Five Fingers Rapid
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| Distance from start of the stage : 18.5km Lat -29.755840 Lon 30.912406 |
Spectators/Seconds: No Portage option: Left hand bank |
Just before you meet up with the people who portaged Burma Road comes this fun long rapid. It starts with a low level causeway that can be shot with some speed and conviction two-third to the right – there is often a safety marshall to show you the deepest line, but it always requires speed. Once over the causeway go right of the big pinnacle rock and then left all the way down to the turn to the left. The demands of Five Fingers change quite dramatically with water level, but as a rule try to stay left all the way down.
If you can cut the corner on the extreme left it will set you up for a great line down the rest of the rapid.
After the corner the river goes over a number of big shelves with big waves which you need to hit head on. If you can emerge from these still on the left you are perfectly set up.
Decision time. The big rock around which countless boats have been wrapped is three quarters of the way down Five Fingers. If you have managed to stay on the extreme left, then stay there and skirt left of this big rock.
If however you have been buffeted into the middle of the river, paddle hard and go right.
Don’t hesitate. make a decision and stick to it boldly. There are a few smaller drops after that which are best tackled on the left.
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Go over the causeway – ramp over the middle. After this there are a series of drops – keep to the left. |
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Follow the flow, try not to do too many turns |
