Drew's Bridge and the Waterfall

Day 4

A comfortable night’s sleep for a change at Kambathi, but breakfast was back to business as usual — the finest dehydrated cuisine money can buy. A few before-and-after pics to prove it never quite looks like the picture on the packet.

A quick word from the man himself before pushing off, with Jaco wishing him well for the final stretch.

Drew’s Bridge was a touch-and-go moment: “I almost misjudged the gap. My pile of gear almost scraped the underside of the bridge. At the last moment I almost had to slide off the board to avoid hitting my head. Sounds more dramatic than it was, but it could just as easily have gone the other way.” The Waterfall rapid served up some great standing waves — taken not standing, but in a “pray I make it” kneeling pose. No helmet, and paddling solo demands a little extra respect for the situation.

Comms were expected to drop out over the next few days. If the pace held, a finish by Thursday evening was on the cards — which meant a big day tomorrow, since the last 60km is tidal and flat. The plan: shave the final day down to under 50km by finding an extra 10km today and tomorrow.

Made it to Napkysmond by nightfall after a hectic two-hour head wind battle — the rest of the day was stunning. Might just be on for another big day tomorrow, with a shot at reaching the mouth.

Landmarks: Drew's Bridge, the Waterfall rapid
Camp: Napkysmond
Distance covered: 72.77km