This coming Autumn and through the Winter, Gene17kayaking, will run a number of its acclaimed skills courses for whiter water kayaking in addition to both BCU qualification training and assessments.  These technique courses are aimed at both improving and establish paddlers who are looking to considerably improve their personal paddling.  Our range of BCU courses includes all the white water kayaking awards, including the new Advanced White Water Safety & Rescue, plus the UKCC Level 3 Coach Training.  Other new courses for Gene17 are the new UKCC Level 1 and Level 2 Training. All our courses are available in both Devon, and North Wales, plus the technique courses are almost offered in Wicklow and Kerry in Ireland.

In addition to courses for individuals to join, Gene17 also offers groups, be spoke solution in all aspects of white water kayaking, whether this is a “Boofs and Flares” course, White Water Safety & Rescue Training or River Guiding anywhere in the UK and Ireland. With our massively experienced staff, who include Deb Pinniger, Matt Tidy, Eddy Smith, Killian Kelly, Leo Hoare and Simon Westgarth, we are able to provide the highest quality added value kayaking experiences. Simply contact us for a solution.

If you wish to join us for a weekend this Autumn, check out G17K Courses

After our inaugural and highly successful instructor training course, D4DR WW based in Slovenia and the Eastern Alps, we plan to run this 8 week intense white water skills course again in 2009. Numerous Blog reports of this year’s D4DR WW can be found on G17K’s Blog

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In addition to the this Class III/IV course, we will offer next Spring in Norway a 4 week Class V intensive skills course. Called simply D4DR Class V, this will be all action and a highly original kayak learning programme. The aim of this course will be to take paddlers who occasionally run hard white water into the realm of consistently running Class V. This course can not be simply offered by anyone, that is why Gene17 has brought together some of the best of Europe in the form of Matt Tidy and Ed Cornfield, who are renowned paddlers, river guides and coaches. D4DR Class V will be an unparalleled experience, staring late May in Sjoa and road tripping through Telemark and Voss for the extreme festival week.

If one new intensive skills course is not enough, we plan to bring Gene17’s model of excellence to entry level paddling in the form of D4DR H2O, an 8 week programme of Sea Kayaking, River Guiding, Canoeing and White Water Kayaking, based in Slovenia, Croatia and Sardinia. Leo Hoare, Matt Tidy and Deb Pinniger will team up to provide an exciting and high added value programme for a first rate experience.

Details of both new D4DR programmes will be forthcoming at G17K Courses soon.

We arrived into Torp on Sunday about 19:00, blowing a gale and doing the cats and dogs thing- Yup raining. Straight to Hertz, pick up the Passat and a 7 hour drive up to Sjoa. Base camp of Gene 17.The accommodation is excellent, remembering this is an adventure week not a week in some fancy spa resort, I reckon quaint sums it up nicely.

Our First day started with the usual gear check and boat fit out, which led to a trip to The Kayak Shop (excellent people), then straight onto the Sjoa play run, on what seemed to be a decent level. Compared to our visit in 2006 it was hoofing!! Being used to “da oul Wicklow (Ireland) runs” you do forget about the push. So you can imagine Dave Carroll’s face when I suggested we’d eddy out river left half way down the washing machine. “Eh no… Straight through my man”

Day 2 the sun came out and we hit the absolute low volume classic Ulla. For anyone who is thinking of going to Norway for the first time or indeed a return visit the Ulla is a must. The boys @ Gene17 were superb at guiding us through classic slides and pool drops. Then a reci to the famed Ulla Falls. An excellent sight!! It was here we decided we would return to Ulla on our last day for our Champagne day.

Day 3 after filling up on “Weiner Mélange” we were off to the Lora. Higher volume and some gorgey sections, with a sporty piece under the bridge. Some lovely Gene17 clinics on lateral momentum which I have to say turned a preverbal light switch on in my head. Good Times!!

Day 4 with every on feeling the paddle fitness lagging, it was agreed that we would do a half day, so we had some clinics on the Lagen, another learning curve! Then back to the Kayak Shop for some R&R. All Good.

Day 5 after completing a comprehensive river side demo in the ancient art of Rathfu from the lad Dave Carroll

we hit the Upper Jori. WOW, absolutely incredible river. It was everything I wanted Norway to be and more. Superb!!

Our last day was back to Ulla. If there was a perfect way to end a phenomenal week this was it.

A Special thanks to the lads at Gene17, “the teach” Simon Westgarth,” the ever positive” Matt Tidy, JJ “short but sweet” and of course “the lad” Dave Carroll for making this the best kayaking trip I’ve been on!!

