Zambia: Devil's Pool

How can I effectively convey the sheer terror of this place to you, dear reader?

Hm.

I think that rather than begin this introduction to Devil's Pool with a description, the old adage "a picture is worth a thousand words" takes precedence.

Words don't really do this crazy thing justice.  

Here are a few snagged off Google that sum it up rather succinctly: 

Yeah. 

Some might call it 'thrilling' or 'amazing'... I call it TERRIFYING. 

This "pool" is a naturally created trough that sits on the very edge of Victoria Falls, one of the largest waterfalls in the world. 

Thankfully, I hadn't done any research on Devil's Pool before the day arrived that we'd be going. I had heard that it was near the edge of the waterfalls, but I didn't realize just how close it was.

My Canadian brain also rationalized things by telling itself that there would be proper safety gear and protocols to follow. 

Surely, there'd be safety gear and protocols.... right? ... right?? 

Not so much.  

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Our afternoon of terror began around 2pm on December 31st. We waited on the riverbank at our hotel for the boat that was scheduled to pick us up.

We were the last group of the day. 

We would later find out that they cut off groups at 2pm because afterwards, the water levels become dangerously high with the tide coming in. That's reassuring. 

As we sat nervously on the shore, our ears picked up the sound of a small motor and soon we could see the boat pulling up to us. 

Leah tried to ask the disembarking tourists about their experience at Devil's Pool but they all ignored her. At the time we chalked it up to language barriers (Aaron blamed bad manners), but looking back on it now, I think they were all too traumatized to speak. Or, they didn't want to speak for fear of scaring us away from boarding the boat. 

We piled in, strapped on our life jackets, and the guides sped off towards the mist (that is... the mist from the water falling over the edge) that lie in the distance. 

Our driver told us to expected lots of twists and turns because they had to dodge massive rocks that rested close to the surface. This was meant to be comforting but worked to only intensify my overall nervousness of the journey.

Let me tell you, it was an odd feeling to be in a boat driving towards the lip of a massive waterfall. It instinctively feels really, really... wrong. 

Your body tenses up with every glance towards the mist that seems to be getting too close, too soon. 

The aim was to dock at Livingstone island. But don't let the word "island" fool you, it's not like we were pulling up to a cushy, mid-sized plot of land with cabins and restaurants. 

This "island" is a dollop of land no larger than the average city lot. It is pretty much barren and our "docking" process involved beaching our boat on a hunk of sand. 

We scrambled off the boat and onto the soft sandy shore. From there, we were greeted by another person who handed us local refreshments (I gave mine to Jason... it tasted like gloopy rice milk) and brought us through the bush to a clearing. 

We could see the edge of Victoria Falls about 30 feet from where we were standing. And nowhere in sight was any type of rope, safety jackets, or equipment. 

I began to get very, very nervous. 

Borderline panicky, to be honest. 

A stocky guy named David appeared and told us he'd be taking us across the Zambezi to Devil's Pool. 

He grabbed a stick lying on the ground and cleared away a patch of sand. We all crowded around him as he drew lines in the earth, constructing a makeshift map of where and how we are to swim.

It turns out Devil's Pool is not a man-made, safety-checked tourist attraction that is easily accessible by foot.

Oh no.

In reality, it is a naturally-formed small basin of rock that is accessible only by swimming to it -- across the swift-running water of the mighty Zambezi river -- and then huddling on a clump of rocks where you can then jump into its mouth. 

WHAT!!!

I had no idea that getting to Devil's Pool was going to be that treacherous or labor-intensive. 

I sort of thought the boat would drive us right to it. Or that there would be a dry path on land. 

I'm not the strongest swimmer and the fact that I was faced with having to cross through the current of the Zambezi with no help or safety equipment was terrifying.  

From our quick  makeshift lesson in the sand, we were ushered to a small bench to undress to our swimsuits and head to the water's edge of the island. 

