Lowri Davies

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I have just got back from two weeks in the Alps, one week in Argentierre, France, and one week in Prutz (Austria). This was my first ever University Alps trip and it didn’t disappoint!

We set off on Friday 1st June from around the country – uniting in Dover.? As we pulled into the ferry port, we were overtaken by 5 fully grown people in Skoda Felicia, with 5 boats on the roof (without uprights) and kit rammed in the boot. Given our lack of space with three in a Fiat Brava, we were very impressed. I wish I had a photo, here’s on of our convoy instead!?

We drove through the night as far as Lyon, where we found great levels (about 900 cumecs) with a big wave (and big hole) on the river right channel and another fairly big wave with eddy service on the left channel giving something for both intermediate and expert paddlers. Pinkie (my new Jackson Star) was amazing – went HUGE but felt so stable and forgiving on the wave. Other Aber Uni members did some awesome stuff too – notably Neil pulling off every old skool move you can imagine (from paddle spins, grabs? to air guitars and singing to the audience) and both Stu and Joel who were pummeled by the munchy part of the wave before exiting their boats for the first two expert swims of the trip! Big up to Rich aka Jesus for the most attempts at a roll I have ever seen – followed by T-rescuing off a little Jackson Star!

I’m hoping to get video footage soon!

Sunday we headed to the white water course at Sault Brenaz for some practice for the beginners. We had an en masse swim down the course followed by a boater-x too. Much fun!

Then we headed to Argentierre, where we met my brother who is currently working for NST on the Ardeche, but had taken the week off to paddle with? us.? We started the week predictably? with the Sunshine Run on the Durance:

Tuesday we did the Claree, putting people in at various places along the way depending on their ability:

Wednesday was a lot of fun all round. We did the Upper and Lower Guisane. I think the lower is probably my favourite section in the French Alps. After BBQing for dinner, we headed to the? travelling fairground in Briancon in the pouring rain. The rollercoaster had no safety bars and a dude with a lever was the only brake. A cart with four of our “larger” lads wiped him clean off his feet and their cart? flew into the back of the other? ones in the? station!

That evening we also? picked up Ben Bedingham, who is a member of the Four Borders Expedition and had decided to join us on the day that we left!

Thursday and Friday Grr, Rick, Joel and myself? did our 5* training with Tom Parker.? We had planned to use the Middle Guil but overnight storms had brought it into massive spate; it was a thick grey colour? with huge trees coming down? every few? seconds!! Since the club were due to do the Upper, I sent a message back to camp that the club would be better somewhere else today and we headed to the Upper ourselves. We took it in turns to lead the group and watched a bit of carnage from some local paddlers on a? rapid we were inspecting? laced? with trees and wires – luckily we pulled? the swimmer? to the bank quickly, but his boat was instantly gone!

The following day we headed to the Ubaye for our second day of training.

After some personal skills work, more leadership and some ropework? / rescue scenarios, Tom took us? to the Fornell Drops which are up the mountain behind the Argentierre campsite and until recently were barely ever run. Brilliant park and? boof fun for which we returned the following day with the intermediate and experienced club members:

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As well as the Fornell on Saturday, we? did a load of? rope practice and senarios on the Slalom Course…

…and the Briancon Gorge…

…and the Gyr, another BBQ and then a hardcore few of us piled into the back of Antony’s converted ambulance and headed to the discoteque in Embrun, which features a light-up dance floor! We were stopped? by the police on our way and Antony was breathalised (he was? of course sober),? luckily they didn’t look in the back and see six of? us sat playing Tekken on the playstation!?

Sunday we packed up and headed to Austria… in convoy! We went via Switzerland, which involved an insanely steep mountain pass, photos really don’t do it justice. It also involved a load of cows in road!

Tuesday? Ben and Neil did Inn Chute (Neil managed to header the first half after dropping into a big pour over) then? some of us did Landeck Gorge.

It? was also? Mark’s birthday, so while he did a shuttle we decorated his tent and put an Austian tart in his bed.

Of course there were some birthday drinks and? resultant drunken tom-foolery. This was to earn 20 cents each…? bloody students!

The following day I? escaped the faff of club paddling? for a day with Ben, Andy and Eddy (a friend of mine? from? raft guiding at Tryweryn) to run the Upper Oetz which was a fantastic? run.

Thursday we headed back into Switzerland to do some sections on the River Inn fursther upstream, but went via a village called Samnaun for some? tax free? shopping. Unfortunately, this meant going up and down a very steep road… by the bottom? my brakes were smoking so we had a stop and took the opportunity to take some photos…

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Once my brakes had cooled off, we went on our way… but just 500m later the ambulance had pulled over and? Linzi was out waving? her arms at us. Turns out they had absolutely no brakes! We abandoned the ambulance and bundled everyone into the other six vehicles to get to the Shultz gorge. This was a stunning river and pushed our beginners and gave intermediates a real opportunity to river lead. The more experienced paddlers then headed for the Gisune Gorge (upstream of the Ardez) for a quick blast before dark. This turned out to be one of the best runs we did and gave Jesus his first grade 4 river!

Friday we took almost everyone down the Landeck Gorge, which was a great last run for beginner / intermediates, but it was on the next river that the fun began! Six of us went to run Wolf’s Gorge on the Rosanna – a fast and steep grade 4. It has recently been canalised upstream and there was a lot of metalwork in the place we had planned to get in, so we headed in search of another put-in downstream. After putting in, Paul had an unfortunate clip of a rock and flipped on the first rapid. There was no rolling there, you could see his boat and body bouncing off the sharpe rocks as the fast and powerful water carried him downstream. He exitted his boat and with some proactive swimming and the aid of my boat he was quickly on the bank. His paddle wedged themselves in a pourover and his boat (a club Diesel) headed full pelt downstream. As Ben and Stu headed after the boat, I made sure Paul wasn’t injured and left him with Becky. Grr had eddied out directly below the pinned blades so I told him to keep an eye on them and ensure they didn’t move while I also went after the boat.

We eventually got it out near the end of the gorge. Luckily Mark and Jesus weren’t paddling and were driving along the river so saw what was happening. They went and checked that Paul, Becky and Grr were OK before driving? downstream and meeting me on the road where we had climbed out. We all then went to the get-in, pooled resources and devised a plan invoving V-lowering Stu? to? retrieve the paddles. Some classic teamwork later and we had the paddles back! Ben, Stu and I paddled the remainder of the gorge and met the others at the barrage. There was a very steep gravel road down to the barrage which proved scary as we slid our way up it, my car struggling even in first gear! We went back to camp for team amd medals!

Saturday came and the river had risen after massive storms. We did a quick blast down the Tosen section which ends at the campsite and packed up our tents. Then all that remained was the long journey home….

I’d like to thank everyone in Aber Uni Canoe Club, Ben and my brother? for a great trip.

Photos: Lowri Davies, Mark Darby, Rich Price? &? Becki Hayes