Whitewater rafting – Everything you have to know about it
On hot days, you would love to spend the whole day in cool water. It is often very difficult to motivate yourself to do sports. But if you want to combine sports with water and fun, you should try white water rafting.
White-water rafting as a recreational sport has been gaining enthusiasm since the 1980s. It involves riding down a river in an inflatable boat. But many routes also have different levels of difficulty. So-called “rafts” are available for 4-12 people and the boat can vary in different sizes.
Experience and difficulty
A big plus point of white water rafting is that you actually hardly need any previous knowledge. Therefore, rafting is suitable for larger groups such as friends, corporate events or families. Even children from the age of 5 can participate, as long as they are accompanied by an adult.
Rafting is divided into easy, medium and difficult tours.
Easy: The easy tours are suitable for every enthusiastic rafter. You don’t need any previous experience and the route involves overcoming simple obstacles without much effort. Perfect for anyone who wants to try it.
Medium: For the medium tours it is advantageous to have some experience. A good level of fitness is necessary, as there are already some challenging obstacles and stronger currents to overcome.
Difficult: The difficult tours are a sporting challenge for everyone. You need not only a good fitness level, but also a lot of own courage to overcome the difficult obstacles.
Equipment
Most of the equipment for rafting is provided by the provider where you book a tour. This includes inflatable boat and paddle, wet suit, life jacket and helmet. You should bring your own swimsuit, towel, sunscreen, a pair of shoes that can get wet and a dry pair for afterwards.
Tours
In Germany there are many rafting hotspots and tours. Mostly so many that you even lose track of finding a good one. Most tours are often in the mountains, because often the rivers have the most water. In Bavaria there are five good places to go rafting.
- Allgäu: Very good for easy routes and families.
- Bad Tölz: Directly in the city along the Isar river there are nice tours.
- Berchtesgadener Land: Good tours for adventurous beginners.
- Garmisch-Partenkirchen: Relaxed tours for beginners on the Loisach River.
- Kiefersfelden: Action-packed tours for advanced riders on the border with Tyrol.
Statement
Even if you’re unsure, give it a try! Maybe you’ll discover a new favorite hobby of yours.
Source Cover Image: AdobeStock/Michael Filippo
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