Thanks also to Robo, Phill, Mikey, Ro, Cillian and the lovely Kimage for just being them.

Dónal

GOOD TIMES

11:06 Leo kindly takes my boat and paddle stuff in his van as I can’t get it all on the plane.

15:06 2pm Set off for airport, flight delayed one hour. Arrive Venice around 9pm, get bus for 3 euros to train station and train for 9 euros to Udine. Leo and Rob meet me at station, then drive to Trnovo. Leo tells me the big plan.

16:06 Everyone tired so start after noon. Go from Prijon shop (grade II) to long climb out. No probs, steady easy, start to feel weary at wave and can’t get on it. Last bit manoeuvring around boulders, no probs. Leave boats, go eat and then come back. Leo hints that maybe I should stop, but me thinks I’ll be ok – wrong – very tired!!!! Last section technical boulder field, too tired to think so follow Leo like beginner. Miss going round a rock, get caught by wave/stopper over rock and swim. Now cold and tired. Swim again before end, not sure why. Is raining and cloudy all day low visibility in mountains.

17:06 Has been raining all night and is lashing down. Go to look at river at Prijon shop but is very high at 150/200 cumecs. See trees floating down – play is abandoned. Back to house and start first aid. Everyone is raring to paddle.

18:06 Start earlier, go from Kobarid to Tolmin 17km. Easy grade II but I’m paddling like a lune. Can’t get over eddy lines, not breaking out strongly, wobbling about all over and very tense and stiff. One roll (first roll in boat), two t-rescues and 2 swims. Day is beautiful and clear. Bit of low cloud over alps. Leo has us trying to use waves and eddies to move through the water and getting difficult eddies. River is wide and flat. Leo goes for bus and we practice CPR.

19:06 Leave earlyish and do Kortinica in Kluze, lovely gorge like river with grade III + at beginning and continuous III all the way. Technical paddling round boulders etc. Doing fine although don’t break out strongly from first eddy and t-rescue. Continue ok for while then get caught in flow from round boulder and swim. Boat chased by Rob and Leo until Toni’s campsite and paddle on bank somewhere. I climb out, leaving Martin sunning himself in an eddy on the right. Leo picks me up whilst hitching a lift with Christian (german kayaker) to the bus. Rob gets back on at bridge and goes down with Martin, but can’t find paddle. We ask around – no paddle. Eat some lunch and go and do Kortinica again.

This time swim at curling wave, at bottom of Toni’s campsite and at end in easy wave train on way back to Prijon shop (Rob loaned me his paddle). Don’t know what’s going on, paddling terribly. Very pissed off with myself. Rob and Leo paddle down to Trnovo to look for paddle. My turn to cook make lovely bean and veg chilli but a bit too hot for Martin so he has to add lots of cream to cool it down. Bit more first aid.

20:06 Do short runs to build up my confidence. First from bottom of Toni’s campsite to Prijon shop – no probs. Go for icecream – lovely blueberry - and take it easy. Then get on at bridge down to long take out. Practice ferrying and eddying – doing OK, get caught out breaking into strong flow of wave and end up swimming, boulders at end no probs. Then practice rolling for awhile – still not quite there. Long climb out. More first aid in evening.

21:06 Get up early to do Kortinica, unfortunately not quite awake. Beautiful day and very quiet, low mists and sunlight on river. Get on just after 8am, hardest bit at beginning and unfortunately spin round backwards and over I go – first swim. Back in, ok for awhile, go through rapids fine but then simple/easier bits wobble around and go over. Think I rolled up (I came up). Next swim after bashing into rock on flat water – I am a muppet as Leo says. Further wobble later on but manage to push myself upright, and on to the end with no probs. Do a little shop then Leo’s off home and we’re left on our own to create mischief and mayhem. Tidy up and do washing, air van and kit and try to alter back rest in boat and then lounge in sun. Hitch a lift (Christian again) to bar in Srepinica and have pizza and wine and yes watch footy!! Hitch a lift back with Kobarid local (after watching fireflies) and go for last one in local bar.

22:06 Get up late, make toast in frying pan, hitch to Bovec, eat icecream, visit kayak shops, hitch back, eat leftovers, pad out boat.

23:06 Go paddling with Simon in afternoon 3pm, from Srepenica 1 to Trnovo, swim once. Teaches us to point to where we’re going, going from river left to right and back, eddy hopping, stern ruddering into eddies. Great day! Go for pizza again.

