An Cosantóir

32 | MOUNTAIN HIGH O with spectacular views and through long tunnel systems, took us to our base in Briançon, nestled in a large valley in the southern French Alps. According to 'White Water South Alps' by Peter Knowles, Briançon is the highest town in Eu- rope, notable for its impressive fortifications and the 18th century gun emplacements on the ridges above, built to defend the frontier with Italy only a few kilometres away. More to the point of the trip, Briançon is situated at the kayaked there before but for others it was their first time paddling outside Ireland. A flight to Milan, followed by a drive along alpine roads n 19 June, 13 Defence Forces kayakers of varying skill levels, departed for a week-long advanced white- water kayak course in the French Alps. Some had junction of four valleys, making it a natural centre for kaya- king. Fed by a mixture of snow and glacier melt, the rivers flowing through these valleys are justifiably popular with river-running kayakers, with a choice of fine white water, in beautiful mountain scenery. The rivers available for kayak- ing in this region provide constant, dependable levels of River Deep, REPORT BY COMDT DES CONNOLLY (4 INF BN) the first put-in, followed by lunch on the hoof (freshly- made rolls served on the up-turned hull of a boat), then the move to the second, and some days third, river of the day. The Guisane, Gyronde, Guil and Ubaye Racecourse were undertaken, with varying degrees of success. Later in the week, the Château Queyras Gorge, a white-knuckle, grade 4+ stretch, gave the more experienced paddlers in the group a run to remember. Closer to home, the Briançon Gorge provided the full group with a great day's kayaking, with the slide on the weir in the first 300m of the river put- ting a smile on everyone's face! The slalom course at Argentière was visited on several water, unlike rivers in Ireland, and numerous excellent riv- ers lie within an hour's drive. Each day's paddling involved an early morning drive to occasions during the week, providing plenty of opportunity to fine-tune eddy-hopping and river-running skills. For the less experienced in the group, the training lake adjacent to the slalom course was also popular for practicing rolls and other skills. (Ray Ryan was also on hand to demonstrate his technical exit, to the delight of an enthusiastic young audi- ence…!) Overall, the week's kayaking gave all involved a great taste of what white- water kayaking can offer. For the less experienced, the importance of the basics and the learning of new skills were paramount, while for the more ex- pert of the group, river leadership and river safety and rescue came to the fore. The learning curve is very steep, and practicing these An Cosantóir September 2012 www.dfmagazine.ie

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