So, I chose for you a small offer of most interesting targets which extreme watermen sport is able to present. In prevailing cases, there will become most reasonable vessel into stirred waves a raft with a guide, and kayak in case of good experience.

Our first stop, or descent, we start in near, former Yugoslav territory, on river of Drina and on one of its tributary - Tara. This second named river bears one European priority. Tara has deepest canyon in the whole Europe, so its extreme navigation obtains absolutely new dimension. When we take into consideration, that in its neighbourhood it is to be offered wild ride on Drina river, so, this part of watermen world seems to be a real paradise of  White Water Adrenalin lovers. Drina is also a tributary of well-known river of Sava. These rivers, its navigability is to be estimated up to 50 kms, are situated just on point of intersection of several states. However, these states change its frontiers so quickly, as the water flows in its rivers.  Anyway, the distance to Serbia or to Montenegro is - for travelling by car - not big. Provided you decide to spend your summer holidays at seaside in more active way, you can try to visit these inland parts, during your stay in Croatia.

After an experience with rivers in Africa, we can recommend you to visit and descend some of African big rivers. As far as Nile-river, or sources of White and Blue Nile are concerned, you  get detailed information in reports of Mystery of Nile expedition, which visited the territories of Uganda and Ethiopia at the end of last year. From this area, we wish to recommend you White Nile (or Victoria Nile), which springs from Victoria Lake near Kampala, capital of Uganda. Here is placed an airport, where many airplane-companies are landing (British Airways or Brussel Airlines). Further of popular rivers of Black Continent, is Zambezi-river in Zimbabwe. The river sources in Zambia but start of descent is to be found under Victoria Falls. Waterman who would like to start his navigation above waterfalls, he has to take into consideration the stream of such dimensions and power, overcoming several times rapids in Krumlov. The jump from 110 m height into furying roller could not be absolutely respectable trained (drilled) in Czech conditions, so would you enter your raft  under waterfall. Despite of this, it is not comfortable walk. Rugged rocks, rapids and jumps, the difficulty stages are valued at stage IV-V, require maximal preparation and concentration, courage and resolution for fighting with waves, high more than five metres. When the river becomes calm, the danger number two arrives. These are crocodiles or non-visible bacteriological danger covered direct in water. Maybe, these last lines drew away from the adventure, but, frankly speaking, there is really necessary to valuate all your forces and possibilities, before you decide to start for this adrenalin adventure.

Ideal starting point is Zimbabwe capital and airport Harare. Here, lines from Great Britain or Netherlands are landing, at price-level relating to CZK 30.000,- return air-ticket. Anyway, nearly for all African rivers are valid regulations that ideal term for navigation become winter months, especially period January and February. At that period, in mostly of destinations, prevail dry time and rivers are more stabil. Anyway, for Zambezi-river, there is valid an access all year round, but also in this case is better to wait for dry period, which regularly comes at the end of spring and terminates at the beginning of October.  

Now, we have a look  to the East. At world´s roof, in Nepal, there are to be found, except rivers of Ganga and Alaknanda, other interesting rivers. One of them is Karnali (Ghaghra). Its famous emerald waters invite the navigation throughout the countryside, visited by tourist very rarely. No wonder, navigation starting point, the town of Ajodhja, is quite distant from capital Kathmandu  (more than one day of tavelling by bus, on damaged roads). So, the adventure is the departure, and not only river-descent, as this normally could happen. Ghaghra is also most watery tributary of Ganga-river. Its flow is 950 kms long. Who overcomes the whole navigable, 180 kms long section (it is really quite difficult) will enter into different world, Royal Bardia nature park. Here, you can meet (as one of last places of the world) several „pieces“ of Bengal-tiger.This river springs in glacier, it is dependant on its rich snow covering, it devastates - during spring snow-thaw the villages and towns along most of izs flow. So, the recommandable period for visit of these area is an autumn and winter, so winter saison in our country.

If you just visited some countries in Asia, it would be a sin not to mention the Great Chinese River – Jang-c´- tiang. However, most interesting river section from watermen point of view, is long 20 kms only. Anyway, small is nice, and this proverb is valid twice, in this case. Your stay in China could expect something of megaloman way. We take into consideration  that river-section leads throughout canyon, overcoming with its deep grandious Grand Canyon in USA, so, it is not necessary to tell more. Its American competitor is beaten twice, especially in deep, raising to the power by presence of Snow Mountain of Nefrit Dragon Šan, with its height of 3700 m  gives to your waterman intoxication some degrees more! The cleft cuts  200 m into big range, and the exceed of  3900 m raises, and it is the deepest canyon of its art of the world. Local pass of Tiger Jump ranges to most popular tourist targets of China. The river flows with its strong stream, throughout its narrow river-bed. This happened to manage the river- navigation  23 years ago, and it was not easy at all. However, this river-giant lost, from many reasons, its part of beauty, just in section where the place Three Passes were situated. On this place there was built enormous megaloman dam. Water level will be risen in a length of many hundreds of kilometers. Except of nature wealthy, there were destroyed and disappeared many towns and villages. Two millions of inhabitants had to move and change their houses, away from life-giving flow.

There are prognosis that so great work, where there is installed  the greatest hydro-electric power-station of the world - covering 10% of electricity consumption of whole China, will cover  with sediments of muds and soil, causes successive depreciation of whole work the potentional danger for further millions of people, living nearby.

After reading of above mentioned article, it could seem that it is much safer to stay in camping place in Týnec on Sázava river. But do not damn nice as well as dangerous rivers of the world! Maybe, we meet there in the future!

Text: Jan Chaloupka

Photo: google-earth