24:06 Paddle from top of Soca, through boulder garden. Doing well but unfortunately swim. Simon teaches us stern ruddering in and out of eddies. Still having trouble getting over eddy lines. Come to huge rapid through canyon – again swam, got pushed in to rock river left by flow and went backwards and over. Swam through second bit on back of Simon’s boat. Mut have been tired as then started wobbling on eddy lines and going over, t-rescued twice and rolled once. Trying another boat tomorrow, maybe something a bit longer may give me more momentum. Went for icecream and Simon cooked dinner – pasta and rocket salad – greens :o). Tom Parker and Sarah came for dinner.

25:06 NO SWIMS!!!! Srepenica 1 to Trnovo. Paddled nomad today and paddling improved no end, made eddies, leaned forward, quite enjoyed it. Simon looked at my roll need to bend my arm and look at the paddle, keep the box. Simon taught us low and high brace by looking at spot where going in, bracing on paddle and rotating body forward. Used it a little, but old habits die hard. Didn’t go over at all. Had a long break off the water and bean salad for lunch. After 6pm Debs, Dave Carroll and Kim turned up and we went for a party paddle. They were all manic like children playing on the water. At first Martin led me down but then it appeared to be everyone for themselves and I just started making my own way down, eventually leading Martin who was very tired and a little intimidated by the super paddlers (as was I), but they were fine and left us to it. Fantastic!!! Need to make eddies better, set my intention earlier. Came back and went for pizza and salad again! And watched footy.

26:06 Paddled Kortinica again no swims. Quite a bit lower, got pinned on a rock but got off and Rob helped me up. Shuttle took ages with big Steve. Went for icecream and shopping then got locked out of house so went to Kobard for pizza as we couldn’t make lunch. Lovely fruit and veg shop bought some beans. Got back and others still not back. Went down to river and tied each other up doing first aid. Went to bar to watch footy spain won.

27:06 Slow start, went back to boulder canyon. Got caught out at beginning and Rob t-rescued me. Did some first aid. Pretended to have fallen and Martin thought it was for real at first. Ran rapid fine. Leo swam into canyon and we made a mess of rescuing him – should have done a vector on throw rope to pull him in. Then we all swam through canyon, Rob disappeared in second rapid for few seconds very cold. Then ran rapids - was quite tired but determined not to hit rock on left so landed on rock on right span 180 degrees and went backwards. Managed to turn round and eddy out. Martin copied me. Second rapid ok – bit rocky but did fine. Technique better today although still back paddling. Led for the last little bit back to Prijon shop.

Got back in time for Debs and talked about Montenegro, looks lovely. Made date plans - getting excited. Cooked a lovely veg masala and now going to bar to watch Slovenian wedding traditions. Waited around like a lemon but nothing seemed to happen re arch so came back drank a glass of wine and went to sleep.

We left for Austria on Thursday 3rd July after the van was packed with what we thought we would all need for camping. I had bought a tent on the day before coming to Slovenia as the two others I have were too big or heavy to pack for the flight. I paid the grand sum of £10 in Argos & they will be receiving a letter of complaint when I get home, the reason will be revealed later.

The drive from Slovenia was fairly mundane, lots of beautiful scenery, we were making good progress until not long after crossing the border into Austria we were waved into a checkpoint by the short hairy arms of the law. He checked our passports & weighed the van, when he realised we were clean he waved us on with a cheery frown.

We arrived in Lienz, found the campsite & while the others erected their tents I read the instructions for my new purchase, ‘This item is showerproof not waterproof!’ What sort of lunatic would design a tent & sell it in a country renowned for rain without that little gem of info on the outside packaging?

After deciding I would sleep in the van we drove to a put in on the River Isel. We put on & instantly felt the river had more power than the ones we’d paddled before. The eddies were man made & quite boily, making for some interesting break ins & outs. The wave trains were bigger & the pourovers were grabbier with not many calm portions.On Friday we had a look at a part of The river Drau, a dam release river with almost as much power as the Isel. We put on after lunch & practiced eddying in & out until we got to the slalom site. Big boulders had been put in strategic positions to create pourovers, stoppers & eddies. Deb P. & Rob were playing around with the various features, attaining (going up) the rapid & going through the hanging gates. I was happy to ferry glide from one side to the other & hope I didn’t get washed away. Deborah had a go at attaining but was pushed back into the eddy I was in, she had another go, got caught by the main flow & hurtled towards a midstream boulder. She was pushed around it & into the boil behind which tipped the boat, after quite a few roll attempts in aireated water she swam & was carried off downstream with Deb P. & Rob in hot pursuit. I caught up with Deb P. & we eventually got the boat into an eddy after being bounced out of two.

