The 3 "Minus
rapids": Occur
before the official #1. Minus #1 and #2 are the only rapids
that have been run, minus #3 is impossible to access because
of its proximity to the falls. Rapid #2 is the biggest and most
impressive rapid on the river.
# 1 "Against the wall"
: Class 4/5:
The Boiling Pot, accessible only from the Zambian bank, is the
start of the low water trip. From here the river hits a wall
forming a wild cushion wave and eddy.
# 2 "The bridge"
:
Class 3: A wild mixture of waves
best in the early part of the low water season. Clearly visible
to bungee jumpers and spectators on the Victoria Falls bridge.
# 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.
# 4 "Morning Glory"
:
Class 4/5:
The first major rapid offering varying lines with an almost
river wide hole at the top, followed by a few diagonals off
the right hand wall and finally a big hole at the bottom.
# 5
"Stairway to Heaven" :
Class 5: Best in the early part of the season, with an 8m drop
over 10m, very steep and powerful with a heap of massive waves
and holes. Although it isn't too technical, it's size and volume
make for an amazing spectacle and an even more amazing ride.
Avoid the waterfalls and a hole on the left called the "catcher's
mitt" plus a large pourover on the right.
# 6 "Devil's Toilet Bowl"
:
Class 4: A
Short rapid with a deceptively steep and powerful hole on entry
followed by some nasty boils and whirlpools.
# 7 "Gullivers Travels"
:
Class 5: A very respectful 700m of class 5 high volume white
water at certain levels. This is the longest and most technical
rapid on the one day whitewater trip. The run consists of a
main channel with smaller channels feeding into it - includes
the "Temple of Doom", "The Crease", "Patella
Gap" and "Land of the Giants".
# 8 "Midnight Diner"
:
Class 3/5: This rapid has 3 runs. On the left is "Star
Trek" with a hole of up to 5m reserved for the brave. The
"Muncher Run" in the centre takes you through a window
of "Star Trek". On the right is the "Chicken
Run".
# 9"Commercial Suicide": Class 5/6:
The Zambezi's most infamous. This is a river-wide pour-over
with a very narrow slot of less than a metre on the right -
commercial portage! Read Ben Webster's kayaking account of Rapid
#9.
#10 "Gnashing Jaws of Death"
:
Class 4: An
easy run before lunch…..
# 11
"Overland Truck Eater" :
Class 5: A big barrel for about two weeks in the year during the
transition between high and low water in mid January and early
July. Watch out for the hole, eddy line and whirlpool. This is
the
first rapid on the "high water" run.
#12A,B,C "Three Sisters"
:
Class
3/4: 12B is the famous Zambezi surfing wave for kayakers - surfs
best between August and December with two windows and a massive
green shoulder and a big eddy. Rafters prefer the term "three
little pigs".
# 13"The Mother" :
Class 4/5:
A massive wave train at its best, first 3 waves super fast.
# 14: Class 3:
Big S-bend
in the river. Center chute to be avoided at lower water levels.\
# 15
"Washing Machine" :
Class 5: Simple wave train but un-runnable in the middle because
of a huge crashing hole - go left or right into the eddy.
# 16 "The Terminators I and II"
:
Class
4: A massive wave train and trough at higher levels, not much
when low.
# 17 "Double Trouble"
:
Class
5: A simple wave train but un-runnable because of 2 large holes
- also known as "The Bitch".
# 18 "Oblivion" :
Class
5: Three waves make up THE rapid on the Zambezi.. The 3rd 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 #25:
Class
2/3: Easy runs at the end of the day. Rapid #23 is the
last rapid on the "high water" one-day run.
The
Rapids of Batoka Gorge
