Not for sissies! High in the foothills of the
Southern Drakensberg, in the shadow of the Hodgsons peaks that Frame Garden
Castle, the Umzimkulu river tumbles out of the mountains en route to Underberg.
As it meets other alpine tributaries it swells, and close to the Castleburn
resort it joins forces with the Umzimkulwana river, offering the first suitable
section of river for marathon canoeing.
Abanganlovalu! It was here in 1994 that a big field of canoeing enthusiasts assembled for what was christened the “Drakensberg Challenge”, or the Drak for short, with a Zulu
slogan “Abanganlovalu”, which can be paraphrased to “Not for the faint hearted.” The Umzimkulu is one of the last free major rivers, unhindered by dams, and entirely dependent on rainfall for its waterflow. The water is crystal clear and clean. Paddlers regularly drink the water from the river to quench their thirst during the race, quite unlike the pollution plaguing other major canoeing races.
The race proudly calls itself “the most fun you can have canoeing”. That is reflected in the thousands of visitors to Underberg, Himeville and surrounds on that weekend, and in the weeks preceeding the race. The local community welcomes these visitors with it’s unique hospitality, and a gradually expanding programme of events aimed at entertaining the spouses, seconders and children, as much as the paddlers. From the popular social Saturday afternoon golf day at the rustic Underberg Country Club, to the rollocking Saturday night beerfest, to craft markets and pony rides and tubing for the youngsters.