There's a river to paddle after all!!

Wednesday morning we are all packed and ready to go.  We aim to get a paddle in today but we need to look at the rivers first.  We go via the Enns on the way out of the Gesäuse area, but this is still high and the ‘grade two’ get on looks huge. 

We decide to continue and try to find a river near Matrei where we are staying next.  When we arrive in Matrei we look at the Isel and it’s also high, ridiculously so, and we begin to consider if we should try to get to Slovenia early.  We send a message to the host of the house in Slovenia and get on with some shopping, we will still need to stay over here at least one night anyway.  When we get the message back there is only the option to extend the house in Slovenia by one night, and no other accommodation options seem to be available at short notice within sensible scope of our budget.  So, we make a plan to investigate the Kletterstiege (Via Ferrata) on Thursday to make the most out of the day, and then scout a river on the other side of Lienz, The Gail.

On Thursday morning, I call a local riding stables to find out if I can go Riding and book for Friday afternoon.  We’ve decided not to go to Slovenia a night early and we’ll just go early Saturday instead.  Then we head into town for a few things and to find out if there are any Via kits available to buy at a sensible price, or info on where to hire them.  We find out we can hire at the Via itself and after a few other things are sorted we head over to Galitzenklamm to find out more.  When we arrive there’s a sign to say the kletterstiege is closed… until tomorrow!!!   Not wanting to waste the day, Keith has found a spot where there is some sport climbing available, it’s not too far and we have some climbing equipment with us.  So, we head on to Kreithof to investigate the klettergarten.  Once we arrive it doesn’t take us too long to find the crag, where the Army are also climbing!  They have only roped off one small area though, so the rest of the crag is free.  We make our way along to find the easy climbs that we can all have a little go at, and then we set up. 

Keith Leads the first climb and we all have a go at this, then I lead a second and everyone has a go at that one too.  It’s surprising how long all this has all taken, and it’s definitely lunch time.  We head back to the van for lunch and by the time we’ve eaten we all decide it’s time now to go and look at the river.  (The keener paddlers, ie. Everyone but me, have itchy feet after not paddling for a day and are desperate to find some water!!)

It’s a good drive but easily done for a days’ paddle.  We look at a couple of get in/out locations and have a look over a few bridges.  The river app shows that the river is at the low end of medium, the sections we are looking at are grade 2/3 and the levels are dropping.  We’ve seen some paddlers going through and manage to speak to them as they get off the river, it’s all ‘free’ (clear of trees etc), and it’s decided we will paddle the section from Birnbaum to Kötschach.  The others, Matt and Brian especially, are getting excited that we have found water to paddle… I’m nervous.  It’s a river none of us have paddled before, so other than the bits we’ve been able to see from the banks and bridges, it’s unknown territory.  I have confidence in my group, but I do debate whether to paddle tomorrow or not.  I have decided if I paddle, I’m getting off the river before the broken weir at the end.  Keith and I went to inspect it and I don’t feel I’m gaining anything by running an extra 300m through a broken weir.  I have until we get to the get off tomorrow to decide.  Once we run the shuttle up, I’m in.  We’ve worked out while we’ve been scouting, how long the shuttle should take, and judging by the other paddlers (plus a little time to allow for us to stop and look at rapids as we go) we have a rough timeline.  It won’t be a long paddle and I’ll be back in time to go riding.

Friday morning soon arrives.  We are up early to make sure we can fit everything in, the river has dropped a little more since yesterday and is now at the top end of low.  This makes me feel a little better, not that low means easier but generally it means it will be less pushy water.  We’re up reasonably early, although I drag my heels a little over breakfast, still undecided.  I don’t find any good reason to back out so by the time the shuttle is done, I’m paddling.  My stomach is turning, my chest is tight, I try to keep my breathing level and keep the nerves at bay.  Some of the first wave trains are nice but I’m still in the warmup phase so it’s bordering on type 2 fun.  Eventually I get into the rhythm a little but the waves begin to get bigger as we get to the Grade 3 sections.  I’m barely holding it together in my mind, the air is blue and I’m not friends with Keith right now…. In fact I’m not friends with anyone.  But they keep telling me ‘well done’, ‘you’re looking good’, ‘that was great’ etc etc…. But I’m a duck…. What you see on the surface is calm and smooth, underneath I’m running fast!

