Johannesburg, 26.11.2017 - the Slovak expedition managed to abseil of the second highest waterfall of the Earth. It is official first abseil of Tugela Falls. It is located in the national park Royal Natal in Drakensbergen, South Africa. Its heigh is 948 meters.
According to the official statistics the highest waterfall of the Earth is Angel Falls in Venezuela, 979 meters.
Czech geodesists measured the Tugela Falls using the satellite technic and claimed its height 983 meters. 4 meters more as Angel Falls. They asked the World Waterfall Database to rewrite the statistics.
„It was the reason why we have decided to abseil of the untouched waterfall and to create a new safety route for next canyoners willing to fell this beautiful nature phenomenon.," stated the Slovak expedition leader Miroslav Dušek.
„Our material consists of more than 1km of ropes, drill, bolts, and other stuff to traverse the unknown terrain., " says one member of the team Jaroslav Holeček.
The weather wasn´t favorable. For couple of days there was no water in. The conditions changed very quickly thanks to the storms and snow blizzards. The expedition had to bivaque in 3000m by minus temperatures.
„Our team was trained on previous expeditions in other extreme canyons. By this historically first descent of Tugella Falls we made a documentation that wasn´t possible until now.” , says the director Pavol Barabáš, who shot the whole descent. The expedition was successful thanks to the support team that made the logistic support.
Members of the expedition Tugela Falls 2017: Miro Dušek, Jaroslav Holeček, Viktor Doletina, Pavol Černý, Štefan Urban, Daniel Balaga, Pavol Barabáš. The support group: Jordanka Kordová, Peter Černý. And Juraj Lunter who made dron pictures.
"Whatever the results of the polemics about the highest waterfall will be, for me the Angell Falls in Venezuela is the king. I was next to it with Becko Ondrejovič in 2004 by traversing the Table Mountain Ayuan Tepuy. The water falls down 807 uninterrupted, no contact with the wall. It fells unique. I didn´t feel this by Tugela Falls.
Becko is the one who made historically first descent of Angel Falls in 1997. His route is used by local guides until now.
I am happy that two highest waterfalls of the Earth were abseiled by Slovaks. This record remains forever." says Pavol Barabáš
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