Swimming with Cobras on the Nile

Our crew

Jinja is billed as the adrenaline capital of Uganda. The town is located at the headwaters of the Nile River where it pours out of Lake Victoria offering the best whitewater rafting in Uganda. As dedicated river rats we love to go on new rivers but this was even more compelling as we had been on a felucca on the lower Nile in Egypt a few years ago and this was a chance to see the other end of the river.

Sedolu, our guide barks out the command,”Forward paddle!” Deb and I dig in and pull out into the current along with 7 other of our companions from our overland truck . Even at its source the river is broad as it pours out of Lake Victoria. It spreads at least a quarter mile between lush green banks that rise 100’ above into the clear blue sky. Sedolu invites us to take a swim and I roll off the tube into the warm water. We swim along for awhile in a long pool that leads to the first rapid. After a few minutes, Sedolu orders us back in the raft. I don’t understand why until he points out a cobra swimming across our course down river.

I get a small chill but Sedolu says that it is the first he has seen in several months. I ask him what else we should be concerned about and he replies with a sly grin, “You don’t want to know”. I realize he is joking…I think.

The first rapid

Soon we hear the roar of the first rapid. Sedolu says we must portage the first part of the rapid as it is class VI which means it is un-runnable. As we portage the first part my stomach knots up. This is some seriously big and gnarly whitewater. Huge drops into keeper holes followed by even bigger drops into even uglier holes makes skipping this a no brainer. Then, I look at what we will run and it is not much better…only class V! We jump back in the boat and paddle for all we are worth into the rushing water. We hit the first wave and nearly do a tail stand but our momentum carries us through safely. Somehow, we bounce through the following wave train without incident into the pool below.

After another easy rapid, Sedolu gives us a choice for the next rapid. We can take a class III or V line. We opt for the class V line ever though we are told that we have a 50% chance of flipping. As the boat charges down a 12 foot fall I see a sneaker side wave of about 6 feet and know we are going to swim the rest of the rapid. I high side as hard as I can but am catapulted into the rapid. I drop into the froth and after what seems an eternity, I pop to the surface only to be smacked by another wave. Now desperate for air I pop up gulping only to get a mouthful of the Nile. After getting smacked around by two succeeding waves I am washed into the flat pool below gasping and finally get a lungful of much needed air. A safety kayak paddles up and I hitch a ride back to our raft.

Watch for the sneaker wave river left

We float on down the river admiring a number of exotic looking birds and enjoying a warm sunny day which has been rare on this trip. A lunch stop with tasty wraps of chapati, ham and veg restores our strength and we are back on the river for the rest of the run. The next few rapids, while class IV, are straightforward and we we have good runs. The last rapid called Nile Special almost takes us out but Deb thinking quickly grabbed Gino who was next to her and flung them both to the high side to avert another flip.

Believe it or not we made this one

We reach the takeout and are treated to beer and barbecued kabobs. Shortly we are on the minibus back to camp, with full bellies feeling warm and happy after a great day on the river.