PADDLER 34
The Chimney is where the river passes through this fantastic tight , canyon-walled piece of rock some 60 metres in length . As you look up , you can see a sliver of light where the canyon walls tighten up .
PADDLER 34
THE ABSEIL POINT
So , with no further to do , I get my kayak onto my back and grab a quick photo of Josefa ’ s Waka Goat heading off up in the distance to the abseil point . Klaus comes flying back past me ; the only positive I can bring out of this situation is that the abseil point cannot be too far away ! When I reach the abseil point , Klaus arrives with Ute and her kayak . Josefa looks impatient , and I finally get the kayak off my back . We say goodbye to Klaus with the girls giving him a loving hug for driving them up , and we start to set up ready for the abseil .
It is not a full-on vertical abseil , but it is steep and high enough to warrant setting up a rope to backwalk down and lower the kayaks . It is just over three pitches with our 25-metre rope as I make my way down the first pitch , with three kayaks following me afterwards and then as Josefa starts to make her way down , a group of elderly German hikers peer over the lip and start talking to each in loud voices ( they must be loud as even I can hear them with my helmet on ), openly praying to God that nothing happens to us and to beg him to stop this crazy thing we are doing .
Ute has a huge smile on her face , and I laugh to myself all the while . Josefa has no idea what they are saying . At the top of the second pitch , we see a lot of wild orchids growing and flowering on the steep terrain ; they are an endangered species , so while trying to avoid any damage , we continue down the second pitch , slowly but surely . It is a bit of an exposed ridge to get over with us , the kayaks and paddles before setting up another belay point for the final pitch down to the riverside . Finally , by the side of the river , we can rest , have something to drink , and start getting everything ready for the final and main part of this mini-adventure , which is the kayak down !
THE CHIMNEY
As we headed off , with me leading , followed by Ute and Josefa , we wound down through the tight and deep gorge walls until we reached the Chimney . The Chimney is where the river passes through this fantastic tight , canyon-walled piece of rock some 60 metres in length . As you look up , you can see a sliver of light where the canyon walls tighten up . When we first looked at this on a reconnaissance trip a few years back , you would not think it was possible to kayak , but down by the river , it was wide enough for us to flow through . As we exited the Chimney , the natural light was a welcome , including the rapids that followed .
The Madaubach makes its way down , twisting and turning with blind bends and all with the possibility of behind the next bend being chocked full with wood . This happened on my first trip , and I managed to kayak up the beach on the river right , jump out of my kayak and go around one mega wood chocked strainer !! However , this time , there was nothing too much to mention . Yes , we can check out a few tight rapids , which landslides and the previous winter avalanches had made
The Chimney is where the river passes through this fantastic tight , canyon-walled piece of rock some 60 metres in length . As you look up , you can see a sliver of light where the canyon walls tighten up .