more pieces of the puzzle

I’ve once again got caught up in the holiday a little and got behind on this blog.  I’m not sorry.  I’ll try to catch up as best I can.

As Claire arrived late in the evening, we discussed paddle plans over dinner on Tuesday night.  It’s decided that this time the boys will get their stout paddle done in the morning on Wednesday, giving Claire and I a slower start to the day.  They go off to paddle the Koritnica again, with a view that if the level is good it may be one to take me on in the afternoon if there is time.  They aim to be on the water as soon as it’s allowed.  You are only allowed to navigate the waters here between 9am and 6pm, and you have to pay for a ‘river ticket’, the fines for being outside of these times or without a pass can be severe, but the facilities and the get on and offs are very good.  They’ve no need to shuttle as Claire and I will bring Keith’s car to meet them at the Prijion shop.  Claire needs to get her river ticket and is looking into a hiring a kayak, as borrowing Matt’s is probably not so suitable. 

We arrive at the Prijion shop, sort river tickets and boat hire, and also enquire about canyoning from the centre for later in the week.  Then we go to the river side to wait for the boys.  It’s lovely again to sit in some shade and wait with a book.  It’s very soothing to be near the water, especially when it’s as crystal clear and cool as this with the sun shining brightly!!  We’ve been waiting some time before we pop over to get a drink, and then of course the boys arrive!  Everyone back together again, we head up to Zmuklica and paddle back down to the Prijion shop again.  We once again split in to two smaller groups, Claire goes with Brian, Rob and Matt, and I go with Chucky and Keith again.  A short way down we group together for a little bit, there’s a rock jump by the first bridge.  Matt, Keith and Brian all have a jump (I don’t feel I'm quite warm enough yet and I have an idea in mind for further along which I’m keen to get to).  

Moving on we work the sections, catching various eddies along the way and I’m testing out things I learnt or figured out yesterday.  A few things click and a few aren’t quick working, so I ask Keith and Chucky about what I’m noticing, then I have a few more pieces of the puzzle to put in and try.  At the big eddy where we jumped the other day I break out for a stop.  I’m going to practice my roll.  It feels like a lucky spot because this is where I practiced last year.  I’m just psyching myself up, thinking through how the roll will go, while Keith and Chucky are floating in circles (It’s got a gentle re-circulation to the eddy).  I haven’t told them what I’m planning as I don’t want to jinx it, so they ask if I’m ready to move on, and I have to say what I’m up to now.  I go for it, I set up, tip over, arms reaching down (up?) the side of the boat, I feel the paddles come above the surface, *reach, sweep, hips, pull*, and I’m up.  The roll worked well but for the first time ever, water has gone up my nose so much it hurt.  Bleurgh!  Maybe I need to invest in a nose clip after all?!?!?!  I need to practice rolls more often, but I usually have so long in between paddles, I get it built up in my head as this major thing and haven’t practiced outside of the pool since… last year!  Plus, the dark opaque green of UK rivers isn’t so inviting!

Pleased I’ve done it, we move on down.  It’s not long before we catch up with the others again and we float through the last flat bit to the get out.  As the Koritnica was low this morning it made it quite technical and so, probably not one for me to do.  We don’t have much time left in the day either so Claire takes her boat over to the shop to leave there, Keith and I pop in to town as I need some glue for the foam in my boat, and we want to ask for prices at other places for the canyoning.  We find a company in town – Sport Mix – who give us a good price and seem like a well organised company, with some good equipment, so we take their info back to the group.  Matt and Claire are cooking this evening and I’ve started another book so I read this.  Surprisingly I’m not very sleepy, so after we go to bed I get back up to read some more until I feel my eyes go tired.

Thursday then we have to go back to the Prijion shop to collect Claire’s boat.  Prijion (Cezsoca) down to Srpenica 1 is a nice paddle for Claire, and I can once again practice some skills.  We see Primoz at the get on, he was the guy we spoke to at Sport mix and we arrange with him the canyoning for tomorrow, this saves us having to rush around at lunch time to sort it.  

I want to make the most of today as this is probably my last paddle in Slovenia, and maybe, the last paddle of the holiday. ☹ We split up again, but without much space between the groups, so I can zig and zag across the river, catching (or not) various eddies on the river.  I also manage my first moving water (on purpose) roll.  It's the only just moving, very flat bit at the end, but I had to make myself do it now or I may never do it.  I've known this is the next step for me with my roll for a while, and if I don't do it here, in the beautiful Soca river, I may never do it.  And what a place for a first!  

It’s been a lovely paddle, but I must admit I wish I could carry on and try what has been referred to as ‘the classic’.  It’s the bit from Srpenica 2 to Trnovo 1, where I had my swim at the start of the week, and I wish I had the chance to lay the demon to rest before we go.  However, the boys all want to get Otona section paddled and I’m not about to ask them to repeat a section and look after me, when there’s an exciting bit of river they want to get done.  I remind myself just how much I’ve done over the last two weeks, and that although I had a swim, I paddled most of ‘the classic’, and I did a new river in Austria too, so I can’t complain. 

We all get off the river at Srpenica 1, those not paddling this afternoon get changed, and the cars are shuttled, then we head over to Otona.  We sort the shuttle and take the ‘Grade 5 walk in’ to the start.  It’s probably the longest and steepest walk in, with lots of steps, walking back out took nearly half an hour, without a boat.  Lunch is spread out over the rocks, and we watch a few paddlers go through the first drop as well as some people swimming and jumping off yet another rock jump.  I wish I’d left my paddle kit on so I could jump too!  After lunch then, Rob, Matt, Brian and Chucky get on the water, we watch the three going through the first drop, and Matt gets on just below it, and they head off down river.  The walk up is exhausting but we have some cold water in the fridge in the car!  Keith and I need to pop in to town to shop as it’s our night to cook, we had hoped to go for a BBQ by the river but the storms are threatening and by the time we get back to the house the heavens have opened!  The view from the balcony has almost disappeared, we have thunder and lightning and hail.  It’s ferocious but it’s short lived, and the view soon returns. 

I’m glad I didn’t paddle this afternoon now, I’m exhausted.  I can hardly wait until dinner is served, I’m almost falling asleep at the table and I had a headache creep up on me at some point too.  As soon as dinner is done, I’m off to bed.  It’s 9.30pm and I wonder if maybe it’s too early and I’ll be awake at silly o’clock, but I sleep straight through till morning, hardly even stirring when Keith comes to bed.  We’ve a big day ahead tomorrow.  I’m vaguely aware of what canyoning entails and I believe I’m capable.  Although, it will probably take me out of my comfort zone as we are going on a more extreme version, they say on the website it’s grade 2 - 4 canyoning and it takes about 4 – 5 hours.

I’m going to wrap this up for now.  I’ll get the canyoning on a separate blog, as that one could be a long one, and I want to get all the detail in that I can.  Still buzzing, and sooooooo glad we did it!

See you soon!! 😊