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taking his daughter out in a mini raft. We alternate between either floating and chatting or paddling in silent contemplation. We pass the mighty Boka waterfall on our right and also meet the Učja stream, which flows from Italy into Slovenia.
A BUSY PLACE IN SUMMER
The stretch of river from Serpenica 1 to Trnovo 1 is well-known and frequently paddled, offering varied lines based on the river’ s flow and the paddler’ s mood. It’ s a place where skills can be honed and Eskimo rolls tested with minimal risks. But it’ s a busy place in the summer months, with rafts from all over Europe bouncing and screaming their way down the river. We enjoy the lively whitewater but are happy to leave behind even the few rafts we encounter, ready to enjoy the volume of water and increased speed that the Moška section offers.
At the Trnovo II take-out, two of our four-person team take-out, and Rok and I continue on. This is the pinnacle of whitewater kayaking in a country known for creating solid whitewater paddlers. Although both local and foreign kayakers are inclined to lap the Katarakt, running the stretch from Trnovo II to Kobarid multiple times a day, this culture of speed and quantity doesn’ t suit us, and the boys aren’ t yet ready to venture into‘ the gorge.’ I let the first few splashes of whitewater wash away the controversial and arguably unlawful decree that forbids kayaking here.
Thoughts and worries beyond where I will place my paddle and boat dissolve as we get lost in the flow of linking moves, eddy hopping, boofing, and communicating through grins rather than words.
Branko and Bor meet us at the Otona pool, warmed up by their hike down the steep steps to the deep emerald pool. Every high water event changes the river slightly, and we pause to observe a new hole that formed last fall, Rok pointing out the moves needed to avoid it. This dynamic nature of rivers makes them ever interesting for kayakers. One might say you can’ t paddle the same river twice.
EARLY MORNING SUN AND ESPRESSO MIXES
After a night( and a few pints) at the paddler-owned Kamp Koren on the edge of the river in Kobaird, we are back on the water, letting the early morning sun and espresso mixes to bring us back to life. Drifting under the Napolean bridge, there is a stark difference in the beauty of the bridge that spans the box canyon – a human structure needed and built( or rebuilt) with taste and class – and the river engineering that used force to redesign the riverbed and banks below Kobarid.
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