I had never been paddling before I met the kind people at Kayak Arlberg, and my teachers were so patient and thorough. After the week-long “Zero to Hero” Beginners Course, I learnt so much from gaining my balance to controlling the kayak and then heading to the river to work on the skills needed to be a confident whitewater kayaker.
Read MoreIn the early Spring the main rivers will be relatively low. The snow is still up in the mountains and it can take up to mid-June for the melt to really start feeding the main rivers in the West of Austria. So here are a few top tips for planning and making a trip to kayak in Austria during the Spring…
Read MoreAway 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!
Read MoreDeep blue skies, leafs in different shades of red, orange and yellow on the trees, snowcapped Alpine peaks and of course water levels that still keep producing the goods. This is what kayaking during the Autumn in the Western part of Austria is all about.
Read MoreCreeking has exploded onto the whitewater scene, advances in equipment, especially kayaks have opened up a whole new style of river that a whitewater kayaker can now paddle. Here is the creeking equipment we take on the river.
Read MoreThe Inn is the biggest volume of river in the Alps and has been the training ground for many Himalayan kayaking pioneers, past and present! What is great about the Inn is that there are sections of river for everyone, from touring to beginner whitewater, an abundance of class III for the intermediate kayaker and enough sections for the experienced river runner to stay entertained!
Read MoreYour ultimate guide to river terminology.
Read MoreIf you are keen for some fresh mountain air in the summer, here are our 5 Fun Outdoor Activities that you can do in St.Anton am Arlberg.
Read MoreAs we head off kayaking during the season here in Base Arlberg, Austria, I am often asked what are my favourite rivers I have kayaked. It is certainly not an easy question to answer as I have kayaked on 5 continents and have completed first descents on 3 of them including a few solo first descents.
So here is my “current” Top 10 kayaking Rivers of the world.
Read MoreTo say it has been a difficult year is a bit of an understatement!
At the beginning of March Steve headed out to India to kayak the Lohit river in the far north-east with Stanzin. However, a day before they were due to set off from Rishikesh the state of Arunachal Pradesh closed its borders.
Read MoreOur second Spring kayaking season of 2018 found us in the stunning Soča Valley in Slovenia. We have been kayaking and coaching here since 2001 and it is a place we love to go back to. With emerald green water the surrounding snowcapped mountains provide a beautiful backdrop to what is one of Europe’s gems!
Read MoreJames Ibbotson is a British Kayaking Freestyle Champion. He has represented his country at World Championships in Canada, Argentina and also in Spain. Here is a guide written by him to just some of the more novel names in the Kayaking Freestyle world.
Read MoreCreeking has become absolutely huge in the whitewater kayaking scene. Steep rivers with features that require a kayaking technique of their own to make a safe and fun descent. There are some well known areas around Europe to go creeking and sometimes Austria does not get the attention its steep rivers deserve! So here are our Best Rivers for Creeking around Base Arlberg in Austria.
Read MoreWe are based high up in a small mountain village in the heart of the Austrian Alps. The Rosanna is our home river, a steep Alpine river with a reputation of continuous whitewater. It has 5 quite different sections from the Corsica style Upper Rosanna, the deep and committing Rosanna Gorge and of course the Classic standard section. After living by the river for the past 17 years we have got to know the Rosanna extremely well kayaking, coaching and guiding whenever it is running.
Read MoreLiving in the ski region of St.Anton am Arlberg I enjoy spending the Winter in the snow but I am all to aware of the need to keep a level of fitness and not loose any of those kayaking muscles. We are renowned for snow throughout the Winter and with temperatures averaging around -5°C you would think I am in the gym for the season!? Well, not so! Here is my guide to keeping fit for kayaking over the (northern hemisphere) Winter.
Read MoreWith over 22 years experience of travelling and flying with a kayak around the world here are my top tips for getting your whitewater kayak to your destination.
Read MorePlanning and preparation is a very important and integral part of any successful kayaking trip, expedition or mission! So what should you think about, when getting ready for a kayaking trip to Austria?
Read MoreSummer flew bye and quite suddenly we woke up one morning and the weather and atmospheric conditions had changed. The mornings were crisp with a heavy dew and the vegetation up high in the mountains was turning a rust colour - it meant Autumn was here!!
Read MorePaddle Expo, the worlds biggest kayaking trade show, has been happening last month in Nürnberg, Germany. We take a 3 day break from instructing and guiding to go and work with the team on the Peak UK stand showing dealers and retailers the 2020 season equipment.
Read MoreWe had another fantastic Summer of 2019. At the beginning there was still high water with the River Inn pumping throughout those hot early Summer sunny days!! Stanzin had now arrived and it was great for him to get to know one of the reasons why kayaking in this part of Austria is so good!
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