Kiwi kayaker claims first descents in heart of Africa

Kiwi Olympic kayaker Mike Dawson and American Aaron Mann have just completed first descents of two rivers in Angola, on Africa's rugged west coast.

Less than a month after qualifying for the Rio de Janeiro Games in canoe slalom, Dawson successfully ran previously unpaddled sections of the Cuanza (Kwanza) River, which included crocodile-infested pools and seething 120-foot waterfalls, for the first time.

Things weren't all smooth sailing however - after two days of paddling where no kayaker has gone before, however, a third day chasing rapids was disrupted.

"We'd hit one section of some fairly croc-infested water so decided to portage around it but ended up stumbling into an illegal diamond mine on the edge of the river," Dawson said.  "There were police guns being waved around and there were some pretty scary moments for the crew, so we decided that was probably a sign to pack up and head for the Keve River.

The Keve is the Cuanza's lessor-known sister river and also uncharted, boasting more gradient and a creeking style of paddling through remote gorges. The pair finished the 56km section of river, with nearly a 400m gradient, over three days.

"The Keve River was super-isolated, with massive portages followed by endless sections of whitewater," Dawson said.

The pair will now head to Bengo Falls, then explore Kissama National Park and Angolas shoreline. Political reforms have gradually opened Angola up since the end of a 27-year civil war in 2002, although safety is still precarious in the mineral-rich West African country.

Sponsored by Ortlieb, the Expedition Angola trip also involves filming, mapping and documenting the rapids and flow of the rivers in these remote, uncharted gorges.