Now, let me reiterate the insanity of the situation:

Here we are, on a dinky little patch of earth, standing only a few dozen feet away from the edge of one of the tallest waterfalls on earth, and David is shouting last-minute instructions on how we are NOT to die in our venture across the river to Devil's Pool. 

There are no life-jackets. No rescue boats. The only thing stopping the strong current from pulling you over the edge is your own arms and legs and perhaps a quick-thinking, quick-acting tour guide (there were three: two in the water with us and one 'photographer'-- carrying about $5000 worth of our personal camera equipment). 

The guides did mention that there was a shallow rope lying in the water about 5 feet from the edge for if you really did get carried away -- but c'mon. If you were faced with getting swept off the edge of a massive waterfall, in your final few seconds of life would you be thinking clearly enough to scrounge around underwater for a rope??

I think not. 

So yeah, needless to say I was not comforted in the least by "the tiny rope will save you!" suggestion.

Our group strained to hear David's instructions over the booming thunder of the falls. I had to ask Aaron what he was saying and pointing to.

About 40 feet in the distance, set in the dead middle of the river, sat a group of rocks no more than a few feet wide. 

That was our first goal. Swim like your life depended on it (because,.. um, it did) -- unaided -- to this cluster of rocks. 

You have to jump in the water upwards and diagonally so that your body is aimed higher than the swim line you actually want. This is because the current is so strong that it readjusts your line of swimming downwards.  

Not going to lie, I was ready to turn around and run home at that point. The only reason I didn't was because everyone else seemed to be braving their fear and going for it. 

Aaron and Kern were the first to take the plunge. Suddenly I could see David yelling and waving at me to "GO!". I lept into the water and began kicking and swimming harder than I ever have. 

The force of the current was incredible. As much as I tried to stay in a straight line, that water twisted and pulled you any which way it liked. 

I tried not to think about the fact that if I wasn't strong enough to make it, the waterfall's edge was right behind me, waiting to tug me right over. 

We all made it safely to the rocks. Whew. 

From there it was no looking back and another leg of about 20 feet to the next group of rocks. \

The fact that my life depended on me propelling myself to random bunches of rocks was not sitting well. I was genuinely scared for my safety, as well as everyone else's. 

When Leah first tried to swim, the current immediately swept her towards the edge. She wasn't strong enough to make it on her own and it was clear that if she continued on her own she would be putting herself in grave danger. Our guide, David, ended up backpacking her the entire way across the river. 

A few times she called out to be taken home but we cheered her on and she stuck it out. I think voicing encouragement for Leah helped to boost our own confidence, propelling us all forward towards the Pool. 

I know that now she is (as we all are) thankful for getting through it, but at the time it seemed like the stupidest, most risky thing one could have signed up for. 

From the second cluster of rocks we were told to crabwalk (crawling on your back, head-first, using your palms and feet) towards a larger bunch of... yes, more arbitrary rocks. 

Also causing us strife (you know, outside of the current pulling us towards immediate death) was the fact that the Zambezi was positively riddled with razor sharp rocks. All of us were cut and bruised after the fact. 

Thankfully the guides helped us avoid the really bad ones. Every so often you would get shouted at over the din of the water, as one of the guides could see you were about to slash open a hand or foot.

Our crabwalk brought us a few feet away from our final destination: the Devil's Pool. 

Unfortunately, it also brought us to the very, very edge of Victoria Falls. We're talking less than 5 feet. With no safety measures in place at all. 

The view. was. breathtaking.

It took your breath away not only because it was beyond cool but because you sort of thought you were about to die any second.  

David shouted to get our attention and with a broad smile, pointed about 3 meters downwards to his left. 

Apparently, the whirlpool of churning, frothing water he was pointing at is Devil's Pool and we are supposed to jump right into it. 

Leah looked him straight in the eye and deadly serious said, "I'm not letting any of my kids go in there!". haha!

She was shocked because photos she had seen days earlier of the pool (see: above) showed calm water where the ledge is clearly defined. 

Because we were the last group of the day, water levels were super high and as such it was gushing over the pool, completely obstructing any sense of where the actual border of the pool was. 

