Umkomaas River – Riverside to Mpompomani

The section used to be part of the Umkomaas marathon, but no races are held on it anymore due to stone throwing. It is a fairly easy section, with only two rapids worth mentioning.

  • Ideal for: K1 and K2
  • Grade: 2 to 3
  • Length: 24km
  • Duration: 2 to 4 hours
  • Type: Pool-drop
  • Put-in: Riverside Store
  • Take-out: Mpompomani
  • Dam controlled: No
  • Permits: None

Map Umkomaas lower

Immediately below Riverside is the Four Foot drop, which is runnable, after which the river becomes flatter for the next 10km. The rapids encountered are easy to run.

When the rapids start getting bigger again, prepare for Mpompomani rapid. It is a grade 3 rapid that should be run by starting on the extreme left through a narrow slot, before moving over to the far right for the rest of the rapid.


This river description is taken from my book “Run the Rivers of Southern Africa”.
If you have any pictures or recent information on this section of river to share, please contact me:
blog@cellierskruger.com
I appreciate any contributions to keep this content up-to-date.