Whitewater Packrafting Trainings Soča (Slovenia)
“Hey dear LWA team, you must have heard it a thousand times: But it was so so so awesome at the Soca!!!! It was just great - everything! The training itself (really well set up and structured), the weather (we were spoiled by the sun every day), the food, the great relaxed people, and a wonderful Andi! For me it was a welcome challenge physically and mentally - and at the end I was quite proud, my grin still lingers! With Andi you have a really great guy, who really knew how to get everything out of people and made you leave your comfort zone. Especially important: I always felt safe with him!”
Janine from Koblenz
Whitewater Packrafting in the Valley of Soča and Koritnica
The valleys of Soča and Koritnica are offering whitewater action in stunning scenery. During these three or five days of combined hiking and whitewater adventure, you will be doing day trips with light luggage and a packraft. In the river canyons of Soča and Koritnica, you will learn riding techniques, have a lot of fun and experience the freedom of whitewater paddling on packrafts.
You will learn and develop individually and extensively how to ride on easy to challenging whitewater of level III/IV. During the day trips, you will learn whitewater security, special packrafting techniques in the river and on gravel banks at the waterside.
The open training is for packrafters with little previous experience. Our advanced trainings are rather for experienced paddlers, who want to deepen their skills. With our experienced guides who will lead the trainings alone or in pairs depending on the booking situation, we can be flexible enough to meet the different levels of knowledge within the group.
Of course, you can rent the complete packrafting equipment, as well as the whitewater safety gear from us. Additionally, you can also take the chance and try out different equipment of our fleet.
Each evening we are back at our base camp, the campsite with bonfire pit, where we end the day comfortably around the campfire, sometimes with stories and anecdotes (here's the blog) from the LWA team as well as our plans for future adventures.
Do you want to learn even more about the course? Then check out our blog. Here, various blog posts offer an insight into the courses of the past years and behind the scenes.
Join us on the original whitewater packrafting trip to the valley of Soča. We are packrafting enthusiasts and are living for packrafting, the whole season through, from Slovenia to Iceland. We take this passion to every trip and training we do.
Training Dates 2022
Soca1-2023 (open training, 3 days), 18 - 20 August 2023: Reserve spot Soca2-2023 (open training, 5 days), 21 - 25 August 2023: Reserve spot Soca-Anniversary-2023 (special training, 5 days), 28 August - 1 September 2023 (anniversary version, on request only): Reserve spot Soca4-2023 (special, 5 days), 4 September - 8 September 2023: Reserve spot
Soca6-2023 (First group/exclusive date), 17 - 19 September 2023: Reserve spotJump into our whitewater Training Video
In cooperation with Funkajaks Outdoor- und Kanusport
Impressions of the trainings
Further information
Training description and Area
During our trainings in the Soča valley, we will set up a cosy Packrafting camp for several weeks. There live the guides, our participants, there visit us interested Packrafters, you might meet participants from other training dates and every now and then people from the LWA team appear in the camp hammock for a few days.
Schedule
The training starts on the morning of the first day . Arrival by the evening of the previous day and a first overnight stay before the training starts are recommended. In the evening there will be a first welcome and a first acquaintance for the participants who have already arrived. The following morning, the official start of the training, we start with general information and equipment before we hit the waves.
Find more details on Arrival and lodging.
The training ends in the early evening of the last training day. For the departure we recommend the following day after a relaxed ending.
Landscape and scenery: Dream destination, the valley of Soča
The river Soča with its turquoise crystal clear water is a place of longing for paddlers all over the world. It runs from its source at the foot of the Julian Alps in the Northwest of Slovenia, through an open valley, till it ends in the Mediterranean Sea. This is the reason for very mild weather even in late summer.
Whitewater packrafting, within this impressive scenery of the Triglav National Park, is a unique experience. Under fantastic conditions, you can combine fun while improving your paddling skills, in partly challenging whitewater, and enjoy the diverse, adventurous canyons and gorges around Bovec.
