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“RROOWW!” “HARRD” “HARRDERR!”

Panic sinking in, nine oars thrusting into the foamy, white, roaring water, we row for our lives right into the thick of a Grade 5 rapid, and the impending doom that I somehow seemed to get a front-seat view of, stupidly volunteering to go up front. It’s fair to say I’m well and truly bricking it!

Death's door at The Nile's source

Simon Wadsworth
2006-09-04 10:59:52

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“RROOWW!” “HARRD” “HARRDERR!”

Panic sinking in, nine oars thrusting into the foamy, white, roaring water, we row for our lives right into the thick of a Grade 5 rapid, and the impending doom that I somehow seemed to get a front-seat view of, stupidly volunteering to go up front. It’s fair to say I’m well and truly bricking it!

“RRROOOWWW!” “HHHHAARRRDDDERR!!!”

The noise is deafening, we’re drowning in the raft with 12ft mountains and valleys of gurgling water all around us. Rocking about in a washing machine, we all row as hard as possible into nature in its most powerful expression. Extreme chaos. An aqua-hurricane. Then, with a simple parting of waves, we see it, the G-Spot, the heart of the rapid and a huge hole with no visible escape, surrounded on all sides by 5m walls of thunderous, terrifying water. Simon, our guide, had found the centre, the only guide that day with enough guts to do so, and we were heading straight for it, whether we wanted to or not.

“HHOOLLDDD ONNNNN…..!!”

Oh Jesus, as down we go into it, my pulse shooting to 160bpm, lying as low as possible in the raft, with
Simon’s accidental last words as our guide echoing through all of us, imparting an even greater sense of panic… “oh, this is not good…” Down we went in slow motion, people screaming, others in silent total fear, before the raft tilted and all its passengers were no more, as I fell right into the chaos. Underwater, bubbling and thrown about in all directions, “one..two…three…[come on..]..fou” I surface; quick breaths; still in the heart; can’t see anyone, take another deep brea…OH FU**!!!

I look up and a 5m wave blocking the entire sky, is on top of me crashing down. I catch as much air as possible before being hit and sinking back down into the deep water again. No idea which way’s up or down. I hold my life ...