| Orange River - Richtersveld - Schools |
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Gravity offers trips on the Richtersveld stretch of the Orange River for school groups. The trip starts from our base camp, on the banks of the Orange River near Vioolsdrif on the South Africa/Namibia border. 
You can unwind after the long drive from Cape Town on the grassy banks of the river or enjoy a swim before your guides prepare supper. The next morning, after a hearty breakfast, your guides will give you instructions on packing your drybags and, after a thorough safety briefing, it’s time to get on the water! Over the next four days the group will make its way down river, making camp at a different place each night. The trips are run as a self-contained expedition and everything is carried down river. We also subscribe to a strict minimum impact camping policy since this is a wilderness environment. The river along this these sections consists of lots of flat sections, interspersed with small rapids and flowing channels. Sjambok rapid (the only class 3 rapid) is the one ‘big one’ that provides the excitement of the trip. The mountain desert environment provides stunning scenery and bird life as well as a live geology lesson featuring the Ganna Gariep Dolorite Dykes and other interesting rock features. On your last day you’ll be met at the takeout point on the Namibian side of the river and transported back to the base camp. We may opt to spend the night at the take-out point campsite depending on the requirements of the group. Minimum group size: 20 (smaller groups by arrangement)
Prices valid from 01 October 2009 Q & A’s Are you a member of SARA - APA? We are Operating Members of SARA and our guides are APA trained, qualified and registered with the Department of Tourism. How do I get to the river? You can drive up in your own vehicle or we can arrange car hire if required. The road is a good tar road all the way up from Cape Town (the N7) and takes around 8 hours. The road is also good tar coming in from the Gauteng direction. The last section of +/- 15 kms to the camp is a good dirt road. It is worth planning to break your journey, good places to stop are Van Rhynsdorp and Springbok. We can also make accommodation arrangements for you if you’d like to do the drive over two days. A bus and driver can be supplied and fly in tours can be arranged. NB: there is a road tax of R120 per vehicle for entering Namibia Do I need my passport? Yes you do. The trip starts on the South African side and finishes on the Namibian side so a border crossing is required. Please contact your embassy to check any visa requirements. You won’t have to carry your passport on the river since we will arrange for the groups’ passports to be transported to the takeout point. What are the camping facilities like? We use a rustic, grassed camp on the riverbanks. Hot water ablutions and flush toilets are provided, there’s a bar area with a pool table and drinks and snacks on sale. On river, we’ll be free camping - groundsheets and/or tents are supplied. Sleeping bags and roll mats are available for hire. What do I need to bring? A full kit list will be supplied on confirmation of booking. Remember that whatever you choose to bring will get very dirty so don’t bring your new clothes! Will my clothes & sleeping bags get wet? No. You will be supplied with a dry bag, which will keep your clothes dry even if the bag lands in the water. You can also pack your clothes into black bags inside the dry bags to make sure. Your guides will explain to you the best way to pack your bags. Space is sufficient but limited so don’t bring too much with you. Can I bring my camera? Yes. Although there can be no guarantees on a river trips, we will provide watertight dry buckets for cameras, binoculars etc. It is also worth considering buying a disposable waterproof camera. Is it difficult to steer the boats? Will I fall out? We use 2 person inflatable ‘crocs’ that are very stable and easy to paddle, even for beginners. This section of river doesn’t have many rapids but there is always the chance you may fall out. You will be equipped with a PFD (‘lifejacket’) and will have been given instruction on exactly how to behave if you fall out of your boat. We also use only highly trained guides who will be on hand to rescue you if required. Is it safe? What about if I hurt myself? Whilst there is an inherent element of risk in every adventure, running rivers with our professional guides should not be considered dangerous. Our guides are all trained in First Aid and we carry a First Aid kit. It is your responsibility to make sure you have any personal medication with you (e.g. asthma pumps, allergy medication etc.). This trip does take place in a remote wilderness environment but we have put plans in place to cope with any emergencies. What about my drinks? Gravity provides all meals but you can bring your own choice of drinks. We will supply you with cooler boxes but if you intend bringing a large amount of canned drinks, it is worth it to bring your own cooler box as well. School groups must make sure that they bring drink mix such as Game which can be mixed with water - water purification tablets will be supplied. Is the water safe to drink? Generally, the water is clean enough to drink but we use water purification tablets to be on the safe side. Any other restrictions? The APA code of safety requires us to warn you against consuming alcohol or drugs in the 8 hours preceding the trip as well as at all times on the water. More Questions? Give us a call! Tel: (021) 683 3698, e-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it |
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