Canoeing the Orange River

 

The Basics

A group of 14, of which 4 were guides, would set out for a 4 day/3 night canoe adventure on the Orange River.  The river starts in the Drakensberg Mountains and then flows west to create the border between Namibia and South Africa before reaching the Atlantic Ocean.  Because of the drought you could see where water used to flow, but was currently much lower.

We’d sleep under the stars, literally as we didn’t have tents, and would choose our campsite based on how far we’d gone.  There was no need to worry about rain as we were in the desert and average annual rainfall is 15 mm (0.6 in).  The guides carried enough supplies for 2 days and we’d get a resupply on day 2.  Between Tico and I, we had 4 buckets to put our sleeping bags, dry clothes and snacks as well as a cooler for drinks.  The toilet rules were to use the river during the day, a shovel or lighter to burn paper at lunch and a bucket with a toilet seat at camp.  And with that, we were briefed and started paddling.

Day 1

 

Once we were all loaded into our 2-person fiberglass canoes, we paddled with South Africa on our left and Namibia on our right.  Just as we reached the edge of camp, we hit our first rapid.  One of the couples on the trip went at it at an angle that tipped them over into the river.  And like that, they’d set the record for getting wet quicker than anyone else.

 

 

We paddled for 2 hours while enjoying the view before finding a lunch spot.  They used a green elastic fabric and long wooden poles to create shade as trees were not an option.  Before we knew it, the 4 guides whipped up a tuna salad and presented it with fruit and salad.  As we finished, we were in charge of cleaning our own plates.  That was when we realized the water we were cleaning with came from the river, aka our daytime toilet.  There was a bucket of river water with a bit of soap and then a second one of just water for rinsing.

 

After lunch, we paddled another 2 hours.  During that time we crossed Dead Man’s Rapids, where Tico and I paddled head on into a rock.  Thankfully the boats could handle a bit of banging into things and we carried on as if we hadn’t just smacked into anything.  The river twisted and curved and we arrived at our campsite for the night.  We relaxed before having dinner, which was foil chicken, braai chicken, rice and vegetable medley.  There was enough food for twice as many people, but after a day of paddling we did what we could to leave our mark.

 

Day 2

 

The morning started when the sun began to lighten the sky and we were served French toast for breakfast.  Moments after getting back in the water, we reached the Entrance Exams rapids.  We did most of our paddling that morning, which amounted to about 3.5 hours.  Occasionally, we’d throw ourselves overboard to try to cool ourselves off.  The weather ranged from 25-30°C (77-86°F) at night to 38-40°C (100-104°F) during the day so the water was our air conditioning.

 

 

Right before reaching our lunch spot, we passed another company on the river that was in inflatable canoes.  We realized that we had picked the right company as our canoes moved much faster than theirs.  Our lunch was a ham that had been cooked on the fire the night before.  We also used the stop to get supplies to last us the next 2 days.  Tico and I decided to switch positions in the canoe and he made his way forward to get a different angle for pictures.

 

Our campsite was not far from lunch so we only had another 30 minutes before arriving at the ‘golf course,’ which is so named because there is actually grass.  We had several hours to relax before having spaghetti with bolognese sauce for dinner.  One thing we’d learned about the weather is that like clockwork at 3-4 pm the wind starts.  Although not great for paddling, it helps make the heat bearable.  There was no wind that night, which also meant there were bugs.  About halfway through the night, we decided to pull out the mosquito net.

Day 3

 

Our rapid for the day was the Sjambok, which was roughly 2 kms long depending on the water level.  It would flatten out and then have white water again.  The river narrowed at that point and we were in between amazing rock formations made from years of erosion.  Two different boats tipped over in the rapids, but after regrouping and scooping water out of boats we were off again.

 

We had lunch at an abandoned diamond mine so while they prepared the sausages we explored.  The machinery was all left behind and you could see how the sifting was done.  I scanned the ground as we walked, but no diamonds caught my eye.  Although I did find a rusted screw to replace the one lost in South Africa for our GoPro.

After lunch, we entered Richterveld National Park.  The mountains became more pronounced and the scenery was even better than before.  We took our time to enjoy the scenery.  The river was calm and there was a perfect reflection of the mountains on the water.  The baboons watched us from the shore and the ducks fluttered off as we got closer.

 

 

After another 6 hour day, we reached our camp for the night, which was called zoo island.  The name is because baboons live directly across the river and goats frequently graze on the island as well.  With the lower water level, the island was connected to the mainland, but the baboons and us shared a mutual fear.

 

To celebrate our last night, we had drinks and an unbelievable appetizer spread before having lamb roast for dinner.  For the first time since arriving in Namibia, we saw clouds in the sky.  They cleared just after sunset and we were able to enjoy another incredible view of the stars as there was no nearby electricity.  The baboons made noises throughout the night, but it only added to the experience.

Day 4

Our journey ended after an hour paddle from our campsite.  We arrived at a table grape farm and loaded everything on the truck.  We’d paddled roughly 70 kms over the past 4 days and been accompanied along the way by herons, fish eagles, lots of fish and even a water monitor (large lizard).  Once back at camp, we enjoyed a much deserved shower after several days without washing ourselves.  The group had a final meal together before we said our goodbyes.

 

Helpful tips:

• The sun is powerful so be prepared with clothes to cover your entire body.  Also, be aware of the reflection of the sun off the water.
• Felix Unite provides a lot of food during the trip, but you may want snacks between meals.
• They will restock your cooler with ice on day 2 to make sure all drinks are kept cool.
• This trip is appropriate for all ages from children to older adults.