Kariba Moon Row

In August 2014 a combined Zambian/UK team will row the length of Lake Kariba, the world’s largest man-made lake, nonstop through the day and night under the light of a full moon dodging crocs, hippos and forests of dead trees finishing at Siavonga. They will then row from Kariba to Luangwa Boma through the Lower Zambezi game Reserve covering 500km in total in 7 days.

The 12 person team of athletes include Zambia’s top rower Desmond Nanchengwa as well as Iza Nalondwa and Wonga Silondwa from the Zambian Amateur Rowing and Canoing Association (ZARCA). Also in the team are international athletes from Great Britain’s rowing squad, including the head of Women’s rowing at Oxford University, Anastasia Chitty, and Alex Wood who has raced several times in the Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race. The team includes members of the successful 2011 Row Zambezi Expedition which took rowing boats 1000km along the Upper Zambezi from Chavuma to Livingstone, including 300km through the Barotse during which time they were granted an audience with the Litunga.

The Moon Row is a charity event that will raise money for two Zambian charities: Village Water has put fresh water into 650 Zambian villages so far and wants to do much more; Conservation Lower Zambezi is raising awareness and funds to deal with anti-poaching activities on the Lower Zambezi. The Moon Row is being done in 2014 to coincide with Zambia’s Jubilee celebrations, and is an official event in the Jubilee Calendar.

The Moon Row is a very tough event, with rowers swopping over every 90 minutes for up to 36 hours and only a short time to rest, drink, stretch and grab some food before starting again. The boats will carry GPS transmitters that will show in real time their exact location via the www.karibamoonrow.com website.

The Moon Row will be the world’s longest non-stop rowing event. The Moon Row is sponsored by exclusive Swiss watch maker Parmigiani Fleurier, and supported by several high quality operators in Zambia including Lake Kariba Inns; Kariba Bush Club; Tamarind Camp; Kanyemba Lodge; Kasaka River Lodge; Anabezi and Redcliff Lodge. In addition ZAWA and ZTB are providing advice and guidance for an adventure that will help promote the “Let’s Explore Zambia” initiative.

The Moon Row has three specially made rowing boats which are painted in Zambian colours, these beautiful boats will arrive in Siavonga on the 11th August after rowing across Lake Kariba.

Moon Row Expedition Leader Tim Cook said: “This is a very exciting challenge with a fantastic young joint Zambian and UK rowing team. Our motto is “Time For Water”. We are doing this On Water… For Water. Without water there are no sports like rowing and without clean water there is no hope for the children in these villages”