DIAMOND RIVER HUNTERS

THE SETUP. Peter gathers his team of miners and investors together for a pre-expedition briefing in Durban, South Africa. After a two day journey they reach the mountain kingdom of Lesotho. They arrive at the valley where they will be based, but only after a long and treacherous drive, towing the machinery down dangerous dirt roads. Finding a route to the river so they can setup equipment and mine is not easy. There are problems with the pumps and classifiers, and taking them off the trailers is a quick fix, but this compromises the mobility and safety of the operation. The equipment supplier has not taken the altitude into consideration, and the machinery will not work at full capacity. The team is concerned by Warren’s recklessness as he almost rolls the TLB, while prepping the road to a new mining site. There is a snowfall, but work continues. Don is concerned that the river will flood with the snowmelt, and after they wrap for the day, the water levels rise and the machines are under threat. After a mad, dangerous scramble in the dark the equipment is saved, but it has been a close call. All the equipment was almost lost before they even had a chance to mine properly. After a few days of working at the initial site, the first bags are filled with concentrate but no diamonds are found. The team is upbeat and very excited to get set up at the hotspot in the next valley. The hard work of building roads and river crossings begins.