Reunited we carried on to the playhole a bit further down. Sat in the eddy river right I grabbed a rock so I could watch the playboaters fooling around & managed to pull a muscle. Deb P. & Rob jogged for the van & Deborah went for a swim in the nearby pool.Deb P. & Rob had entered the rodeo which took place on the Saturday. The funniest moment for me was when the anouncer called out the womens’ heat starting with “World freestyle kayak legend DEB PINNIGARRRRRRRRRRR” everytime Deb paddled. Deb won the heat & the semi & the final. Rob put in quite a rousing performance for someone unfamiliar with freestyle in a borrowed boat, sidesurfing, flatspinning & even a backloop! The world number two was in his heat & I think Rob just didn’t want to show him up.

On the Monday we went for another paddle on the Isel, dropping Deborah at the put in we went to before, Deb P. Rob & I went further up. Putting on & paddling into the flow I hit the first set of waves & realised I’d left the iron on or hadn’t fed the cat or didn’t put the milkbottles out, any reason why I should be somewhere else. The waves were breaking over me, one second I could see Deb the next was just a wall of greyish with white foam. I paddled hard & got used to the way the water was acting, eventually breaking into a smile, that was until THE stopper. The one that flipped me over & had a mate behind it that gave my roll a spanking. I swam & swam & swam some more getting to the bank to watch Deb P. trying to push my boat to the side. I found myself on a gravel bar out of sight of Deb & Rob, thinking I could be in for a bit of a walk I looked for a safe route to cross to river right through what looked like a tributary stream. Rob appeared on the next gravel bar & said I’d have to swim down a bit to Deb & my boat. Wading out, the river was grabbing at my feet just 3 feet from the bank, I did a reverse swan dive into the current & was carried swiftly downstream to see Deb waiting with my boat. Knackered, I clambered in & we picked up Deborah just around the next corner. Without any major wobblies we got to the takeout & travelled on to to a town called Loafer.Nice campsite with all singing & dancing toilet block.

Went for a paddle on a nice easy grade I/II, practicing break in/out. Back to campsite for a quick coffee then met Deb P’s friends Ingrid & Olli Grau, paddled a stunning grade I, great to see world class paddlers fooling around on the easy stuff like us mortals. I capsized while seeing how far I could edge my boat & Rob laughed.

The next day Deb P. took Rob & I for a paddle from the campsite down to a slalom course were I grew in confidence running the section 3 times. Rob & Deb went further downstream into a class V section. We stopped on the way back to Slovenia at a couple of lakes to do some rolling practice then paddled a 20k section through a gorge where I had 2 swims in shorts in freezing water & ended up speaking an octave higher.

Back at Trnovo, we dropped Deb P. In the train station & eagerly awaited the arrival of Gez to start the raft training……..By Martin Mills

The D4DR Instructor Training Programme was due to start on the 16th of June, so participants were supposed to arrive on the 15th. Alas due to a misunderstanding myself and Martin arrived on the 14th(o0ps). But not only did we both arrive a day early, we also arrived about 9 hours apart from each other(double oops). I arrived the earliest at around 2.30 in the afternoon had the pleasure of doing the shop with Leo and watching some footie. After picking Martin up at around 11.15 in the night, the three of us then drove onto 22 Trnovo ob Soci on the Soca river in Slovenia, which has been our base whilst in Slovenia.

The next day the three of us went onto the river, on a bit of a warm up run. We got in at Cezsoca and paddled down onto the get out at Srpenica 2. This run consisting of a lovely wave train, with one of the best surfing waves around (check out the youtube clip). This lead onto a next bit of a boulder garden. Then we went to collect Debra (who’d arrived the correct day).

After a bit of a lay in, the four of us then went down and ran the same section as above. After having lunch, we then returned to our boats at Srpenica 2 to paddle the rest of the way to Trnovo 1, this section being a bit more of a bigger boulder garden type section. Then the heavens started to open and it tipped down!!!!

The next morning we awoke to rain, and lots of it. The river rose upto around 250 (ish) cummeces, it was at around 20 (ish) the day before when we got off. So after a bit of driving around to look at the river, it was decided there had been too much rain (As we were all coming from the UK, we found this hard to swallow). As a back up plan, we ended up making a start of our REC first aid for paddlers course.

Next day we paddled the lower section of the Soca, this was from Kobarid to Tolmin. Due to the amount of water in the river this was great fun with some hugh eddy lines, boiling eddy’s and some big bouncy wave trains.

Seeing as the river still had loads of water in it, we drove upto to Kulze to have a look at one of the tributary’s of the Soca. This one being called the Koritnica. It was running at a great level. Making the entry gorge quite fast and fun. But due to a mishap in a gorge lower down the river, Debra ended up losing her paddle, which put a bit of a dampener on the day. The team got off at the get out at Vodenca (prijon shop), and meself and Leo continued down to Trnovo to see if we could find the paddles. Unfortunately we could see them anywhere, but we did find the river still at quite a high level.

