Island One and Two
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| Distance from start of the stage : 17.8km Lat -29.758268 Lon 30.901141 |
Spectators/Seconds: No Portage option: On island |
Only for the serious rough water paddlers! It will save a few minutes on the portage/paddle option but it is a high risk option and must be fully scouted before the race. This is tricky because there is very seldom race level water on this stretch of river beforehand!
Island 1 can be approach either left or extreme right but is big and tricky either way. The there is a long pool that leads to Island 2, which is around an old causeway over the river. This is approached extreme left, under the overhanging trees before dropping over the causeway and into a big hole where the channel converges to form a proper wave. It requires strength and skill.
For the vast majority of the paddlers you must head left when you see the island and follow the tight channel down the right into it runs out, where you jump out and portage for fifty metres before putting in in the left hand channel. here you paddle over a few ledges until you get to a large rock shelf. Approach it from the left pointing right at 45 degrees, watching out for a nasty solitary rock on the rockslide. After the rockslide head into the middle of the river and hit the big river-wide wave head on!
Aerial view
Down the left
Down the right!
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Unless you’re very confident don’t shoot it.
The majority of the guys portage on the left which is a very simple portage. Island 1 isn’t too bad but island 2 is big and you have to make sure you get your line perfect. |
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Most paddlers should go left.
For those really racing and keen to go right: Island 1 – Middle heading left, good luck Island 2 – hug the left, really hug the left and hang on! |
