We are based in the Arlberg Region situated in the west of Austria. It is just 100km to the west of Innsbruck. The village St. Anton am Arlberg lays at 1300m above sea level, giving us unbelievable views, clear skies, warm days and of course a cool climate to sleep at night. We are just one hour drive from the borders of Germany and Switzerland and we are perfectly located for rivers such as the Inn, Oetz, Trisanna and Sanna.

Our home river is the Rosanna which is an Alpine classic. It is quite fast and will certainly keep you on your toes with its continuous nature. Slightly further downstream is the Sanna, a world renowned Alpine River that is the basis of all our courses from Class III upwards. The Sanna is the shortest river in the Alps at just 7km length, it is also one of the last few remaining free flowing rivers in the Austrian Alps. The Inn provides us with various sections of whitewater that also happen to be in 2 different countries. The Swiss Inn is absolutely stunning, a medium volume river set in landscape that can rival Patagonia. This is the Romansch speaking part of Switzerland called the Engadine. In Romansch Engadine translate as the Garden of the Inn and for us it holds one of the best class IV sections of whitewater on the planet, the Giarsun Gorge. We have kayaked in many places around the world and the Giarsun is what we compare rivers to. It is such a sweet piece of whitewater in a stunning Gorge. Downstream is the Ardez Gorge, a great place to train for the Peruvian style of kayaking and below the Ardez is the Schuls Gorge. Another great section but more pool drop in character compared to the section above. The Martina section takes us close to the border and is a nice little paddle if everything else is too big.

The Austrian Inn takes on a whole different character. There are many tributaries adding water into the Inn. The Toesens Gorge is a good introduction into Big Volume kayaking with pool drop rapids and very forgiving lines. By the time the Inn reaches Prutz the Kaunertal Glacier is helping to add to the volume. After Prutz there is the Inn Shoot, a 15 minute roller coaster Class V ride where the Inn is squeezed through a tight Gorge. Even if you do not want to kayak this section, it is right next to the road and makes for a great walk and scout. Directly after the Inn Shoot is the Landeck Gorge. A class IV river with some big and bouncy waves and rapids to kayak through. This is as close as you can get to kayaking like in the Himalayas in Europe. The Landeck Gorge finishes at the confluence of the Sanna and if the adrenaline is still in then another run is well worth it. The last whitewater section of the Inn is the Imst Gorge, a big volume class III run that has been fed by numerous glaciers and tributaries will get the confidence flowing and the feeling of wanting more.

The river Oetz flows into the Imst Gorge and of course is the home of the Sickline World Extreme Kayaking Championships. The Oetz Valley is a great place to kayak during the week when we have previously gotten used to Alpine and big volume rivers on other rivers. There are various sections of the Oetz and the Lower Oetz is where we should start our acquaintance of this thunderous river. Further up the valley are some sweet sections of Class IV+ and if after kayaking the other rivers and sections we all feel happy then the Upper Oetz and the Lower Venter Ache are also worth kayaking with the right levels.

Germany is just an hour drive from our base and right on the border is the jewel in the German Alps crown, the Loisach. The Loisach is one of Germany's most beloved and paddled rivers. It is technical and has a very continuous feel. Surrounded by trees it gives a feeling of isolation but in fact there is a road just close by. We have to drive over a mountain pass to reach Bavaria and the scenery is outstanding. The Upper Loisach is situated in Austria and the main section in Germany.

Where else can you kayak in three different countries on some fabulous whitewater set in incredible scenery in just one week?

Instructors / Coaches

All of our coaches / instructor are fully qualified through British Canoeing.  They have a wealth of experience not only here in Austria but around the world.  Our knowledge of the German speaking Alps is second to none and we are positive that you will not only be blown away by the variety of rivers around Base Arlberg, but just how much your kayaking will improve with us here in the Kayak School Arlberg.

To find out more, just click on the link to Our Team

Experience Required

For the class III - IV Kayaking Trip you should be confident on class III upwards and have a strong roll. We will be kayaking for around 4 - 5 hours a day, so though you do not need to be an Olympic Athlete you should have a certain amount of paddle fitness or stamina.

Group Composition

Our ratio for class III - IV whitewater and upwards is 1:4. We will not take more than 6 clients on any of these trips and our trips are guaranteed to run with the minimum of 2 clients. This gives you plenty of whitewater action and the opportunity to improve your kayaking and move up a level.

