River Soca - Slovenia
Kayak Courses on the Soca River in Slovenia
It was 2019 since we were last in the Soča Valley kayaking and exploring. It was certainly not because we did not want to visit and run kayaking courses there, our hands were tied behind our backs with all the travel restrictions happening around not only Europe but the world because of the Coronavirus.
However, thankfully, this was now behind us and in the Spring of 2023 we headed back to the Soca Valley to run some intensive coaching courses. A few things had changed since we last visited, Aleš was no longer renting out his apartment and so we had to find a new place to stay but other than that it the river was still its stunning colour, the snowcapped mountains were beautiful and of course there were no crowds!
Steve leading the way into the entrance of the slalom section of the Soca River in Slovenia
We like to head to the Soca Valley in Slovenia in the early Spring or late Autumn as it is a lot quieter both on and off the river. In the height of Summer it is extremely busy and they are now a victim of their own success with accommodation full, campsites exploding and the restaurants packed. That is why it is so nice to kayak on the Soca River out of the high season as the locals have time to talk to you and they certainly enjoy talking to the visitors and tourists. However, they all say not to come in July and August!!
Nestled in the heart of the Julian Alps, the Soča Valley is one of the most stunning places we have seen in Europe. As a former Republic of Yugoslavia, Slovenia was the first to gain its independence and unlike its neighbours of Croatia and Bosnia, it had a rather smooth transition to independence.
Kayaking through the slalom section of the Soca River in Slovenia
We have been coming to kayak the Soča River since 2001. John Blake and myself were on an early Spring kayaking road trip and with no water in southern Austria we realised that the Soča River was not too far away. John had no maps in his van and since this was before smartphones existed, we made a quick call to Ute. She did some research, checked out a few maps and with her directions we made our way to Slovenia. The Vršič pass was closed due to the amount of snow that had fallen throughout the Winter. So with a bit of back tracking, crossing a couple of borders as - our first visit to Slovenia was before it was part of the EU, we ended up trying to explain to Italian officials why 2 Brits were in a German registered van with a bunch of kayaks in the back looking for whitewater! After a few tense negotiations, the Italians let us through and we were now making our way over the Predil Pass and finally descending to the Soča Valley!
Since then we have been to the Soča valley over 20 times and it still amazes us just how stunning the area is. The river is a crystal clear emerald green colour and is the home to the Marble trout fish, which you can actually see when you eddy out in certain sections of the river. The town of Bovec lays at the base of Mount Kanin and at a pleasant 453m above sea level the town has a great climate with plenty of bars, cafe’s and restaurants to hang out and watch the world go bye.
When we first came to the Soča Valley, it was actually cheaper to go out and eat in a restaurant than buying food at the supermarket and try to cook on our small camping stove! Even though, since the adoption of the Euro, this has certainly changed, the food at the restaurants is still plentiful, extremely tasty and the local trout is very hard to beat!
There is now a pub in Bovec that is brewing its own IPA’s (Indian Pale Ale) and makes a great excuse to avoid the gassy Euro style beer. If you are not into your beer, the local made firewater called Sliwowiz (or was we call it after drinking too much of it: “Slip in a Ditch”) is worth a try or if you prefer coffee then this is just over the 1 Euro mark - you certainly cannot get a coffee for that price where we live in Austria!!
Since the days of the former Yugoslavia the locals have maintained a tradition of trying to be self- reliant. Our Slovenian family that we always stay with have their own trout pools, sheep, chicken and with plenty of fruit trees and berry bushes scattered around their land we are regularly given some of their fresh produce!
Whitewater technique training on the River Soca in Slovenia
With good water levels in the early Spring, it makes for a great whitewater kayaking destination before our season starts at Base Arlberg in Austria.
We run various week long courses in the Soča Valley from an Introduction to Whitewater, Improvers Class 2 and of course Class 3 upwards.
The Introduction to Whitewater takes place on various sections of the Soča River, we tend to spend the first few days starting from Cezsoča and kayaking down to Žaga and the Srpenica 1 river access point. This is the perfect way to get used to moving water and working on the fundamentals of whitewater kayaking. Of course the views of the snowcapped ski resort of Kanin above the town of Bovec are stunning, so too is the Boka Waterfall towering above us on the right hand side. As we progress throughout the week we move up to more Class 2 and even some easier Class 3 rapids by the end of the week.
Our Improvers Class 2-3 Kayaking Course spends a substantial amount of time working on the fundamental whitewater kayaking skills such as breaking in and out of eddy’s using different techniques such as the squeeze turn for larger eddy’s and the bow rudder for the smaller technical eddy’s. Ferry gliding is also extremely important to us as a whitewater kayaker not only to move from one side of the river to the other but it is a great way to learn to control the kayak, giving you a greater understanding of how your body, boat and blade all combine in a dynamic whitewater environment. Holding the line and understanding the tactics involved in whitewater kayaking are an integral part of our Class 2 to Class 3 kayaking courses and the Soca River provides the perfect classroom to achieve this!
Do not think that the Soča River is just for beginners and Class 2 kayakers! There are plenty of sections for the kayaker who kayaks Class 3, Class 4 and upwards. With sections such as the Slalom Course, Srpenica 2 downstream, the Otono section all provide some great whitewater in a variety of locations. The Otono has a mega walk down to the river but the gorge feeling is something else, especially as you kayak through the box canyon under the Napoleonic bridge, oh and let us not forget the fantastic whitewater and rapids on this section! The Slalom course provides great, technical whitewater where you can test your skills catching some tricky eddy’s or making harder moves once you are comfortable with the standard lines in this short but sweet section. It is also possible to make a full descent of the Soca River in the Spring, putting in at Bunkerji. Within, a few metres you are straight into a rapid where the moves are technical and the line can be tricky. Spending the day on the river is something special and is extremely rewarding, yes, there are a few longer mellower sections in-between but this gives you time to catch your breath, check out the surroundings and get prepared ready for the upcoming whitewater. Our Class 3-4 Kayaking Courses are also popular throughout the Spring.
There is also the Koritnica River that joins the Soca River below the town of Bovec, this is a fantastic run through box canyons, deep walled gorges and plenty of technical whitewater to perfect your skills.
Of Course it is not just in the Spring that makes the Soca Valley a great destination, also the Autumn can deliver the goods with good water levels. As the Soca Valley is on the southern side of the Alps, you will get rain compared to Base Arlberg, situated on the north side of the Alps, where the temperature will be drastically lower and snow will be falling on the mountains. It is not all rainfall, so with stable weather systems between we have some lovely fresh Autumn days where the water colour is brought to the fore with the dusting of snow high up on the mountain tops.
Great rapids and stunning water colour on the Soca River in Slovenia
If the Soca River in Slovenia has not been on your whitewater kayaking bucket list, then I hope this blog will show you just why it is worth a trip there, you will not be disappointed!
Kayak School Arlberg runs various trips throughout the Spring and Autumn season to the Soca River, just check out our webpage about the courses and trips we offer to this stunning part of the Alps!