Gearing up for the Austrian Spring Whitewater Kayaking Season
2025 Kayaking Season in Austria
As we start to approach the beginning of March, the days begin to get longer and the sun is now hitting our base. Though there is still snow outside Base Arlberg and we are hoping for more to fall in the next month, we are planning and getting ready for the upcoming Spring kayaking season here in Austria.
Firstly, bookings are looking good and we already have a few weeks booked out, so if you are looking at coming to kayak with us here in this beautiful part of Austria then it would be wise to get in touch early to avoid any disappointment, especially in July and August where we had to tell a record amount of people that we were fully booked!
Kayaking Equipment at Kayak School Arlberg
Waka Kayaks
Of course, Waka is a central part of our equipment here in the kayak school. We have been working with them for over a decade and again we have all their kayaks in our fleet. In-fact we have Waka boats not only in Austria but also in our stores in the Indian Himalayas and also at our lodge and base in Pucon, Chile. We will also have the new Waka Skuxx for this 2025 kayaking season in Austria!
Peak Paddlesports
We will soon be receiving some more Peak PS kayaking apparel. Peak PS have been with us since the start of the Kayak School some 16 years ago and Peak PS have been sponsoring Steve and Ute since 1999. We love our Peak PS kit and that is why we have it for our guests to use on all of our courses. We have a range of PFD’s from the River Vest for our Beginner and Class 2-3 kayak courses through to the River Guide for our Class 3-4 kayak courses and our Creeking Austria kayak courses.
We have updated our jackets with the Semi Long EVO and also a few Freeride kayaking jackets. We also have new spray decks from Peak PS to complement our range of Spade and Waka kayaks and finally we must mention our bespoke Kit Bags!
Peak PS is by far the leader in the industry of sustainable kayaking equipment. From the fabrics and components, including their durability to their state of the art repair shop at the factory the boys at Darley Dale have been years ahead of other brands. They have been reducing the amount of plastic being used be that at the factory or when the kit is shipped!
We are also stocking more women specific whitewater kayaking equipment that we can offer to our female guests on our courses. There is a limited amount of kit so if there is something you are keen to use or have on any of our whitewater kayaking courses then just get in touch!
Pete and Paul came to visit us here at Base Arlberg after the Paddle Expo for a catch up and a photo shoot of the new kit for 2025. As Pete said, he could take photos of the brown water in the UK or come to visit us in Austria to get some sweet images of the equipment on our stunning local River, the Rosanna in St.Anton am Arlberg!
It was during those couple of days when we said how much we like the kit bags to give to our guests when they come on a course. The have all their kayaking kit in one place, it keeps everything clean and tidy and makes life a lot easier when it comes to packing for the next days whitewater adventure! Paul gave it some thought and just before Christmas we received a parcel of bespoke kit bags made up entirely of surplus materials left over at the factory. They are such a great asset for us and as you can see by the photos the colours, designs are just cool!
To find out more about Peak PS sustainability and goals to reduce waste and plastic just check out this link: https://peakeu.eu/moresustainable
Spade Kayaks
We are waiting for some new kayaks to arrive from Spade Kayaks. Spade is an Austrian brand who are based south of us in the state of East Tirol in Austria. We always enjoy driving over the 2 passes to go and pick up our kayaks, the drive is spectacular and is one of the finest in this part of the Alps. We love catching up with Hans in Osttirol, hearing about the growth of the kayaking scene around the River Isel. Since the extortionate hikes to the river permits on the Soča in Slovenia, the River Isel in East Tirol has welcomed more kayakers and with a campsite by the side of the river with easy access it has given a welcome boost to the local economy.
Whitewater Paddles
We have also received some new paddles from Spade. Steve and Ute have been testing paddles from Basti for nearly a decade now and with him joining forces with Spade they have come out with some sweet blades for whitewater kayaking and we are extremely happy to have these included in our courses.
To find out more about our equipment in the Kayak School Arlberg then just follow this link to one of our blogs: https://www.gokayaking.at/en/blog/kayaking-equipment
Piltriquitron Lodging
We would also love to tell you about the new additions to Piltriquitron Lodging in St.Anton am Arlberg. Run by Connie and Jacob, Piltri has been an integral part of our kayak school and have been welcoming the majority of our guests since the beginning. They have now designed and built a completely new space for their guests to cook, hang out and chill upstairs. This will prove a huge hit for everyone, especially those that come in the off-season where there are no restaurants open! With a new staircase that leads up to the open room, there is plenty of space to cook, dine and relax after a great days whitewater kayaking on the rivers around Base Arlberg. A bench that is the perfect place to put your feet up and look out to the mountains of St.Anton am Arlberg is the ideal spot to read a book or just watch the stunning Alpine glow over the peaks of the Arlberg.
If you have never come on a course with us before, then our week kayaking trips and courses include bed and breakfast accommodation at Piltriquitron Lodging and if you are looking at coming for a shorter course then they offer special prices for our guests staying there. You can find out more at: https://www.piltriquitron.com/
The Kayak School Arlberg Team
Our team is also fixed again for the coming season. Steve and Ute have been at home in Pettneu am Arlberg skiing and training throughout the winter. Toby is currently down in Spain with his wife and dog, bouldering and enjoying some southern sunshine, he should be back by April. Josefa is back home in Chile where she is leading our trips from the lodge in Pucon. We have one more trip this season in Chile which started at the beginning of March. Josefa will then be heading to the US to kayak and hang out for a couple of months before joining us in June here in Austria. We are waiting for some updates and blogs from Josefa about Chile..The Team
So, here is to a great 2025 Austria season and we hope to see you here at Base Arlberg, in Pucon Chile or the Indian Himalayas this kayaking year!!
