It seems Slovenia is just as lovely as it was two years ago. So I probably don't need to repeat all the waffle about how beautiful and chilled out it is...

One definite improvement on last time is the fact that I did not capsize all week - compared to 5 swims in 2010.  Partly this may be due to me now having a fatass boat (which is awesome, I love it), but mostly I would like to think it's because I've actually got better at paddling.

somewhere under the mist is the first rapid of Srpenica 2

The first couple of days were really misty.  Not being able to see what's coming up makes me nervous, so a couple of sections were wussed out of (boily high Srpenica 2, and the Koritnica which we ran again later in the week anyway, so I really only missed one bit)

On day 3 the sun came out. Suddenly everything got even more pretty, and we all got our shorty cags out   A small amount of carnage occured in 'carnage canyon', but nowhere near as much as last time.

Wednesday's "rest day" involved paddling for some, hiking up the pointy steep mountain for others, and a walk around the Tolmin Gorges for me - followed by sussing out the end of the final section of the Soča, and walking to see Slap Kozjak.

Jen and Noreen spotting lines down the little drop

On Thursday we paddled the Koritnica.  I stuck my fingers up at my 'rock of indecision' as I paddled safely past it this time, haha.  Such a lovely little bit of river!

Friday, our last day paddling - the section of the Soca below syphon canyon.  aka "grade 5 walk in" (long steep zig-zag path down a cliff.  my gps tracker went mental and got confused).  I'd avoided this bit last time as it was the day we went to the caves.  Guide says grade II/IV, which in the absense of anyone remembering details, we decided meant mostly 2, but with the 4 at the start which you could put on below.

Turns out, not so much!  It's rarely a good sign to get to the river to find another group waiting for medics/rescue teams to get a broken person out   They suggested we might not want to paddle the first bit as it was "manky" (massive syphon you could see from halfway down the walk in...), so we walked our boats down the river for a couple of hundred metres.  Looked at what was coming up, and whilst there was a fairly obvious line, I was a bit exhausted and could only see rock after rock after rock.  I knew there was no way I'd get down it without cocking up, and no-one could say how much more 'hard' stuff there was before it dropped down to grade 2... so I walked back out.

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Yet another weekend spent swimming in the Tryweryn - but on purpose for a change!  A white water safety and rescue (WWSR) course, run by Richie of the Wye Canoe Company.  Definitely a worthwhile course for anyone regularly paddling white water.

Saturday was a very wet day - lots of swimming in the morning, then even more swimming in the afternoon!  I'm fairly practised at this, ahem, but some bits were new to me - particularly body surfing stoppers, and all things chest harness/live bait related (though my BA doesn't have a harness, so I had to borrow Ems' when it was my turn!).

We finished up with a tension diagonal (safely getting people and kit across the river using ropes).  Not done that before.. my lack of harness meant I was the last to go, eek.

Back to the bunkhouse for a much needed shower and a nice meal in Bala.  We stayed at Tyddyn Bychan - complete with conservatory and BBQ hut! Also signs on the windowsills warning you not to leave the windows open as "the cows eat the curtains" (as well as licking the windows).  No-one got woken up by any nosy cows - but there was a cockerel, and on Sunday morning a car alarm... (moral of that story, don't lock the dog in the car)

walking up river - harder than it looks!

Sunday's half of the course was a little drier, and briefly actually involved paddling our boats.  We covered boat rescues, safe group paddling, pins, foot entrapments and wading upstream (in pairs, or a 'wedge' formation).  The day ended with some scenarios, and a lot more throwlining/swimming.

Overall conclusions?  We all need more throwline practise!  My aim was better than I thought, but I mostly fail on actually holding on to the rope when it's got a person on the other end.  It's good to have different people explain things as well sometimes, as obviously people have their own ways of doing things - we've all picked up a nifty trick to help with throwline repacking.

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