On vacation, some of us came across this service, but not everyone fully understands what rafting is. This designation came to us from the West and, if translated literally, the word “raft” means raft. Rafting itself involves sailing along the river on a special boat. However, you should not immediately imagine that you, in the company of two people, will sail through a quiet harbor. Rafting can also be carried out in a more turbulent river, where you may encounter rocks, steep rapids and much more along the way.
Thus, rafting is a descent down narrow rivers, where you need to skillfully maneuver between rapids and ledges so that your boat does not capsize.
Rafting - pros and cons
Advantages of rafting:
- The first thing you can immediately notice about rafting is the presence of beautiful landscapes and landscapes. Such services are often offered in very picturesque places that are far from the bustle of the city, for example, in Adygea and the Krasnodar Territory. Find out more about rafting in this area.
- During extreme sports, the body produces large amounts of adrenaline.
- In parallel with the increase in adrenaline during such walks, your mood also improves.
- The most important benefit is that it puts a lot of physical stress on the upper body. To swim, you need to row the oars quickly, which works the muscles of the arms and back well. This kind of exercise burns extra calories well and speeds up your metabolism. However, it is worth noting that rafting is predominantly a male sport; women often just enjoy a walk.
- It has been proven that rafting improves coordination and balance. All these processes occur unconsciously while a person tries to keep the raft on the surface of the water.
- Those who enjoy this activity can engage in rafting not only during recreation, but also take part in competitions.
The downside is that this is an extreme activity that involves risks. Therefore, for beginners who take a paddle for the first time and make their descent, the route is chosen along a calmer one, where there is a weak current and few obstacles. The total duration of the walk is 1.5 – 2 hours. For more experienced rowers, there are routes with rougher currents and more difficult terrain. Regardless of your experience, safety is always important, so make sure you are equipped with all the necessary safety equipment for your descent.
Video: “What is rafting?”
Readers of MirSovetov often ask what rafting is, how it works and how safe it is. In my article I will try to talk about our rafting experience.
Rafting is a type of active recreation in which those who wish to raft down a mountain river on a special inflatable vessel called raft. Rafts come in different capacities - from four to twenty people. We rafted on a twenty-seater. This was the first rafting in our lives, and the rest of the participants were just as inexperienced. Therefore, we rafted along a section of the Belaya River in Adygea, where there are no rapids or waterfalls and the river flow is relatively calm. The length of our route for beginners was 10 kilometers.
Clothing and equipment
Since there is a high probability of getting wet during rafting, if it is not forty-degree heat at this time, it is advisable to wear a wetsuit. Wetsuits are rented by raft owners who organize the rafting. True, there were no large-sized wetsuits to fit our curvy bodies. I had to swim in my own clothes - jeans and a T-shirt. Our trip took place in early May, and it was quite warm, 20 degrees. But as soon as we rowed out into the middle of the river, it started to rain heavily, and within 10 minutes we were wet through. Our feet got wet as soon as we got into the raft; at the bottom of it splashed water that had come from nowhere.
All rafting participants are required to be given helmets. This is done so that if the raft overturns, people do not hit their heads on the rocks at the bottom (the river in this place is not deep at all, huge stones are visible in the shallows. All rafting participants are required to be given life jackets in case they fall into the water. And, Of course, each participant in the rafting is given a paddle (except for small children and old people who sit in the middle of the raft, and not at the side, and float simply as passengers).
Who can participate in rafting
Children from 7 years of age (accompanied by parents or other relatives) and elderly people no older than 70 can participate in rafting (precisely the simplest route). Before the rafting begins, the instructor explains safety precautions to everyone. For example, you cannot jump from the raft into the water, get up and walk around the boat while swimming.
A special instructor is in the boat throughout the entire route and commands who to do what: “the left side rows - and again, and again, the starboard side rests.”
How safe is it?
We rafted along the simplest route, which did not require any special preparation. A life jacket and helmet insured everyone in case they got into the water.
Emotions and impressions
Despite the pouring rain, lightning and wind, we received vivid and unforgettable impressions. We rowed, obeying the instructor's commands, the raft maneuvered between rocks and whirlpools. Sometimes the waves splashed directly into the faces of those sitting in front. The instructor ordered who to sit where, so my husband and I were not close. The smarter and bolder men sat in front and, at the command of the instructor, performed the duties of helmsmen.
So we floated along the seething river under the rumble of thunder, and the forest on the shore waved wet branches after us. A grayish haze rose above the river and hid the distant mountains.
Suddenly the raft began to turn across the current. “Left side, row!” the instructor commanded, “and once, and once, and once...”. The raft leveled its course, but unexpectedly caught the bottom of the rocks and ran aground. “Let’s jump!” the instructor shouted. We didn’t understand where to jump and why, then he himself jumped on the inflatable floor of our boat, and we slowly moved forward.
