The Zambezi River is notorious for its adventurous rapids, thanks to the Victoria Falls. And it provides the perfect backdrop for some thrilling whitewater rafting. Anyone brave enough to face the challenge?

In the beginning

This leisure sport of navigating along a river in a raft gained its popularity back in the 70's. But it received true recognition after being included as a major event in the 1992 Barcelona Games.

The inflatables come in different forms but the most commonly used one is symmetrical in shape with a paddle at the stern. It can accommodate anything from four to twelve people.

The grading system defined

But as all adrenalin whitewater junkies know, the harder the ride, the better the thrill, which is why rivers are graded (referred to as classes) according to the level difficulty and what can be expected from it.

It's not about water depth; the speed of the water flow plays a big part in the grading system. Here a breakdown of the various classifications.

• Class one – very small rough rapids, with no drastic manoeuvering and no obstructions. Basically zero skill is required.

• Class two – some rough water, maybe some rocks, small drops, might require some manoeuvering. Standard paddling skills will do here.

• Class three – waves up to four feet but no considerable danger. May require significant manoeuvring. You need to have a bit of experience under your paddle belt.

• Class four – medium waves, maybe rocks, maybe a considerable drop, and sharp manoeuvres may be needed. The skill level needed would be whitewater experience.

• Class five – long and violent rapids, large waves, possibility of large rocks and hazards, possibility of a large drop, requires precise manoeuvring. Sink or swim, you need seriously advanced paddling skills with this river.

• Class six – maximum difficulty. The most dangerous rapids of them all. Rafters can expect to encounter substantial drops that might have severe impacts on all rafting equipment. The skill needed would be luck as that’s what it would take to complete a class six river without sustaining serious injury or death.

The South African waters

The Orange River is regarded as the most fun rapid river that South Africa has to offer. The rapids aren’t too radical but still offer enough adventure to make one want to venture back out onto the river.

Let’s not forget the Vaal River which is accessible for family entertainment. The Vaal River is graded as a grade one type of river so is suited for a family and for the teambuilding events.

The Doring River in the Western Cape is a grade three river. It runs through the Kogelberg Nature Reserve and offers fantastic mechanical opportunities for the experienced rafter but at the same time, beautiful scenery.

For the most adventurous, the Blyde River in Mpumalanga offers steep gradients, which rates this river as South Africa’s most intense river to take to.

Tackling the Zambezi

Unlike its South African counterparts, the Zambezi River is regarded as the wildest whitewater run in the world.

It is also rated as one of the top ten paddling rivers on the planet. The Zambezi River was classified by the British Canoe Union as a grade five.

It has been described as extremely difficult with long violent rapids, steep gradients, big drops and lots of pressure areas. The first time the river was tackled was in 1981. What starts off as a scenic trip quickly turns into a tumultuous experience as the river shows you exactly what she's made of.

Instead of reading all about it, go out and tackle our rivers - but remember this is truly not a sport for the faint-hearted so check the grading.

Rest your feet up after you tackled that adrenaline pumping sport at one of our luxurious hotels in the Cape or check out our other packages to make your decision of where you can relax.