Chris Eastabrook coaching has just got back from Bovec, Slovenia and it was amazing fun! The weather was generally good with the occasional mountain thunderstorm to keep the Soĉa at a good level. The course took place over 6 days, starting with core principles and building to advanced river running concepts.

Canyon on the Upper Soca

The evenings saw some of the guys on the course hit the bar fairly hard each and every night. They were very pleased with themselves when it turned out they had drunk the town dry of the local stuff – Valter.

The Red Stuff

Tom, David and I managed a couple of sneaky runs down the Canyon section after sessions had finished, just to check it was still there you understand!

Leading the way!

Before the course started I was out in France with Bristol Uni, and before that Tom & I found time for a road trip to Switzerland and Italy. It’s been hard to believe the levels of the steeper regions of Europe this year. After driving past the Goldeneye Dam we got on the Verzasca in short cags surrounded by hot young ladies sunbathing. It was great to ‘graduate’ from New Skool Graduation Drop a year after my actual graduation from uni! I’m not sure which was is more important!
After a pizza a large beer and a night in the van we got up to paddle the Euga. The first drop is great but I never remembered it being so pushy, until Tom & I realised it was significantly bigger in volume than the last time we paddled it, at the beginning of May!

New Skool Graduation Drop

Tom 'firing it up'

Iced Cream!

More photos can be found here!