The Zambezi River is classified as a high volume; pool-drop river i.e. there is little exposed rock either in the rapids or the pools below the rapids. The distance between rapids varies from 100 meters to 2 km. The Gorge itself is approximately (110m) 360ft deep at the low Water starting point and (230m) 750ft at the one-day trip endpoint. The river drops about 400ft over the 24km covered in the one-day low water raft trip and the depth of the river in the gorge between rapids has been recorded as deep as (120m) 395ft. The British Canoe Union has classified the river Grade 5 “extremely difficult, long and violent rapids, steep gradients, big drops, and pressure areas”. On the low water rafting trips, nearly half of the rapids negotiated are Grade 5. (Grade 6 is unrunnable – rapid number 9, Commercial Suicide” is a Grade 6 rapid and we carry our rafts around this rapid).
RAFTING OPTIONS:
The ONE-DAY trip runs year-round subject to river levels.
High Water – approx end of December to mid-August (stopping in between if river too high).
Low Water – approx mid-August to end December