Paddlers get to grips with the "new" Glenhaven

Underberg – Paddlers have been taking advantage of the good early summer rains to try out the "new" Glenhaven rapid on the course of the Global Trader Drakensberg Challenge on 27 and 28 February, and the consensus is that the reshaped obstacle will require serious respect from paddlers of all abilities.

The rapid, which lies at the end of the 5km Underberg Gorge has always been the two day race's most demanding obstacle. However during the winter months when the river flow slows to a virtual trickle, the rapid was dramatically reshaped by the local landowner, desperate to try and stop the erosion of the right hand bank of the river and threatening the road that runs close to the river bank.

The steep rocky rapid was filled in, and a new straight channel was excavated down the centre of the rapid, creating a totally new obstacle for the massive field expected in Underberg for the race.

When the first major rains of the season fell in the Southern Drakensberg catchment area, eager canoeists who had until then only been able to speculate about what demands the rejigged rapid would throw up.

The first party of trippers encountered a series of major waves and one massive hole formed by the concentration of the water down the central chute.

The cautious crews were able to find a sneak line to the right of the massive rough water that skirted the big wave-train, while others were brave enough to take the rapid head on and opted for the central line that leads directly into a cavernous wave midway through the rapid.

There were several swimmers from boats that capsized in the big water, and all of them commented that the consequence of falling out in the "new" rapid was a lengthy, fast and somewhat unnerving swim.

In this sequence, local Lauren Canham and Mike Smith got through the tough central line, with the river flowing at around 30 cumecs (level three on Scotstons bridge).

However race bosses have been quick to point out that the river can rise quickly after typical summer thunderstorms, and the rapid will be very different under 100 cumecs, which as the case on the day after the race last year.