Oranje Gorge

Of all the trails we run, the Oranje Gorge (or !Gariep Falls route) is the most awesome in terms of its scenery and the sheer power of the river. The route follows the river as it twists from its east-west orientation to run north-south through a short but spectacular gorge. Halfway down are the !Gariep or Ritchie Falls, unrunnable by boat, which have to be portaged past. The picture below shows us having paddled back up the gorge to see the foot of the falls.

In the lower gorge is one of South Africa's famous rapids - "Big Bunny", so named because a German visitor on one of our trips could not pronounce the word "rapid" and kept calling it the "big rabbit".

ABOUT THE ROUTE

Click the map below to enlarge. Although the distance is fairly short we take 4 days because the surroundings are too good to miss - they just cry out to be explored. The trail begins at the border village of Onseepkans about 1hr30minutes drive from our main base at Kakamas. Drivers take the cars to the end point of the trail where there is safe parking. We return to the top and head downriver. Day One takes us to Flat Rocks campsite where a wonderful play rapid awaits and there are great hikes to the mountaintops. Days 2 & 3 are spent approaching and then portaging into the gorge. Most of the third day is spent paddling and walking up the gorge, and running rapids for fun, while we camp two nights at one spot. The river divides around a series of islands and forms two major channels, the Chicken Run (or "Little George" on the Namibian (west) side, and the main run (or "Big George") on the east, or South African side. We do not run the main gorge which is filled with dangerous potholes and suck-backs. But we do paddle and hike up to see its enormous rocks and thundering channels. The Chicken Run, as the name implies, is far friendlier though it too contains memorable rapids like Scorpion, Screwdriver and Little Falls. The granite landscape comprises some of the oldest rocks on earth and - believe it or not - there is a theory that once upon a time a huge mountain range perhaps the height of Everest stood here, but has been eroded over many eons. On day 4 we carry one down the gorge, running Big Bunny, Dolly Parton and Last Gasp before, paddling to the end point.

HISTORY

This route was first pioneered as a do-able rafting and kayaking trail by Graeme Addison and friends from Rhodes University in the 1970s. Before that, a SA Navy expedition had run the gorge, while there were rumours that canoeists had perished down in its depths. We do know that SA river pioneer Willem van Riet had taken transport around the gorge during his famous solo descent of the river in the 1960s. Working with sketchy naval information, Graeme, climbers John Moss and Carl Fatti, and keen paddler Boy Johnson, along with others, descended the route and established that the right-hand channel was runnable. The left-hand or main channel is a serious challenge for kayakers and not really suitable for rafting. In 1982, on a third expedition to the gorge, Graeme invited Jerome Truran who ran it by kayak. It had already been kayaked by Dave Walker from Natal.

Big Bunny rapid in the Oranje Gorge, with the early sun reflected in the pool above.

The route was truly the inception of whitewater rafting on a tourism basis in South Africa and it is remarkable that such an intense experience became the first successful "sell" among guided river options. Later routes would be a lot tamer as operators learnt that not everyone is keen on Class 3-5 rapids. By the mid-eighties, Graeme's oufit, THE RIVERMEN, was running regular Oranje Gorge trips over 3-4 days and taking all sorts - from groups of university students and staff from Pretoria, to collections of foreign visitors and keen young learner kayakers.

Today several companies ply the route and Graeme visits occasionally with groups who ask to go there. Graeme knows the history, geology and culture of the area well. During his stint as an operator in the area he bought a house for R200 - there were no title deeds but no-one questioned the sale - and this was occupied by Ops Manager Joe Mjwara, a huge Zulu with dreadlocks, along with assistant guide and chief cook and bottle washer Julie Silberstein - a stunning redhead. One can imagine how the conservative Afrikaans community of Onseepkans took to this arrangement. At first it was a scandal, then it became a matter of pride to refer to the Zulu and the Lady as local characters "who are not from here but work with the river people". Joe and Julie were eventually invited to dance the tiekie-draai at the commemoration of the Great Trek, a town event of note.

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There's nothing to beat a couple of days spent in the Orange River Gorge - trust me, I'm a doctor of rivers! You can't get further from civilisation. One of the highlights of the trip is the portage into the gorge (below).

We run downriver through beautiful rapids, stopping to walk to viewpoints from which to see the amazing rocky landscape of the gorge - a crack in the earth with the !Gariep Falls tumbling into it. Time is spent swimming, running rapids for fun, and telling stories around the campfire. Join me on this wonderful 4-day trip.