WHITEWATER SPORTS

Kayaking

Once you’ve dipped your toe in the water with whitewater sports and want a bigger adrenaline kick, kayaking is the way to go. The sport does demand an apprenticeship beyond a simple have-a-go session, but learning the techniques of whitewater kayaking really pays off – it’s the best way to get to know the river up close and personal. There is no more agile and playful way to descend a river than in a kayak, for an incredibly fun experience that will leave you buzzing.

Rafting

A raft is a large inflatable craft that you sit in along with a bunch of fellow rafters. You follow the instructions from the guide at the back, paddling to the rhythm dictated by their shouts. It’s terrific fun: the waves come thick and fast and you’ll be jostled in all directions. You have been warned!    

Canyoning

This outdoor sport is a mix of caving, hiking, rock climbing and mountaineering, with a healthy dose of white water thrown in for good measure! You travel along the bed of a water course, working your way towards the faster-flowing water, tackling sections where the river runs through gorges and narrow ravines and negotiating waterfalls of varying heights. Usually, you ‘go with the flow’ along the river bed, following a mountain river downstream, mainly on foot but at times swimming and at others using ropes to negotiate the rocks, mainly abseiling.

Whitewater swimming

This is something anyone can do, providing you can swim the crawl, or more precisely kick your legs effectively. You wear flippers to propel you through the water, well protected behind your float (or riverboard – a kind of whitewater sledge). The foam float you use is easy to manoeuvre by yourself and use for protection from any rocks and pebbles you might encounter on the way down. At one with the river, the swimmer simply lies down flat and surfs the waves downstream in this very safe sport.?