Summer Family Activities in St.Anton am Arlberg
Away from the usual activities of hiking, e-biking, the Summer programme offered by the Tourism Association and the playgrounds by the edge of the Verwall Lake or up by the Gampen Lift on the mountain, kayaking is something new and a fun activity for all the family!
Whether it is a glorious Summers day or a wet activity that you can all do when it is raining, kayaking is a great way to spend time together as a family having fun or learning a new skill in a stunning Alpine environment.
We have been offering kayaking courses in St.Anton am Arlberg since 2010 and in 2021 we started offering half day taster sessions. So no matter whether you are all beginners and wanting to try something different on your holiday or would like to learn, improve your skills as a family on a bespoke course, we have the perfect location and activity situated in the heart of the Arlberg region of Austria.
So if you are willing to take the plunge and enjoy some quality family time doing one of Europe’s fastes growing sports, then have a read below..
Lake Sessions - Kayaking
Our Lake Sessions are a great way to be outside in stunning Alpine mountain surroundings having fun, being active and doing something different.
Surrounded by mountains, with distance views of the ski resort and a beautiful mountain stream entering, Lake Verwall is well worth spending time around. St.Anton has made the lake a very nice place to spend the day, with bbq areas, swings, benches and by spending time kayaking on the lake it gives you a very unique view of the amazing scenery.
It is just a 2 minute walk from the bus stop by the lake where you will find us ready to welcome you and give an introduction.
We will hand out the necessary kayaking and safety equipment and will proceed to fit out the kayaks to your body size and length.
Next is a comprehensive safety talk followed by dry land training.
Then it is time to get onto the water!!
We spend time getting used to our kayaks, gaining confidence and balance. Learning to turn the kayak is first, followed by paddling forwards in a straight line. During the session we play various ball games such as kayak polo to gain more confidence and have fun.
Being on the lake can also be about having a mini adventure exploring places that can only be accessed by a kayak, heading up to the small river flowing in or just kayaking around enjoying time on the water!
If you are really enjoying your time as a family on the lake you can extend for the day. Just speak to your instructor or if you are keen to spend more time in a kayak and progress to the next level we offer bespoke courses for the family.
Bespoke Kayaking Courses
Here in the Kayak School Arlberg we offer a range of whitewater kayaking courses for families. Our Core Courses range from 2-4 days in duration and our 7 Day Intensive Courses work on giving you a solid foundation and making that move to the next level:
Our Beginners Courses give you the chance as a family to learn the fundamentals of whitewater kayaking and our 7 day Zero to Hero Beginners Courses give you the perfect start into a new sport, developing your skills on the lake and river plus spending time in a warm indoor swimming pool learning the eskimo roll.
The Class 2-3 Improvers Kayaking Courses are ideal for families with some experience of whitewater and this course will give you all more confidence and help you improve your fundamental skills such as eddying in and out, running waves and even learning to surf. Our 7 Day Intensive Improvers Course will help you face the challenge of moving up a grade and with some world class coaching we will give you a solid foundation of skills to make the step up to class 3 more easier.
The Skills & Thrills Class 3-4 Course is designed to give you as a family more confidence to kayak the different styles of whitewater, such as big volume, technical or continuous rapids. With our vast experience of coaching and instructing plus our knowledge of the local rivers and levels it is the perfect way to enjoy safely the more challenging sections and rivers full of confidence as a family. Our 7 Day Classic Austria Class 3-4 Course showcases the best rivers and sections that this region of Austria has to offer, based out of St.Anton am Arlberg we are close to some world class whitewater and creeking. Throughout the week we work on technique and skills required while kayaking plenty of kilometres to really cement everything we have worked on, learnt and explained. This is the ultimate family adventure set in some of the most spectacular scenery the Alps has to offer!
Kayak Guiding
Class 2 - If you as a family are already whitewater kayakers and have limited time on your holiday in St.Anton then a days guiding is great way to get onto the river for the day! We are close to the stunning River Lech which offers some of the best Class 2 whitewater anywhere in Tirol.
Just to reach the put-in we have to drive over the Arlberg and Flexen Passes through the village of Lech, past the Class 5 Lech Gorges far below before arriving at the put-in.
Situated in the heart of the Nature Park the Lech river offers fun and stress free rapids, waves and technical alpine whitewater.
The views are spectacular from the river with beautiful meadows full of flowers and the odd waterfall cascading down off the mountains over the steep cliffs. We paddle under various traditional wooden bridges and with a cycling path following the river bank and walking paths coming down to the river we regularly see people stopping and watching our journey through the rapids and down the river. With big smiles on our faces we seem to get plenty of encouragement from the river bank with friendly waves and cheers from the onlookers!
Class 3 and upwards - the Rosanna River makes it way down from the lakes below the Fädnerspitze and cuts a path through the Verwall mountains into the Stanzer Valley going through or past the villages of St.Anton, St.Jakob, Pettneu, Schnann, Flirsch and finally Strengen before it meets the Trisanna and forms one of the best rivers in the world - the Sanna. A day spent kayaking on the Rosanna is something that you will remember as a family for a long time. The river is quite steep and the rapids are continuous before it starts to calm down again after the village of Pettneu where you have more time to take in your surroundings and get your breath back. Later in the season when the Rosanna is too low we head to the River Inn where the classic big water volume sections that this part of Austria is so famed for. Sections such as the Imst Gorge, Toesens Gorge and the Landeck Gorge offer some big water action that only this part of Austria has to offer.
Of course, we do not drop you all as a family straight onto full on river and with our unbeatable knowledge of the various sections and rivers we can make the day an exciting and safe one for the whole family.
To find out more about who we are, our sessions, courses and guided trips perhaps start at our homepage or contact us directly.