Madamax

Madagascar is going through a great rain season.

Cyclons hits alternatively west and east coast while politicians raised hell in the cities as well.

Rainbow over an insane looking slide, at the put-in

Simon is still around and after hidding through the city riots of last weeks in my mountain retreat and reforestation camp (www.woodenstock.org).

Their last ray of sun on the portage to put-in

As we drove down there with sylvain the french paddler and potential son in law, they both left for a 2 day river trip.

We had rafted the section with many portages and at low waters back in 95 or 96; the profile was impressive.

Last year Sylvain and friends treked along the Zomandao and he was terribly appealed by this first descent.

One of the very many slide of the section.

Well, they left the same day as a cyclone flushed down the east coast.

Simon hadn’t been on white water for many years, a bit dubious about what he had seen so forth, …

Waters went overnight way over reasonnable levels and the rapids were sometimes too powerful for them.

Sylvain showing off before a crowd of young locals quite impressed!

That’s a potential future Young Guns mission next rain season, …

Just a nice view of a central section they paddled.

Waters were so high that crocs weren’t an issue. those sharp lads are too busy not being flushed down the drain to hunt seriously.

Simon, all excited to be back on white waters and part of a first kayak descent!!!

We then returned to Tana and they left yesterday to paddle the lower Betsiboka, 250 kms of the largest malagasy river.

Bridge over troubled Zomandao waters

it’s supposed to be totally flat, but waters, already high, keep rising.

issues might be to find dry ground to sleep!!!

It has been raining constant since they left and they should definitely move on pretty fast till estuary

keep posted, ..

2 things are going on these days.

Ready to enter the Mozambique channel in Tulear

1st, the solo circumnavigation of Riaan Manser. This basket case left Tamatave on the east coast in August aiming northern tip and now somewhere south of Majunga.

Check his stupefying blog aventure.

africa365

I doubt that he can bag it in 10 months as planned but this dude has more guts than anybody I ever met on the water. The challenge is immense. He got jailed, sick, robben, attacked by sharks, got foot worms, fevers, and still going strong. Worst certainly lies ahead and with 3000 kms to go, all we can do is wish him good luck.

Simon on the white sandy beaches of the south west coast

2nd, you may remember those 2 brits paddlers who started circumnavigating Mada over 2 seasons.

Last year they did half of it from Majunga to Mananjary round the northern tip.

Well, one of them, Simon arrived alone on Jan 2nd.

I drove him down to Mananjary and he picked up the trip with one of my river guide, Joe.

Simon and Joe on Mananjary beach, still smiling!

They paddle and struggled 4 days to get to Manakara, had head winds, strong surf.

Boat preparation in Mananjary

It was Joe’s very first time on the sea! He’s a river guide from Tana and never had the chance of floating on the sea, ever! That was also his first time on a sea kayak. He eventually freaked out and/or got bored on this boring and difficult section and wanted to give up. An other guide would have picked up the tour with Simon.

Simon and Joe on D1 of the trip heading for foul weather.

Anyway, Simon gave up the challenge, feeling that pace and conditions would not allow to complete the trip in the remaining time.

First paddle strokes on a small beach surf in Mananjary

However he decided to keep paddling sections at a more leisurely pace and I sent them with Edmond (you remember the beat up smiling face from last year?) and Sylvain, the french river guide from Lyon on the best lagoons in Mada, from Tulear to Morombe.

Heading back to some beach bungalows

They eventually spent 6 days to reach Morombe, having paddled through Fanele, the cyclone who hit badly the west coast.

Edmond,Not a man, a machine (dixit Simon)

Trip was great fun and they had numerous stop over small villages for coffee and local donuts.

Paddling through a cyclone, somehow fun!

Roads were kind of submerged and they had to sail a dhow 4 days to get back to Tulear.

Vezo kid north of Tulear

I think next will be paddling 250 kms of flat Betsiboka river, from Maevatanana to Majunga.

Simon said, PADDLE!!!!!!!!!!

You’ll know, …