ANGOLA S DROWNING DIAMONDS × UNCOVERING THE RIO KWANZA AND RIO KEVE ×

Paddling in Angola is intimidating. The horrific 27-year civil war that raged across its wild savannahs cut the beautiful country and its whitewater off from the outside world. Now, the doors of this incredible African country are open, and Angola is on track to become an adventure mecca; a destination full of towering mountains, untouched wilderness and abounding whitewater. In 2018, despite the odds stacked against them, Mike Dawson, Dewet Michau, and Jake Holland embraced Angola’s challenge, beginning with Africa’s fourth-largest river: The Kwanza.

Words by Mike Dawson

This expedition was more than a kayaking trip – it was an adventure. An adventure that started with traveling across the remote, undeveloped regions of half a continent to the put- in. The journey took us, myself, New Zealander Mike Dawson, South African Dewet Michau and Brit Jake Holland through South Africa, Botswana, Zambia, and Namibia before entering Angola. Countless rumors of incredible whitewater in Angola have circulated throughout the paddling community for many years, but it wasn’t until 2015 when Aaron Mann and I led an exploratory trip to the wild west of Africa that Angola’s whitewater potential was first unlocked. I had returned, the primary objective for this mission to paddle 70 kilometers on the Kwanza River, Africa’s fourth-largest river system, including the unknown Lauca Gorge. Land of…

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Kayak Session (Digital) - 1 Issue, Spring 2019

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