Equipment

Our equipment in the Kayak School is made by whitewater kayakers for whitewater kayakers!
We pride ourselves on our equipment and as we teach a modern dynamic style of kayaking we require our equipment to fulfil this objective!
We are a whitewater kayak school so we do not use bulky and cumbersome rafting equipment, our buoyancy aids/personal flotation device are designed and cut specifically for whitewater kayaking!
This is the ethos that runs through all of our equipment.

We have currently in our store the full range of Waka Kayaks, Spade Kayaks, various models of Zet and Lettmann kayaks.  Our paddles are from Spade and AT with a choice of straight or bent shaft, please note that ALL our paddles are 30 degrees with option of right or left handed white water paddles.

Peak PS have been supplying the Kayak School with their award winning equipment since the start! The kayaking apparel fits perfectly, keeps you warm when you need to be, cool on a hot summers day and you look good. It is award winning, cutting edge and world beating whitewater kayaking equipment.

Kit to Bring

If you would like to use your own equipment for the course then please bring it with you.  We will check your pfd and helmet to make sure they still going to be of use on the river, also we want you to wear river booties and not sandals.  As we teach the modern dynamic way of kayaking, if your kayak is extremely old, long with no edge then we would recommend using one of our newer kayaks.

Coaching and Instruction

The weeks Classic Austria kayaking trip is not just about guiding and showing you the best rivers in this part of Austria.  We like to work with you  to improve your kayaking technique and skills.  Be it short sessions or a day dedicated to coaching and instruction, working on subjects such as understanding white water, dynamic and pro-active kayaking or paddle placement to name just a few.  To find out more about techniques and skills we work on just follow the link to our Skills and Thrills Kayak Course.

Fundamentals of White Water Kayaking

Your body position and the skill of forward paddling are fundamental to everything that we do in our kayak.  A dynamic forward paddle stroke is the key to building up confidence and maintaining a line down a rapid.

Throughout the course we work on the fundamentals of body posture, such as how we sit in our kayak.  How we hold our paddle also effects our kayaking technique, be it forwards kayaking, turning the kayak, power strokes and of course boofing.  Finally we also look at the connection you have with the kayak, are you swimming around in your kayak or are you nice and snug so that when you use your feet or legs for example it transfers straight into kayak giving you confidence, support and most importantly control.Mixed ability group

If you have a group with different abilities we can combine both Kayak Road Trips in Austria enabling everyone to kayak different grades of whitewater and still chill out all together in the evening.

Accomodation & Food

The majority of our guests stay at this beautiful and quiet Bed and Breakfast house. It was created as an alpine home for skiers in winter and as the Summer became popular for people who like to enjoy the mountains and outdoor sports.

Located downtown in the village of St. Anton. Piltriquitron is quiet, with clean minimalistic Nordic design and Tirolean quality. The concept is inspired by a Patagonian way of living.

Piltriquitron is like no other place in St.Anton. Jacob and Connie are the perfect hosts, they are great people to talk to, they have traveled and explored all sorts of mountain ranges around the world and with this in mind they know just what everyone is looking for in a place to stay!

The rooms as clean, modern, warm and cosy. The substantial breakfast buffet features quality local produce and provides a good healthy base for the days kayaking and they can cater for the majority of diets.

The common living area is a great hangout and the perfect place to chill out and share stories of that days adventure on the river and the surrounding area.

It is our go to accommodation and with so much positive feedback from our guests we are extremely happy to have Piltriquitron as our core partner!

There is a possibility of booking the course without accommodation, just get in touch to let us know you thoughts and plans.

Lunch is a personal choice and we will stop at a local market and bakery so that we can re-fuel after our first run. For dinner you have the option of various restaurants close by.

Dates & Prices

Course dates

We have courses planned on the following dates:

• 25 May - 01 June 2024 (1 Week)

• 22-29 June 2024 (1 Week)

• 13-20 July 2024 (1 Week)

• 20-27 July 2024 (1 Week)

• 03-10 August 2024 (1 Week)

• 31 August - 07 September 2024 (1 Week)

No date to suite your plans? Just let us know through the contact form. We are pretty flexible here at the Kayak School giving you the best opportunity to see the region from a different perspective!

Course prices

EUR 1500.- per person, including Bed and Breakfast.

Contact us about the course