RAFTING the NILE
one of the most lifethreateningf things i ever ever did in my life ( maybe besides eating this puffy fish , that if wrongly prepared can kill you...) , i had yesterday: Rafting the Nile! it is next to the zambesi the most challenging , commercial explored raft in the world. in rafting terms: Grade 6 means death, and we had to manage 2 time grade 5. so almost death.....
the are 8 challenges called: 50:50 , dead dutchmen, ripcage, silverback, whirlpool, and itanda ("death" in local language)
we were 4 of us (katja, sascha & clemens and 3 nice norwegian girls) all guided by this supercoolest rafting guy graham - tattoed, surfer& rafter in summer, snowboarder in winter,.... from NILE RIVER EXPLORERS and i had quiete respect in the beginning cause he wanted to go hardcore....
so, the first 2 rapids we mastered bravely, and then came the first big one: Silverback , where all nile water has to fall through a narrow pass. the first wave starts big, and the second is even bigger. but we made it without flipping and it was sioooooo much fun. just like a rollercoaster ride. the second challenge came at point where water was swallow, and it wasnt easy going down the waterfall. but also this we made. Graham, although a big pretender- really knows what to do and how to
then we approached a rather medium rapid called Retrospective, but somehow we flipped over even before, cause 2 of us fell out in a small whirl before the rapid. we all tumbled together and managed after a few seconds to hang on the raft, and then flip it back. but the problem was, it wasnt enough time to get back INTO the raft before the actual rapid. and that was a 2 meter water fall. Graham, shouted :"shit" and that means actually very much of shit, and very scary indeed. so we fall down, holding with all hands on the raft and peddal,.... and we made it. with very much water, and totally exhausted. in the following 20 minutes we were all in little shock. of course the first flip is always the worst, but it came so unexpectedly at that point, and even more because Graham also wasnt easy about it.
the last one, called itanda, a grade 6 and 5 , we climed out and the rafts were placed back into the Nile at some lower point of the rapid. and it was impressive! and scary same time. if we wouldnt have gone in the almost last wave, i think the whole group whould have gone chicken-shit and not back into the raft. but with good intsructions, and kajaks all around, it was clear we can let losse of the raft, and we will be collected after some 4-5 seconds under water. so, we gave everything and even managed to "SURF" the wave for a 1-3 seconds while. that was so cool, little bit like deep snow boarding, and then we flipped and dived, and swallowed water, and dived again, swallowed more water. but this time i was more cool, cause i feel more save, trusted my swim-west and imagined swimming the waves in the atlantic sea.
puhhh, totally exhausted, and happy at the same time the 4 hours trip was over. what a relieve, and what an adrenalin kick!!! JihA!
everybody told everybody its scary diving stories later at the barbecue & beer at the campsite.
WHich has a fantastic view over the Nile and a magnificient warming sunset.
and even by today - the day after - i feel all my muscles , slightly sunburn on my handtops, and my body's adenalin still pumping....
you have to come visit me and do it too!! you ll never forget. it was "aaaaaaaaaaaaaaawesome" - as the americans would say
i post some of our original pictures later,
the are 8 challenges called: 50:50 , dead dutchmen, ripcage, silverback, whirlpool, and itanda ("death" in local language)
we were 4 of us (katja, sascha & clemens and 3 nice norwegian girls) all guided by this supercoolest rafting guy graham - tattoed, surfer& rafter in summer, snowboarder in winter,.... from NILE RIVER EXPLORERS and i had quiete respect in the beginning cause he wanted to go hardcore....
so, the first 2 rapids we mastered bravely, and then came the first big one: Silverback , where all nile water has to fall through a narrow pass. the first wave starts big, and the second is even bigger. but we made it without flipping and it was sioooooo much fun. just like a rollercoaster ride. the second challenge came at point where water was swallow, and it wasnt easy going down the waterfall. but also this we made. Graham, although a big pretender- really knows what to do and how to
then we approached a rather medium rapid called Retrospective, but somehow we flipped over even before, cause 2 of us fell out in a small whirl before the rapid. we all tumbled together and managed after a few seconds to hang on the raft, and then flip it back. but the problem was, it wasnt enough time to get back INTO the raft before the actual rapid. and that was a 2 meter water fall. Graham, shouted :"shit" and that means actually very much of shit, and very scary indeed. so we fall down, holding with all hands on the raft and peddal,.... and we made it. with very much water, and totally exhausted. in the following 20 minutes we were all in little shock. of course the first flip is always the worst, but it came so unexpectedly at that point, and even more because Graham also wasnt easy about it.
the last one, called itanda, a grade 6 and 5 , we climed out and the rafts were placed back into the Nile at some lower point of the rapid. and it was impressive! and scary same time. if we wouldnt have gone in the almost last wave, i think the whole group whould have gone chicken-shit and not back into the raft. but with good intsructions, and kajaks all around, it was clear we can let losse of the raft, and we will be collected after some 4-5 seconds under water. so, we gave everything and even managed to "SURF" the wave for a 1-3 seconds while. that was so cool, little bit like deep snow boarding, and then we flipped and dived, and swallowed water, and dived again, swallowed more water. but this time i was more cool, cause i feel more save, trusted my swim-west and imagined swimming the waves in the atlantic sea.
puhhh, totally exhausted, and happy at the same time the 4 hours trip was over. what a relieve, and what an adrenalin kick!!! JihA!
everybody told everybody its scary diving stories later at the barbecue & beer at the campsite.
WHich has a fantastic view over the Nile and a magnificient warming sunset.
and even by today - the day after - i feel all my muscles , slightly sunburn on my handtops, and my body's adenalin still pumping....
you have to come visit me and do it too!! you ll never forget. it was "aaaaaaaaaaaaaaawesome" - as the americans would say
i post some of our original pictures later,
posted by ina* @ 2:39 PM
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