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Lake Kariba - Zimbabwae
'Don't worry they'll be fine. Just keep close to the shore and paddle past quickly', said Leo reassuringly. A split second later the group of kayakers were paddling as fast as they could to the shore with a cow hippo chasing us at a furious pace, defending her calf.
It's amazing how a novice kayaker, such has myself, can paddle so quickly after only a couple of hours experience, when there is a large gaping mouth in pursuit !!. I was spending the week on Lake Kariba in Zimbabwae, as part of the adventure training phase on Raleigh International's fourteenth expedition to the country. The UK based youth development organisation currently has 114 ventureres taking part in it's community and conservation projects all over Zimbabwae, and these activities are intersprersed with the physical challenges of three weeks trekking and kayaking.
Our group consisted of 13 ventures, aged between 17 and 26 year, the deputy expedition leader (actually a kayak instructor) and myself (the expedition press officer) under the watchful guidance of instructors, Leo Hoare and Frank Ryan. The aim of the kayaking phase was for the venturers to set out on a testing six day paddle between Kurubi wilderness area (south east of Kariba and Kings camp, which is over 100km away. As well as learning about kayaking, we were also exposed to the elements and wildlife and the group was able to build leadership and team skills as well as learn about the challenges of low impact camping and hygiene.
Each morning we got up at 6am (although the designated cooks for the day had to bo up at 5.30am to get the fire going and the water on the boil) for a deliscious breakfast of Pro Nutro (this is a staple Zimbabwian porridge like mix that is enjoyed to verying degrees by the ventursers and if you don't ever taste it you wont have missed out!) Once breakfast was cleaned up, we had to make radio contact with the field base in Harare (using HF radios) and then there were tents to take down, long drops to fill, litter sweeps to undertake, kayaks to pack and stretching exercises to be done. We were normally readyto be oof at approximately 7.45, which we thought was quite good going.
Starting off at Kings Camp, each day we paddled a section of our overall journey and were lucky enough to have fairly diverse weather conditions thoughout the week, which made for interesting paddling. Most days were baking hot, with the sun mercilessly beating down on our hats and sunscreen, but the breeze managed to take some of the heat out of the hard work. There were a few overcast days however, which made life significantly easier and when the wind picked up paddling on the lake became very much a sea kayaking experience. I learnt a great deal about paddling skills ( bearing in mind previous experience was limited to Hawai Five O impressions in an inflatable dingy as a child at the seaside). Draw strokes, sweep strokes, side slipping, stern rudders and even a few river skills in Sanyati Gorge, you name it I had a go and felt really chuffed with myself that I'd learnt so much by the end of the week.
Scared out of our wits
Leo and Frank led us from Bed Island, down sanyati gorge past Tetse Island, to Chahara Point past Antelope Island and home during the week, leaving the groups to navigate but keeping a watchful eye over our route. Having spent over two months on the lake by the end of the expedition they became residents and were all too aware of the surprises that lay in store when you least expect them,'we'll both admit to being scared out of our wits of the wildlife when we first did our recce visit to the lake , to work out our routes for the next nine, week long kayaking trips' ,confesses Leo, who had not experienced this type of adventure in his six year career in the British Slalom Team during which he came fourth in the Junior world championships in 1992. 'but after a while you get to understand the animal behaviour more and your reactions become more instinctive, you start to get eyes in the back of your head and you just know where the hippos are lurking'. I will also confess to being a little anxious about the prospect of a hippo taking a dislike to my kayak and taking a chunk out of the hull, whether I was in it or not, as that kind of thing does happen with some degree of regularity in Southern Africa. But I, for whatever reason felt very safe in the hands of a crazy Irishman and a chuckling kayak freak from N. Wales.
When I asked Frank and Leo how they got into kayaking I got two different answers. Frank, who back in the UK is an operator on the Metropolitan Line and is sponsored by the London underground to be a Project manager for Raleigh, simply fancied his canoeing teacher at school. Leo claims that his father wanted to get him into a sport to keep him off the streets.'I tried sailing for a while but every time someone shouted Lea-ho I turned around and got clouted by the boom, so I took up kayaking instead' !!
Back on the Kariba trail we continued to encounter more and more wildlife as the week progressed. We saw a lot of elephants drinking at the lakes edge and it was a privlidge to be so close to these beautiful creatures. We had one rather hair raising encounter with a bull elephant who was unimpressed that one of the venturers was keen to get a close up shot of him. The ele's ears flared, his trunk went out at right-anles and he was stamping his feet. 'paddle away guys ', shrieked Frank in his coarse, Irish drawl.'paddle faster guys'! Now its amazing how having competent instructors with you can lull you into a false sense of security when you're in less than a foot's depth of water.
Each evening, after a SITREP is sent through on the radio to field base and once supper of a concoction of noodles, soya and tomato soup has been devoured, the leader of the day reviews the day's events, looking at the achievements and areas where there was room for improvement. The evening of the upset elephant incident, Frank suggested that greater respect for the animals may be prudent. The group nodded, one individual looked a bit sheepish and from thereon in a learning experience was realised. 'this is what Raleigh is all about' explained Frank theroising about why such incidents are beneficial to the group dynamics. 'learning about how we fit into the bigger picture of things- respecting others and recognising your strengths and weaknesses. Some of them learn the easy way; some learn the hard way'. But everyone leaves the expedition with a greater sense of self-awareness and confidence.
The favorite day of the week for everybody was a 30km paddle up and down Sanyati Gorge, on the south eastern part of the lake. About 500km across at the mouth and thinning to about 80m at the point where we turned around to come back, the gorge is beautifully hemmed in by lush green hills on either side, paddling with thick undergrowth on either side of you makes one feel far more intrepid. With bright skies and fantastic birds that look like somebody has taken to them with a paint pallet, we paddled along enjoying every stroke.
Health and Hygiene is a real challenge for the groups on the lake , but something which is taken seriously- having a dose of D&V whilst kayaking would not be funny. Under Franks wise insistance we had a system of three buckets with soap, dettol and bleach to wash our hands and another three for our mess tins and mugs. We bleached all our drinking water (0.015ml per litre) to kill the bilharzias and had our longs and insect repellent on by 5.30pm to keep the mossies at bay.
Leo has worked out that over his nine weeks on the lake he and Frank will have each dunk 335 litres of lake water; half a litre of bleach; pitched their tents 63 times, paddled over 1,000 miles and encouraged over 120 people into the world of canoeing.
I loved my week on the lake, I loved the test of endurance, and I loved the hippos wandering next to my tent during the night, treading surprisingly daintily and noisily munching away. I loved the fantastic scenery and the sunsets and the dawns. I loved my arms and back aching and the fact that I was so shattered I went to bed by 7.30pm each evening. I loved spending time with the venturers and watching their group dynamics evolve, as their teamwork went from strength to strength .And I loved the fun environment which our intrepid instructors created whilst making me feel safe. Leo and Frank's challenging Kariba Cruises - thank you very much.