The area is ideal for packrafting. We will guide you by foot as well as in packrafts, through breathtaking canyons, along famous drops like "Bunkerschwall" or "Frauenschlucker", beautiful creek runs and highlights like the cemetery track.
The light weighted packrafting equipment allows us to easily combine hiking with whitewater action. We will hike to entry sites or walk back to the campsite after a whitewater ride, so we can enjoy the landscape twice – by boat and by foot.
The valley of Soča and the Triglav National Park offers, next to the whitewater action, many other adventures and activities, which you can combine with this trip. We would be happy to help you gather more information. Please ask us directly!
We are donating a part of your participation fee for river conservation: LWA Nature conservation or in our Land Water Blog.
Advanced Trainings
In our advanced trainings in the Soca Valley, we give advanced packrafters the ability to hone their paddling, learn advanced techniques, and work out challenging whitewater sections with experienced guides. And of course, all while keeping alive the fun of whitwater paddling.
In general, the course of the advanced trainigs is similar to the open trainings: There is no rigid program, we individually address all participants and adapt to the conditions that the river offers us during the training week. The advanced trainings are then characterized by:
- Compared to the open trainings smaller groups
- Increased whitewater difficulty levels and direct start into demanding whitewater
- Imparting advanced paddling techniques and focus on precise paddling skills
- Joint scouting of whitewater sections
- Providing safe passing techniques to manage difficult sections in groups and alone
- Intensive training of safety techniques
- Advanced equipment aspects
A few impressions with anecdotes from our Advanced Training 2018 can be found on our blog.
Gallery Advanced Trainings
There is also an action-packed participant video from the Advanced Training 2018 with many impressions from the course:
Whitewater Packrafting Soca from Evil Erik on Vimeo.
Additional offer whitewater safety courses
An understanding of the risks as well as the basic safety and rescue techniques in and on whitewater with and without packraft are important for everyone who moves there. Especially those who plan to continue paddling whitewater rivers privately without a guide after our whitewater courses will benefit from being able to assess risks and competently help themselves and others in an emergency.
The internationally recognized standard for courses of this type is WRT (Whitewater Rescue Technician) by Rescue3. Therefore we offer WRT courses for private persons within our whitewater courses in Slovenia in cooperation with an experienced WRT instructor.
The courses take place on the weekends between the whitewater courses in the Soča Valley and are scheduled so that a combination with a whitewater packrafting course Soča is very possible.
More information (in German): WRT-REC Courses for Packrafts
Please contact us if you would like to join the training.
Arrival and Lodging
Arrival
Please plan your arrival individually (from Munich/Germany it’s a distance of about 400 km, from Venice, Italy roughly 200km). You can get to the location by car, train and airplane. We are happy to help you in advance in finding the best possible method. Please do not hesitate to contact us. You will also receive detailed information about the arrival with your trip documents after the booking confirmation.
Lodging
Our campsite is directly at the mouth of Soča and Koritnica. We will reserve a separate scenically situated area for the whole group, with enough room for everyone, a bonfire site for the evenings and benches to eat and sit together. You don’t have to organize anything in advance, just bring your camping gear. You can sign in after arrival and pitch up your tent. Arrive and enjoy!
There are also other opportunities close by, if you don’t want to stay in a tent or camper. You will find information on these options in the trip documents after booking.
Service and Prices
Prices
Stronger focus on technique training and more demanding track options plus more equipment rental options than the 3-day training.
We are donating a part of your participation fee for river conservation: LWA Nature conservation
You can use your own packrafting equipment and whitewater safety gear, if suitable. Naturally the rental fee for equipment will then be dropped.
The rental fee includes:
- Professional guides with many years of experience in whitewater packrafting expeditions and specialized in whitewater packrafting trainings
- Packraft specific whitewater day trips hiking to entry points, gorges and/or back to the campsite on beautiful hiking paths and with the packraft in the backpack
- Packraft specific individual instruction in whitewater paddling technique by two guides: Grade I to III whitewater (3-day trip) or up to grade IV (5-day trip), plus specific instructions to whitewater river running
- Packraft specific trainings in flow and river reading and judging of river conditions
- Training in packraft specific safety techniques and on-the-go repair workshops
- Intense whitewater packrafting, tour- and outdoor experiences at a breathtaking location.
