RI7ER JOURNAL POSTS

Wowsers! I got into the canyon with little difficulty.

Several laps with gear and boat, a short rappel and even in the shade I was sweating bullets. I was spotted by two people at the Ararat lookout point. They waved but I carried on loading my boat as though I had not seen them.

Four and a half hours - 6 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. - and I was inside this incredible gorge.

I have an extra 25kg with the 200 metres of rope that I had stashed for the rappel. Did a quick roll to see whether it would be a problem - all good - then paddled across river to look back up to the entrance to the gorge.

It was an unbelievable sight and I was well relieved not to be in that section of the river. I was looking up at a rapid that was steep, wild and unforgiving ... stopped to take some photies and then paddled off to the first rapid for me - the ninth of the gorge.

I was shitting bricks after what I had just seen upriver. But it all turned out sweet with the three rapids that I ran today. They were big ... long ... technical at the top and midsections with holes and ledges, and then narrowing into big exploding waves at the bottom.

I found a rockfall at twelve thirty to stop for lunch and some shade and then ended up camping here.

Enough for the system to take in in one day!

Cereal and coffee for dinner tonight under the gazillion stars.