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Rafting with Activity Tours 2012

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Activity tours raft guide school 2007

As I nervously entered the makeshift class room at the Activity tours 2007 guide school I did not know what to expect or what was in store for me. I entered the room and gave a nervous smile. As I looked at the nervous faces around me I relaxed I was not alone.

This was the start of the first ever official raft guide school ever to be run in Iceland. A True signal to the popularity of white water rafting in Iceland until today the majority of raft guides were all from overseas countries such as Canada. USA, Sweden and Nepal. Guides would spend a few seasons rafting Iceland's commercial rivers along with sampling this amazing country and unique culture. In return they would pass on some of there knowledge to a handful of local guides.

Anup gurung and the Activity tours management have carefully observed the post trip comments of there customers year on year and have noticed the same observation "where are the Icelandic guides".

Activity tours and Anup now decided to throw down the gauntlet to any aspiring Icelandic raft guides. The international rafting federation had flown in Andrew kellett from Cape Town South Africa to facilitate the first ever International rafting federation guides school in Iceland. The course had an impressive turn out 6 trainee Icelandic guides along with 1 French trainee guide and myself from the uk . After our initial introductions we were given the overview of the course which involved a vast array of new skills and terminology to be learnt across to weekends we had lots to learn in a short amount of time.

We were all now officially trainees we had to learn how to walk talk and behave in a professional manner expected of all Activity tours raft guides and staff. We spent the first 3 hours of the course learning in detail about river features and communication. The one most important point that was consistently kept at the forefront of our minds was safety to ourselves and our customers. After a short lunch we were to take to the water but not in a way you would imagine we took a short rive to the local swimming pool where we were to learn how to capsize and recover a raft along with various rescue techniques this was paradise. Learning our trade in a warm heated pool whilst overlooking the local snow capped hills. I pleasantly laughed to myself I had originally learnt to do this on a cold February afternoon in the uk here I was surrounded by snow and it was so warm. The next day we had the sun on faces as we headed to the east river. Here we spent some time discussing the pre trip safety brief in a way to ensure our customers they were about to have a enjoyable and safe river journey. Andrew and Anup were constantly setting us challenging manoeuvres so we could learn as much about how the raft moves in the river. Most of us struggled but we eventually got there. We worked as a team to guide the rafts through the various rapids on the east river alarm clock and commitment screaming lady. Some of us also starting to have the outer boat experience too?. We eventually stopped in a quieter section of river to practice flipping for real. The nervous faces soon started to turn into laughter as the team started to bond and finally started to look like professional guides. We gradually made our way to green room the biggest rapid on the east river. Here Anup talked us through how to safely guide our customers and rafts down the complex class 4+ rapid. Once at the bottom of the Green room we were told this is where we were to do some "swimming exercises" A few cries of laughter were heard amongst the group at the joke and then the truth sank in. Yes we were about to swim the Green room. The group were told that as guides we must be expected to experience everything our customers may experience on there trip which was fair enough.

After our swimming experience we made our way to the final rapid on the East river S bend here we set a rescue scenario up and had to work efficiently as a tea to recover a pinned raft with its customers. This was a successful exercise in communication and ropework.

Back at the Activity tours boat house we were all expecting a quick debrief then off to the hot tub too thaw out. Instead we were given a list of around 8 knots to learn this for me was a mammoth task as I still struggle to tie my shoes.

After a long hard week of unofficial gatherings by the group to practice rope work and capsize drills the final weekend was upon us. After a quick test to consolidate the previous weeks learning's we spent the morning practicing our rope work and saying dry and warm. I noticed the sun had been shining all day and all night the east river was going to be at a very high level due to the warm weather melting away at the glacier. This was made clear to us as we inspected the commitment rapid from the road.Anup explained to us that we would be taking the left line today. With a cheeky grin on his ace we knew this was going to be a good run. True to form at the put in for the river Anup explained to us that we would not run the river at this level with commercial customers. A shout from the back of the bus suggested today would separate the men from the mouse (I wanted to squeak like a mouse the insde of my mouth was dry my heart was beating out of control ) Once we were changed my fear turned into excitement the river was a rollercoaster of bus sized waves this was as good as rafting can get even the most experienced guides on the trip were shouting loud cries of yahoo as we crashed through the waves.

We all parked up (eddy out) at the top of green room Anup had shown the true judgement needed of a river manager. Taking the goup safety into account we decided walk around the green room as in high water it is a class 5 undertaking. We unloaded the first raft Andy told us this would be a perfect opportunity to practice some of the rescue skills we had learnt in the class room. We set up a safety system at the bottom of green room just in case the first raft down capsized this had Anup and freddy in it we tried to rescue them but the water was too fast as they drifted down stream. A smiling andy now said this is that opportunity to use some of the rope work. We ghost walked the second boat through green room using a system of rope techniques we now had a small problem that we had 10 people and 1 boat to get down stream to the waiting raft. I summoned up the courage to guide the raft which weighed a ton I have never concentrated so much we arrived at the first raft an regrouped.

Once on the bus a big feel of achievement swept across our group we only had one more day left and to be true it was going to be no harder than today.

We all met up early at the boat house to ensure a full days rafting. Kitted and changed we headed to a small section of class 2 water just down stream of the rekifos waterfall. Here we all got the opportunity to be assessed on guiding the rafts rope work and rescue. Tension was high but the levels of teamwork and communication were higher the team were starting to look and act like professional guides.

Myself and Anup were given the task of setting up the final exercise. We set had tied a raft off in the middle of the current each member of the group now had to take it turns to take charge of a capsize situation tired and cold this was completed in a satisfactory manner.

Back at the base we each undertook a 1hour written paper with ease after saying good bye to andy we all headed for a much deserved beer and celebration Iceland now had its first guides with internationally qualified qualifications.

Written by Mark Hirst

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