It looked like there was zero ledge that would hold you back from falling over the edge. 

Never mind "pool", as far as we could tell it was nothing more than a swirling, churning area of water that looked like it promised a quick death. 

We were told that we had the choice of either jumping into the middle of the "pool" or slowing dipping ourselves into it via the rocks we were sitting on. 

The boys opted to jump. The girls, well, we dipped. 

Any relief I felt of finally making it to the pool itself was swiftly swapped back to paralyzing fear as I faced the prospect of getting into the pool.

I was the first of the girls to go and I can safely say that it was the scariest thing I have ever done. In my entire life. 

Actually, the scariest part wasn't getting into the pool but rather feeling the water suck you towards the edge. Because once you're there, you are pinned to a rock ledge and can feel the full force of the current. It feels like any wrong move and it will use its momentum to thrust you over the thin lip. 

My feet scrambled to find footing to latch onto while my fingers grabbed any rock possible to try and temper the panic and adrenaline racing through my body.  

While I waited for the rest to join me in the pool, I twisted my head around and allowed myself to took behind me. 

Bad idea.

I was looking down 300+ feet of waterfall. Right. There. Behind. Me. 

I know I was supposed to be appreciating the view but I was just downright scared. 

We took a group photo. I felt accomplished.

 

The group (L-R: Leah, Kern, Sarah, Me, Aaron, & Jason), sitting a few feet from the edge of Victoria Falls!!! 

You can't see it, but Sarah and I are desperately clawing at the rocks with our hands and toes in a bid not to topple over the edge!haha

Then an awful realization hit: we have to swim back. 

Noooooooo!...

I was exhausted and just wanted to wave a magical wand and POOF! be back in my hotel bed. 

I assumed we would be going back the way we came: back against the current towards the rocks we slipped off of. 

Nope.

David told us we would have to use our hands to shuffle along the rock ridge, to our left. We had to make it to the other guide who was about 8 feet away.

The most terrifying part of this? In order to move along the face of the rock, you had to face the over the edge of the waterfall. There was no avoiding it.

David ushers us to the left, where we are supposed to climb out of the pool. He had to literally pry my fingers off the rock face to move my terrified self along.

From there, it was a crabwalk back and that was followed by another frightening swim across the Zambezi. My legs and arms were tired but the adrenaline kicked in and I swam hard to the shore of the island. 

Suddenly I hear "KERN!!" yelled behind me. I can't fully turn around to look (more important things such as 'not dying' was taking precedence) but out of the corner of my eye I could see Kern getting swept swiftly towards the edge.  

Turns out he forgot to aim his swim line high and the current had turned him so that his momentum was taking him towards the brink of Vic Falls and not the island. 

A guide jumped in and grabbed his arm, pulling Kern out of harm's way. Whew. That was a close call and I'm pretty sure Leah nearly had a heart attack. 

I cannot tell you the relief I felt once my feet hit solid ground. It felt amazing to be back on land and in the company of safety. 

Before heading back to our dry clothes, David took us over to ledge for once last look. I have to say, it was magical. 

Seeing Vic Falls from the Zimbabwean side is one thing, but being right there, right in the middle of it, sitting on its edge with a rainbow crossing over your head... well, you simply can't top that. 

After we got changed we were treated to tea, coffee, and snacks in a beautiful little tent on the island. 

Sadly, I don't think any of us got the full experience of the catering considering our appetites were pretty much gone.

Facing death and swallowing mouthful upon mouthful of dirty, bacteria-filled Zambezi water will do that to a person. (Sarah told me Devil's pool scared her more than when she went bungee jumping!)

From there, we piled back into the boat and jetted back to the hotel.

What an experience! What a day!

Heading back to the hotel (blessedly) all in one piece!

Our day had started with an elephant safari and ended with one of the most amazing experiences of my life with some of the best people I know. 

It certainly stands as the most thrilling December 31st ever. I'm not sure I could have dreamed of a more exciting way to say goodbye to 2010. 

Cheers to 2011 being just as amazing!