50 Years of Umko 1966 - 2016 1966 - 2016 | Page 54

seen again, while yet others very sensibly walked out with boats intact if
they thought the level was a danger to them.
Robbie Stewart asks: “Do you remember seeing what looked like washing
draped on the grass on the bank but it was Charlie Mason and his squad
hanging onto the grass watching us go past – probably to see where we
went. Probably the most exciting three days of our lives! I clearly remember
the noise of the rocks rolling down the river bed – particularly in that first
big rapid after Josephine’s. And having to be careful not to paddle into a
barbed wire fence if you were cutting a corner.
And Porky puking at the start of the second day when he saw me in a life
jacket. He was still a schoolboy and I was about the only person who had
a life jacket, I think. I put it on because the waves had been knocking my
breath out. Roly Alborough lost his boat at the overnight stop – the river had
come up so much that it had got washed away!”
Ali Maynard on camping next to a rising river: “At about 11pm we awoke
to pouring rain and funny noises. We all got up and taking a torch went
to see what the river was like. We couldn’t believe what we were seeing.
The river, which had already been high, was now up - seriously up! Roly
Alborough’s boat and three others got washed away. In the water huge trees
were hitting the bridge (the strange noises we had heard). Dead cows were
going downstream very fast.”

One of the numerous paddlers who lost their boats was Hamish Gerrard
who got hit by a surge of water on the wide river in the vicinity of Old
Campsite as he tried to cross the main stream to get on the inside of a bend.
Everyone was dead keen to avoid getting swept around the outside where
the current was fastest and swept up against the cliffs. He fell out and after
trying to swim his boat to the side for a while gave that up and just got
himself to the shore. Followed by the long walk and in his case, hanging up
his paddle for good.

1972 finishers

These 13 guys made it from Hella Hella to the sea - the highest-ever and one
of the four longest-ever Umkos:
Paul Chalupsky & Tony Scott
Robbie Stewart & Rowan Rasmussen
Graeme Pope-Ellis & Eric Clarke
Roly Alborough & Ken Wright
Johan (Koos) Kruger
Charles Mason
Ali Maynard
Duncan (Porky) Paul
Rory Lynsky
Paul & Scotty’s winning time for the 145km course was an amazing 7 hours
9 minutes and 46 seconds, with Robbie and Rowan arriving exactly one
minute later!

The Actual Race at the Sharp End
Tony Scott

Ever seen the Approaches looking like this?

UMKO 50 Years

We arrived at Hella Hella to find the river roaring at about 50 foot. Quite
a few entrants after checking the level, climbed back in their cars and left.
Colin Wilson tried extremely hard to start, taking his boat on and off his
car about five times before reluctantly giving way to common sense. I was
paddling with Paul Chalupsky, probably the most experienced paddler
on the Umkomaas at the time, and felt relatively confident in a big Accord
(which I called the Queen Mary).
The lines at this high level were totally different – generally being the
inside corner. Rapid 5&6 is normally entered on the right of the centre rock.
This year we were right of the big rock on the right bank, normally high and
dry, then down through the flooded fields to finally re-enter down a cascade
below the end of 5&6.
The singles left before the doubles. When we caught the singles I can still
picture them against the far bank huddled like a bunch of ducklings – all
following Charlie Mason. Racing was the last thing on their minds. Now it
was down to survival.
We had one swim, which after discussion with Robbie Stewart, was
probably the same place that he and Rowan Rasmussen had swum - a little
upstream from Mpompomani Rapid. The speed that the water was moving
left no time to head for the side or avoid a huge wave almost as wide as the
river. All I heard was Paul shout one word “CRIKEY” and we were under
water.
Paul believed the Queen Mary was unsinkable with stainless steel nose
cone, vinyl lining, high cockpits and high fitting spray covers. He eventually
convinced me that with all this we wouldn’t need pumps. This decision left
us playing catch up with Robbie Stuart and Rowan Rasmussen after every

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