We then paddled the next day from where the Koritnica enters the Soca down to the Prijon Shop, and did from Cezsoca down to Srpenica 2, as the river was still high, this made for some interesting paddling.

Saturday the 21st saw us have an early start on the Koritnica which was still running at a great level. We got back to the digs before lunch, waved good bye to Leo, as he was flying home for a long weekend to enjoy his son Sol’s 2nd birthday. The three of us (me, Martin and Debra) having our freedom from any instructor’s decided to hitch into Srpenica for dinner, to watch footie and have a couple beers. We managed to hitch back, late (ish) into the nights and continue with some more beers at the local bar.

After a nice lay in, a late breakfast and generally lazy morning the three of us decided to hitch in to the near by town of Bovec, which is roughly 17 Kms away from Trnovo. This was surprisingly easy having only to wait around 6/7 mins to get a lift there of some friendly German paddlers, who we’d meet whilst watching football earlier in the week. We enjoyed some lovely ice cream and a little look around. We then hitched back, making the first half of the journey in a friendly climbers tiny car, we have a drink and a sit down and made the reminder of the journey in a local rafting company’s mini bus.

During spring we managed to get at team of Danish paddlers together for a trip to Norway in late June. Initially we wanted to start out in the Telemark and then do a road trip through the neighboring areas such as Buskerud, Sogn and Fjordane, before heading to Voss and the Ekstremsportsveko.  

As none of us had too much experience with Norwegian white water, besides Mikkel who few years earlier worked on the Sjoa, we decided on hiring a guide for the trip. And thus we were awarded with the presence of Matt Tidy. Cheers Matt…

First few days being cloudy but giving no rain, we started out with low volume on the Upper part of the Austbygdåi, which served as a feisty warm up with lots of fun drops and a few more compressed and turbulent rapids along the way. 

For the lower part of the river, also known as the California section, things got steeper and turned out as a good challenge with its numerous bedrock slides throughout the run.

After the Telemark we headed north to Buskerud and the rivers Etna and Numedalslaagen. 

With to less to water to paddle on the Etna, Matt set up a rescue and safety session instead, rehearsing pinning situations, swimmers and boat recovery. And furthermore having a talk on equipment and the correct use for various pressure situations. 

Hitting the Numedalslaagen at a good medium flow, we were in for something completely different. Referred to as the Zambezi of Norway, it offered a great big volume run in an open forested landscape. 

With some long powerful rapids, pretty much all of which we scouted, massive wave trains, giant waves and big holes, made it lots of fun. Few of the rapids having real tight lines in spite of the big flow, and some gnarly holes we didn’t want to go near, there was also a portage or two. 

From here we originally planned to go to Voss, but due too heavy rainfall and flooded rivers there, we went in the direction of Sjoa instead. 

This area we were more familiar with from earlier years, but with a real great day on the Store Ula, with what for some of us was the first run on the waterfalls, this will no doubt be a day on the river to remember…

Arriving at the put in up high on the fjell , clear skies and a scenic mountain backdrop accompanied us down the Ula in an open riverbed, before entering the gorge section and engaging the spectacular combination of slides known as “Svarbergfoss”. And with everybody coming nicely down the falls at the end of the run, there was pretty much nothing more to wish for…

Besides being a great guy to go along with, Matt shared with us his knowledge and experience. And we benefited greatly on approaching new rivers, reading complex water and adjusting technique throughout the trip.

Best recommendations and thanks for a great trip

Nilas

Team was: Matt Tidy, Carl Damgreen Madsen, Mikkel Ketil, Mads Udsen, Nilas Brinck Juncker

a BBC how to run waterfalls

Leo collect all from the local airport, and we got under way with some intro paddling.  Here is a Youtube segment of the first week of D4DR WW. Enjoy 

Recently 2 paddlers, due to new appointments are now unable to join us 13-20th July in Sjoa. Whilst we are very happy for people to get new jobs, this leaves our first week in Sjoa a little light on the water.

If you would like to join us in Sjoa for a week’s prime river running and coaching with Gene17, plus have a chance to go to the famed Pimp and Hoo party at the Sjoa Kajak Fest and watch the Sweet BoaterX?

For the full trip info check out Sjoa Trip Info

Plus images from previous trips can be seen on Flickr Images for a taste of what is in store.

Please contact myself soon.

Best Regards

Simon Westgarth