Austria & More 2016: Day 5 Late Morning
Day 5 started with a final lap down the Soca Cataracts. After doing that, Harry went off to have a family day while Reiner opted to run Jim and my shuttle on the Koritnica. This run is only class II, but was a very nice scenic paddle away from the road.
The run starts with a bang, the hardest rapid of the section is just 100 yards downstream. Current takes you very quickly into a slot canyon that although only maybe 10 feet high, is walled in class III- and could give a class II boater some fright for sure. Below, the river never walls in like that again. Fun class II and II+ keeps you entertained along with the remote feeling setting all the way down to the confluence with the Soca. Some people take out here at the camp ground. We continued down another few km to the take-out at the Prijon Sports Center.
We had ~13 cumecs and I thought it was nice, but perhaps little low. A lot of the run is gravel bars which could have used a little more water. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't low low… just not medium yet.
Thanks to Harald and Reiner Glanz for sharing photos and for making the trip possible!
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Mi 0.05:
- Gorge (II+). Just below put in the water quickly enters the gorge. It is best to scout before putting on if you desire to scout as the river moves over a gravel bar that is hard to stop on prior to dropping in. It is just run down the center, one little curler at the top, and then mellow water in the tight wall section below.
Boogie (I to II). Downstream, the river is mostly mellow for a while with an occasional class II. The scenery is quite nice though!
- Weir (II+ to ?). There is a river wide weir. At our lower flow it was fun to just run it down the center. At higher flow I am not sure if it would wash out or create a hydraulic. It is only 2 or 3 feet tall. I think you could just got father right at higher flows.
- Second Gorge (II+). Just after you cross under a bridge you enter the second gorge. This one is not as tight as the first, but offers some fun rapids.
- Confluence Rapid (II+ to III-). This is the longest section of continuous whitewater. You can scout it from the camp prior to putting on, or from the right bank once you are on the water. You will know you are approaching when you see houses downriver on the right bank. Soon you will be able to see the confluence itself just below. We just ran down the middle throughout as I recall through the waves and s-turning currents.
Eddies (II-). Just below the confluence is a very popular area to work on your eddy line control and ferrying all in a wonderfully pretty spot directly next to one of the local kayak camp areas.
- Rock Garden 1 (II+). A straight forward rapid. We started right and worked our way with the bulk of the water left. It is just rocky so try not to let yourself get sideways!
- Rock Garden 2 (II+). Another rocky affair, this time we went down the far right along the shore
Take-out: The town of Bovec is at the confluence of the Koritnica and the Soca. Just next to the town center, on the upriver side of the small airport, look for the Bovec-Zaga rd. Take this towards the river for 1.3 km until you cross the river. The parking is just on the other side of the river on river right. Also, Prijon Sports Center is located here.
Put-in: Head back out to the main road, the turn right heading upriver. Stay on the Bovec (Rt 203) as you head up what is now the Koritnica. Go a total of 3.9 km. When you see a small gravel parking area on the right, park. The trail drops down quickly from here. If you get to the old fort, you have gone just a little too far.
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