Summer in the mountains

Rafting

 Id decided a few months back that I’d like to have a go at rafting, but, Id also almost been talked out of it by various people. Either the water would be absolutely freezing as the rivers would be swollen with snow melt, or maybe the safety aspect wouldn’t be that good here in Bulgaria! Anyway to cut a long story short, some guests decided that they were going the following day and asked me to join them. After some consideration (at least 2 minutes) I accepted their offer and then spent the next 12 hours thinking of all the things that could go wrong and the worst scenarios! 

On our way to the meeting point, and with just a few comments here and there about being a little nervous, everyone was still none the less in high spirits, laughing and joking and the general banter that you get with a group of friends. By the time we reached our destination the atmosphere was very different, and the car had been silent for a good few minutes. The real nerves had obviously now kicked in. We had arranged to meet our instructor at 12pm and had arrived in plenty of time to be told that he was running a little late. *phew* time to get a really strong espresso and a caffeine injection! Form the balcony where we sat waiting, the river in all its swollen glory was in full view. The noise of the water as it crashed over rocks was quite deafening. The more we waited the more nervous, but the more excited we were getting. We wished the instructor would hurry up as we just wanted to get on with it. (To be honest before one of us bottled it)!

When the instructor finally arrived apologising profusely, and giving an explanation, he issued us all with the regulation wetsuit. After struggling and tugging this way and that way (likening it to fitting a square peg in a round hole) we emerged from the changing rooms to be then handed a life jacket and a helmet. Definitely not any awards for glamour in the rafting category!  

The half inflated raft (it is apparently normal to store them this way) was then uncovered, the pump attached and we were then beckoned to inflate it. I’m sure he was trying to wear us out before we had even touched a paddle. Once inflated, we were then given a very comprehensive lecture on all safety aspects, including what to do should you be unlucky enough to fall out of the raft! It was at this stage I noticed the foot straps in the bottom of the raft, and my previous thoughts of how do we ensure we stay inside the raft started to abate. We were then shown how to hold the paddles, using body strength rather than the arms to paddle and were also told the correct position in which to do this is to be always leaning outside the raft whilst paddling.

Safety lecture finished, we were asked which course we would like to try. Easy, medium or difficult. No prizes for guessing which we chose! After a short mini bus journey down river, the raft unloaded, we were now ready for our first rafting experience. I think I can talk for most people when I say that, although we opted for the easy route, we were still very nervous as to what lay ahead. (The mysteries of the unknown)! Within minutes of setting off we encountered our first set of small rapids, which was quite nerve racking to say the least (if you can call it rapids, it was rather more like a slight swell, but hey, we were all newbies), but, we all survived it unscathed and by the time we got through it were all grinning from ear to ear and hungry for more. The next set of rapids a couple hundred metres down stream, (we did opt for the easy course)!! couldn’t come quick enough and we were all eager to get back into the faster flowing water again. Again we paddled through it and the smiles just kept getting bigger. Each set of rapids were separated with calmer but still quite fast flowing water, which gave us all the chance to relax a little and take in the absolutely stunning scenery of  grassy glades and the rocks of the gorge that we were winding our way down through. By the time we emerged from the raft, 5 kilometres further down stream, I think I can safely speak for everyone when I say that we were definitely on an adrenalin rush high, and was asking if we could go straight back and do the medium course. Much to our surprise our hosts did exactly that.

Climbing on board the raft once again, this time further upstream from our original start point, everyone was once again filled with trepidation, as this time our first set of rapids was only abut 10 metres ahead, and compared to the first run seemed like an Alton Towers ride! But hey, we weren’t ‘Newbies’ any more and although nervous, couldn’t wait to get back into the thick of it. These rapids were definitely more powerful than the previous course, but also a lot more exciting, more so than you could ever describe with words. No sooner had we got through them our next set was looming, and the next and the next, until before we knew it we were once again climbing back onto dry land! Damn, we just wanted to go on and on and on... 

This is definitely an experience (even though I’d nearly been talked out of it) that will be repeated and the sooner the better. Maybe next time it may even be the difficult course! Hmm maybe the medium one as a warm up first!

 Glynis Morgan

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