- Picture Service: During the course the guides will take high quality pictures on land and water which will be provided to all participants after the course in high resolution and free of charge.
The participation fee goes without costs for arrival, camping fee, your catering and the riding fee of about 10 € per person and week.
The equipment rental includes:
- Packraft + accessories: per person, one robust professional whitewater packraft with spray deck, a light, storable double paddle, a pack sack and pack straps.
- Safety gear: life vest, helmet, dry suit or a wetsuit + paddle + jacket.
Not included is the footwear.
We recommend trekking sandals and neoprene socks or shoes.
Guides
Sebastian
Packrafting guide and organization
Andi
Guide specialized on whitewater
Guides in their spare time: Sebastian and Andi in a two-person packraft on a free Sunday between two courses:
Note: The shown parts in this video are not for beginners and should never be travelled alone and without appropriate knowledge, also not in the shown boat. We teach the knowledge of riding these parts during our open and further advanced trainings.
Videos
Premiere was around the campfire at the LWA season closing 2018 and we are happy to show it to all of you: Our brand new Soca video with recordings from the season. Landscape, nature, colorful boats in turquoise water and of course wild water action at its best.
Despite intensive training, the fun should never be neglected:
Feedback and press
Christophe aus der Schweiz, Wildwasser Packrafting Kurs Soca3-2018
Christophe had already tried Packrafting in calm waters in Switzerland before joining us in the whitewater waves of Soca in 2018. Shortly after he has climbed out of the waters of the cemetery run his eyes have shone so brightly that we asked how it was. The result is this short sequence. He speaks in Swiss German and what he says translates to: "Cemetry-Run: This was just awesome, just amazing, this is a dream, just do it, just come here."
He also left us this e-mail after the course:
"Many thanks again for these great, extraordinary and unforgettable 5 days I was able to experience with you, Andi and the whole LWA team. I have thought on the whole way back about the countless small and big actions in and out of the water with huge joy and look forward to the next expedition in the coming April."
Find more feedback of our participants here.
Feedback of one participant (facebook review)
Moni discovered us about three weeks before going on vacation. After her first packrafting trip and training, she wrote the following review on our facebook page:
"Thank you to you Sebastian and Andi! My expectations where high… but you exceeded them all! The combination of action, fun, nature, nonsense, adventure, and the total relaxing atmosphere, were just great. Thanks for showing us so many unbelievable and stunning places. I will miss this crazy troop. Can’t wait to next years trip! See you!"
Moni from Lower Rhine
Find more feedback of our participants here.
KANU Magazin January 2015
The German KANU Magazin writes on our first Packrafting course in the Soca valley.
Booking and Questions
Prerequisites
Participation in the open trainings is possible for all interested persons with basic physical fitness.
Participation in the advanced trainings is only possible for advanced paddlers who have either already participated in one of our open whitewater pack rafting courses or in a comparable course and/or already have a good command of the corresponding whitewater techniques up to WWIII.
Booking
Please use the form below for reservation requests. After this your place will automatically be reserved. We will contact you directly for possible inquiries. Once all questions are answered and we received your payment you will get a booking confirmation, and we will send you all tour documents and arrival information.
Of course we take booking requests personally.
Training prerequisites
Our trainings will be carried out if a minimum number of 6 participants is reached. We will inform you not later than 5 days prior to your specific date if that number is not reached. In that case you will be offered the choice of an alternate date or a full refund.
Questions?
If you have any questions don’t hesitate to contact us. We are happy to help you and tell you more about your trips and trainings - our trips are our passion. You can contact us personally via phone or mail.
Reservation
Only a few steps more towards your adventure
With this form you are submitting a reservation request which will only become a binding booking once we personally confirm availability and once we have recieved your wire transfer. Please find the details of the reservation procedure below before submission of this form.