Around the bend in the river, small craters awaited us. Our ship flew forward, showering everyone sitting in it with icy spray. Suddenly the raft leaned menacingly to the left side, and we all instinctively leaned to the right. “That’s right,” the instructor praised, “and continue to do so.”
On the river bank we saw tourists sitting near a tent. They waved their hands at us, and we felt like seasoned sea wolves. Suddenly the river made another turn, and we moored to the shore. The ten-kilometer route suddenly ended. It’s a pity - I would have loved to swim another ten kilometers! We'll definitely go again. Perhaps we’ll choose a more difficult route...
Rafting in Russia began to develop rapidly after an advertising campaign from Camel was carried out. Then the idea of this sport was picked up and began to be included in tourist competitions. Most teams did not have their own rafts, so they had to rent them directly at the competition.
As a sport, it was included in the All-Russian Register of Sports in 2003 (code number 1740001411Я).
Commercial alloy. The instructor sits behind
Rafting is fundamentally different from other types of water tourism both in the type of vessel on which the rafting is carried out and in ideology. Rafting is a commercial type of rafting, meaning no previous experience is required to participate in the rafting. All you have to do is pay for the tour and you are in the group. Accordingly, rivers for rafting should be easily accessible, that is, roads to them are laid to the start and finish of the route.
Examples of classic routes:
- Melen 3-4 k.s. - Türkiye;
- Bhote-Bones 4-5 k.s. - Nepal;
- Marsiandi 4-5 k.s. - Nepal;
Rivers with an abundance of rapids, rifts, rifts and waterfalls are suitable for rafting. Such rivers are usually found in mountainous areas or very rugged terrain. As a result, such areas are poorly or not populated at all.
Rafting routes are classified on a six-point scale (1-6) difficulty categories. Specifications are allowed: for example, 3+ k.s. or 5-k.s. The obstacles themselves are also characterized on a seven-point scale (0-6) difficulty categories. Similar to routes, clarifications are also allowed here: for example, an obstacle of 5++ c.s. or 4-k.s.
Rafting is a rather dangerous hobby, especially when it comes to routes of the 3rd and higher difficulty categories. The main dangers are:
- overcoming powerful rapids and waterfalls;
- getting fused into “barrels” and rubble, underwater pockets;
- injury, hypothermia;
- remoteness from civilization and, as a rule, lack of communication with rescue services;
The most popular rafting destination in Russia is Altai:
- Katun (difficulty category 1-4)
- Chuya (difficulty category 5)
- Argut (difficulty category 6)
- Bashkaus (5-6 difficulty category)
History of rafting development
River rafting is an activity known to man since time immemorial. There is evidence that hundreds of centuries BC, ancient peoples traveled along rivers in canoes. With the development of civilization, timber was floated down rivers, and gold miners and geologists were transported across mountain waters in various boats.
In extreme rafting on mountain rivers, the most noticeable mark was left by the Englishman M. Jones, who laid the foundation for modern ideas about kayaking. He organized the first kayak ascents of the Blue Nile in Africa, the Orinoco River in South America and the Dudh Kosi River in Nepal. Among the Soviet and Russian athletes who have done a lot for the development of the extreme rafting movement are raftsmen V. Brezhnev, V. Mustafin, V. Govor, M. Kolchevnikov, A. Krasnov, G. Leontyev. Most of the first ascents of the most difficult rivers in the territory of the former USSR are associated with their names. Catamaran operators S. Kirillov, A. Volkov, S. Lagoda, S. Chernik are recognized experts in the field of first ascents on catamarans across reservoirs with the most difficult and dangerous obstacles.
The rafts themselves appeared during the Vietnam War, where these vessels were used to deliver cargo along waterways to American army bases.
In the USSR, rafts were first seen in Altai during the international competition “Chuya Rally” in 1989. This representative forum, which brought together 350 watermen from all inhabited continents and one and a half thousand spectators, became the stage in the birth of Russian rafting. 144 crews of vessels of various classes from 14 countries took part in the launches. Crews from Zambia, Nepal, Costa Rica, Venezuela, Austria, New Zealand, the USA and other countries performed very successfully at the competition; “Bronze” went to Great Britain, “silver” to athletes from New Zealand, and a “gold” medal of the highest standard to athletes from the USSR.
