The site is very much more private than the crowded Augrabies campsite. There is also mountain biking, hiking, star-gazing and much scenic tourism in the area. After the group meets, we have a briefing, stay over one night, and drive to the trailheads at Onseepkans or Pelladrift.

BOOK YOUR TRIP

Read enough? Convinced this is a not-to-be-missed adventure? We need to hear from you soonest! Places are limited as there is a maximum (14 for self-cater; 12 for fully catered) - it's not sociable otherwise! Check the dates and priceshere. All you need to do now is contact us with details of the date, trail you wish to do, number of people, and any special requests. You can -

• send an email

• phone us (056 8181814 or 084 245 2490),

• or go to the inquiry form here.

To Top

MAPS MAP - driving there    Use Routes.co.za for detailed route planning. DISTANCES / km TOTALS From CAPE TOWN, take the N7 to Vanrynsdorp then the R27 to Calvinia, Brandvlei and Kenhardt. This will get you to the junction with the N14 at Kakamas. Visit Augrabies Falls and meet us at Kalahari Cliffs.   From PRETORIA follow the N14 via Ventersdorp and Delrareyville to Vryburg. It's 850km to Upington. From JOHANNESBURG follow the N12 via Potch/Klerksdorp, Wolmaransstad and Schweizer-Renecke to Vryburg. From Vryburg follow the N14 all the way to Upington and then on to Kakamas. Visit Augrabies Falls and meet us at Kalahari Cliffs. FROM CAPE TOWN 0   KAKAMAS 820 820       FROM JOHANNESBURG 0   UPINGTON 795 795 KAKAMAS 100 895 POFADDER 125 1020

To Top

BOOKINGS & RATES 2010 Winter temperatures are pleasant and the days sunny. Summer is too hot! MEET AT KAKAMAS CAMPSITE ON RENDEZVOUS NIGHT.  Prices are valid as at 1 May 2010 but may change due to fuel cost increases. VAT is added to quoted price. MEET AT CAMP ON THE WATER 31/2 days till 2.00-3.00 pm on final day TRIP CODE PRICE * + ! GROUP MIN 8 MAX 16 ^ # SUN 5 SEPT Monday 6 Sept - Thursday 9 Sept    ORG10-03 R 2995 8 pax SUN 12 SEPT Monday 13 Sept - Thursday 16 Sept ORG10-04 R 2995 8 pax SUN 19 SEPT  Monday 20 Sept - Thursday 23 Sept ORG10-04 R 2995 8 pax DISCOUNTS: Up to 8 pax, price as shown. 9-12 Pax: R2775      13-16 Pax:  R2665 * Note that the price does not include any fuel price surcharge linked to increases in fuel costs + The price is exclusive of 14% VAT which is added ! 50% deposit secures your booking, balance due in full 21 days prior to the trip. ^ Supplement is R200 per day X 4 per person for parties less than group minimum. Max group size 16. # Minimum age 10. Each child must paddle with a parent in 2-seater. PLUS! Add a Neus Gorge half-day fun trip on the day prior to the Orange expedition. Price for Neus Gorge: R295 each (normal price R395 per head) plus VAT. BOOKINGS A 50% deposit secures your trip booking. Book early as places are limited. Balance is payable 3 weeks before the trip (21 days).   Cancellations: Over over 90 days - refund less 15% handling fee Over 60 days - refund less 33% admin fee Over 31 days - 40% refund Under 31 days  - no refund. Named persons may be substituted by other persons.

Yourquestions answered? If not, ask here.