Location Check Part Five: The Zambezi River

Written on Monday 11.01.2010 09:00 AM By: Red Bull Illume

In the fifth and final part of our Location Check series, we take a look at Africa’s kayaking focal point: The Zambezi River.

The 3,540km long Zambezi is a gigantic and intimidating force of nature. From its source in Zambia, Africa’s fourth-longest river meanders through Angola, along the borders of Namibia, Botswana, Zambia and Zimbabwe to Mozambique, where it empties into the Indian Ocean.

The amount of water running down the Zambezi is massive, with flows ranging from 600 to 8500 cubic meters per second. Thousands of gallons of water plunge over the spectacular Victoria Falls, which were declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1989, and creating a unique scenery of gushing rapids and stark basalt cliffs.

For hundreds of years, this impressive environment was home only to leopards and monkeys, with only few kayakers daring to venture onto the river. However, when American travel company Sobek first descended the rapids in the Batoka gorges below Victoria Falls during the early 1980s, they paved the way for the Zambezi to turn into one of the world’s most popular kayaking spots. Word soon spread and kayakers from all corners of the globe were drawn to the rapids, with internationally renowned kayakers such as Alex Nicks, Steve Fisher and Nico Chassing making the journey to develop their skills.

Today, the Zambezi has become an institution when it comes to kayaking, with an estimated 50,000 people flocking to the region every year to conquer the river with their small boats.

In their wake follow some of the world’s best action sports photographers who value the Zambezi as a premium location for capturing outstanding kayaking pictures. One of them is Desré Pickers, who won the Lifestyle category and People’s Choice prize of Red Bull Illume 2007 with her spectacular shot of Steve Fisher, Sam Drevo and Dale Jardine peering over the Falls.

With such spectacular scenery, the Zambezi offers a great backdrop for outdoor shoots, especially up at the Falls, where the river is over a mile wide and the steam rising from the falls can be seen over ten miles away.

Although the best season to paddle or photograph at the Zambezi is from mid June to mid January, the river can basically be run at any time of year.

However, kayaking or shooting at the Zambezi also comes with a few downsides. First of all, things can get quite busy. With the Victoria Falls being a major tourist destination, the place can get crowded.

In addition, kayaking the river holds a number of dangers. Not only do you have to be aware of crocodiles, but the river also contains exposed rocks that can cause injuries. Advanced skills are required, with the river being classified by the British Canoe Union as Grade 5 - "extremely difficult, long and violent rapids, steep gradients, big drops and pressure areas".

Crocodiles and rocks aside, the Zambezi is the river to test any paddler’s skills and for photographers to capture the action.


Quick facts

Getting there:
The river can be accessed from Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe or Livingstone in Zambia, Southern Africa. There are international airports in Victoria Falls and Livingstone, with regular flights leaving from Johannesburg in South Africa.

Links:
http://www.flyzambezi.com
http://www.zambezi.com
http://thezambezi.com