The Lowveld Crocodile River race a success
The Lowveld Crocodile river race has been classified for years as an A + grade river race. Meaning an entry requirement includes compulsory helmets and minimum experience on at least three A grade rivers.
The Lowveld Crocodile River is a name that prickles the hair on a canoeist’s head.
Not necessarily because of the occasional migrating hippo that can be found on the river, but because it is one of the more challenging, technically demanding, boat-breaking rivers in South Africa.
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The Trac 2020 Lowveld Croc river race was held on October 17 from below the Kwena dam, and finished just below Old Joe’s Kaia Guest House with a 33 cumec water release from the Inkomati Usuthu Catchment
Management, which resulted in very fast paddling with very quick sharp turns.
The race accommodates K1 kayaks (singles) as the river flows fast and narrow and getting a K2 (double) around the s-bends of scattered rocks is technically very challenging.
From the East Rand’s ERK Kayak club based at Homestead dam, Michael Stewart made a time of two hours 28 minutes (arguably the club’s best ever well known paddler), as well as Leon Maritz, a die-hard, never-say-no paddler who took on the challenge, finishing successfully in a time of three hours, 46 minutes respectively and a local veterinary surgeon, Pieter Engelbrecht, who finished the technically difficult and interesting river race in a time of two hours 47 minutes.
The Lowveld Crocodile river race has been classified for years as an A + grade river race. Meaning an entry requirement includes compulsory helmets and minimum experience on at least three A grade rivers.
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The race is hosted by the local canoeists based in Mpumalanga annually and it is a 33km stretch of river with winding corners, narrow, fast flowing, strewn with rocks, weirs and islands surrounded by the majestic beauty of the surrounding mountain ranges.
Many paddlers have walked out through the bush with broken boats, or having lost them in the river to wrap around the multitude of rocks, to be salvaged after the race by the Lowveld sweeps, picking up the tattered bits and pieces along the way.
