Nomad Cabin Fever

ADVENTURE
ROW ROW ROW
YOUR KAYAK
Whitewater kayaking is one of those
experiences that seems to be on everyone’s
bucket list but it’s one of the more difficult
adventure sports to actually get out and try.
For kayaking guide Robbie Mingay, it’s just
another day in Jinja, Uganda.
Ifirst travelled to Uganda for what was supposed to
be six weeks of kayaking the Nile’s famous rapids.
Little did I know that six weeks would soon stretch
to three months, then to a year, and on to another.
It’s not an uncommon story; kayakers from all over
the world have travelled to Uganda and many have
stayed for far longer than they ever could have
anticipated. One of the reasons I have stayed this long is
because I’ve been fortunate enough to work as a whitewater
kayaking guide for Kayak the Nile based in Jinja, Uganda. It’s
a wonderful place to teach others how to do what I love, and
the reasons I enjoy working here are the same ones that make
it a wonderful place to learn to kayak.
As a beginner, your first river can make a huge difference
in how much you enjoy yourself. This is what makes Uganda’s
White Nile so special. It has the unbeatable combination of
being deep and warm, with great rapids. Because kayaking
is such a niche sport, most of my clients are usually first timers.
The introduction classes are always a favourite to teach. To
take your own knowledge and pass it on to someone else is
both challenging and rewarding. Everyone learns in different
ways; some people like to hear instructions while others need
to see something to understand, and this makes every lesson
different.
And so we get out on the water and paddle down the
river giving them a chance to see a side of Uganda that
they usually haven’t experienced before. We pass fishermen
carefully tending to their traps and casting their nets, villagers
doing their washing on the river banks and beautiful areas of
dense indigenous vegetation which are home to countless bird
species. As we glide down the Nile, it’s usually not uncommon
to hear the familiar, laugh-like call of a pair of fish eagles
perched high up in the tree-tops.
When we approach the first rapid of the day, the first thing
you notice is the sound. Initially, it’s faint, a barely perceptible
white noise somewhere in the distance, but as you draw
closer, it begins to amplify. Every paddle stroke propels you
closer to the source of that sound and it is in this moment that
one of my favourite parts of the day occurs. We approach our
first rapid called ‘Jaws’, and that faint white noise begins to
creep into the forefront of guest’s consciousness as they realize
what that sound actually is.
How people react to that realization is a great part of my
day. You can see them mentally shift gears depending on
how they feel about the approaching challenge. For some,
the excitement overrides their nervousness and it’s full-steam
ahead. Others shift to neutral; more questions are asked, more
hypothetical scenarios are talked through and, eventually, we
go. Some switch to reverse but it’s only temporary as in the
end, the draw of the rapid is too much to resist. People crave
unique experiences and running a rapid in a kayak on the
Nile is as thrilling as it gets.
As for the rapids themselves – they are big, with large
powerful waves, swirling currents and fast-moving water.
Despite that, they are remarkably safe and many are not too
difficult to navigate. With the skills we teach on someone’s
first ever day kayaking, many beginners make it down some
of the rapids without capsizing. Those that do capsize end up
swimming down the rapid which, in the Nile’s warm water,
can be just as fun as paddling them.
Whitewater kayaking is one of those experiences that
seems to be on everyone’s bucket list but it’s one of the more
difficult adventure sports to actually get out and try. Travellers
visiting Jinja should be excited by the wonderful opportunity
they have to try whitewater kayaking on such an incredible
river.
For more information on kayaking the Nile River in Jinja,
check out kayakthenile.com
44 DISCOVER EXPLORE EXPERIENCE