One section I will remember well, the start of the rapid begins like many others, follow the green tongue in, hit the wave train and up and down we go, then I come up to a wave…. *oh god that’s a big wave, up, up, up, and as my breath is taken away, down, down, down… Jesus that was big*, before I can even blink though *Oh **** there’s another one, paddle, paddle…. Up……. And down….*  I start breathing again, it’s fast, I can’t believe I just did that!  I’m still very much on edge, and once again Keith tries to make me feel better.  But telling someone who is not calm, to calm down, is pointless.  I can’t flick a switch and be ok with it all.  It’s not much after this this though and I realise that the features are calming back down.  The grade 3 bit must be over, and we are back into the grade 2.  I begin to enjoy a little, and just knowing I’ve survived the biggest waves I’ve ever faced; my confidence picks up.  It’s not long before we see the broken weir, Keith shouts to Rob and signals to the group to eddy out.  This is where my paddle ends.  It’s been type 2 fun most of the way, I was a bag of nerves, but I’m so glad I’ve done it.  As usual the more time that passes once I’m off the water, the more I realise how good it really was. 

Everyone has a look at the weir now,  Rob decides he doesn’t like the look of the debris either and doesn’t want to risk the weir, Keith also decides not to bother for the one wave and they portage it, and set up some safety, as Matt and Brian are going to run it.  Matt and Brian take turns to video each other and then the 4 of them all carry on over the next drop and down to the car.  I take off some of my layers, a dry suit is not suitable about 10 seconds after you get off the cold water and you begin to ‘boil in the bag’, and then I start to drag my boat along the path towards where the car is parked.  Keith comes to meet me halfway to carry my boat, and we all put our kit out to dry and have lunch!  While Keith and Brian go to do the shuttle, Rob Matt and I have about an hour to relax by the side of the river.  I manage to do a little yoga as we’d got the yoga mats out to sit on for lunch, Matt goes for a little wander up river and Rob enjoys some quite time watching the river go by. 

Shuttle done, Keith and I head back so I can get changed and dropped off at the riding stables, and Rob Matt and Brian head back to the via which has opened today.  When I get to the stables it’s a little disorganised but I eventually get paired with a lovely looking haflinger called Fiola.  I’m taken on a ride with 4 others, up in to the mountains.  At first we follow the road for a while, but then we get so far and the ‘leader’ (I never did find out her name!) comes to tell me that we go off the road now on a narrow track.  I should let the horse go to do what she needs to but to just make sure she stays to the mountain side, the other side has a steep drop!  It’s a very narrow track indeed, only just wide enough for the horses to pass, but it’s not long before it gets a little wider.  I’m glad that I’m not on an ‘easy trek’ and there’s some excitement and challenges, despite being on the ‘golden oldie’ of the yard.  Fiola is beautiful, she has a lovely nature and is clearly set in her ways.  She knows where she is going and won’t tolerate standing still!  We have a few canters and I soon find that once we are going faster than a walk I can let the reins hang round the pommel (It’s a western saddle) and let her do her job, she’s knows it so well I have little to correct!  At walk she is the fastest of the group and I have to be at the front or she irritates whoever she is walking behind!.  About ¾ of the way in to the ride we reach a river.  The lead rider has told me Fiola likes to play with the water.  I let her of course and they take a video for me.  Fiola really does like to play, and if I let her I’m sure she would stay for ages and splash.  I’m soaked now though so I urge her on and we finish crossing the river.  I’ve had a lovely ride, and Fiola has even taught me a few things about riding western as we’ve gone along the trails.  

 

 

Tonight is out last night here so once we are all back together and everyone has told stories of their afternoon adventures, we have dinner and discuss the plans for tomorrow.  We need to be packed to leave first thing and have paddle kit accessible in the vehicles so we can paddle on the way out in the morning.  We are looking to paddle on the Isel, as the levels have dropped to a more sensible level since we arrived and we don’t want to miss out.  I’m going to join the group halfway to do the second section which is a bit easier.  I’m pretty tired, and I don’t want to miss a day on the Soca if I can help it!

We all enjoy our evening in different ways and it’s soon time for bed!  Good night!!!