An amazing feature was noted then by the chief judge of the competition, M. Yu. Kolchevnikov, that the superiority of foreign colleagues in the production of rafting equipment lies not in ideas, but in technology. These technologies have allowed rafting to become the most popular means of rafting in the world. By the middle of the twentieth century, rafting on mountain rivers began to become a separate type of sports skill. Various “water” festivals began to be held, in which participants competed for the title of best. By the beginning of the 90s, the development of the international raft movement began to require the unification of the rules for holding competitions. In 1997, the International Rafting Federation (IFR) was formed, and a year later, in 1998, the Russian Rafting Federation (RFR) was created under the leadership of Alexey Viktorovich Rumyantsev. RFR is a member of the European Rafting Association and the International Rafting Federation.
The International Rafting Association consists of 28 countries (South Africa, Chile, Canada, Czech Republic, Norway, USA, Argentina, Peru, Mexico, Bolivia, Austria, Slovenia, Germany, Russia, etc.).
World and European rafting championships are held once every two years.
In March 2000, the World Rafting Championship took place in Chile on the Futaleufu River. Russia in Chile was represented by the St. Petersburg team “Neva-Tour”. 14 men's teams and 6 women's teams came to the competition. These were the strongest teams. And yet our team won (team captain Sergei Petrov (39 years old), Vladimir Bykadarov (34), Ilya Korolev (29), Alexander Levitsky (20), Dmitry Karbutov (29) and Dmitry Eremin (28)). Based on the sum of all types of programs, our team scored 840 points out of 1000, the Germans, who came second, had 588 points, the team from Slovakia took third place, and the Czechs took fourth place.
In the same year, the Camel Ak Talai Margan ("Rough Water Challenge") whitewater festival took place in Altai, where 15 teams from 11 Russian cities took part. As part of the festival, a 70-kilometer raft marathon along the river, which has no analogues in the world, was held. Katun. Eighteen metropolitan journalists representing ORT, NTV, Ren-TV, TV-6 and others arrived in Altai to cover the competition.
In 2001, the Gorno-Altai State University team participated in the Camel White Water Challenge championship in Zambia on the Zambezi River, where it took only 14th place out of 16 men’s teams, and the Neva-Tour team in 1997 took 4th place on the Zambezi among 21 teams.
In 2003, Altai-Raft won the national selection, which was held on the river. Chuya, Rep. Altai represents Russia at the World Championships in the Czech Republic on the Lipno channel, where he takes 6th place due to a series of mistakes. The average age of the team was less than 20 years, and it was clear that with the competent work of the coaching staff, they would still top the podium, which happened first at the Amazon Cup rafting in 2004, and then on the Quijos River in Ecuador at the Championship world in 2005.
At the World Championships in 2005 - in the first type of the program, the parallel sprint, ours remained only third, losing to the Czechs and Canadians. However, this result could not be considered bad; The level of the best rafters has increased incredibly in recent years. This is confirmed by the fact that in parallel sprint qualifying, seven teams finished within one second.
In slalom, our team became the first, beating the Czechs and Slovaks in a very difficult match.
In a long race, where more points are awarded, the Altai - Raft team took third place, and this was enough for the final victory. And at the World Rafting Cup, which took place in China, the team from Gorno-Altai State University became the strongest in the crews of four-seater rafts.
The European Championships took place in 2006. He passed on the river. Belaya, rep. Adygea. The competition took place in three disciplines: slalom, long race and parallel sprint. Russian athletes have won two awards, both for men. In the sum of three disciplines, the Altai-Raft team took first place, and athletes from Gorno-Altai State University (GASU) won bronze.
At the European Championships in 2006, women's teams from Russia declared themselves as strong opponents. Russia was represented here by two women's teams, from Krasnoyarsk and St. Petersburg. The teams did not take any prizes, but the Krasnoyarsk team took fifth place in the overall standings; before that, Russian women's teams took places only in the second ten.
Having won the “Amazon Cup” in 2004, the 2005 World Championship and the 2006 European Championship, the Altai team “Altai-Raft” were the first in the history of Russian rafting to receive the title of international master of sports (MSMK), the following athletes: Kalinin Mikhail, Shipulin Konstantin, Dolgov Alexander, Maimanov Makar, Nechaev Sergey and team captain Leonid Menovshchikov.
On May 13-18, 2008, the European Rafting Championships took place in Austria. Teams from 22 countries took part in the competition, athletes took part in raft-4 and raft-6 classes at the following distances: qualification, parallel sprint, slalom, long race. The competition included 25 teams in the raft-6M class, 20 teams in the raft-4M class, 22 teams in the raft-6Zh class and 16 teams in the raft-4Zh class. Among the male crews of raft-4 and raft-6, the first places were taken by Russian teams (“Altai-raft” and “GAGU”); Russian women's teams did not take prizes; The Russian women's team "BZKO" in the raft-4 class took overall only 14th place, and in the raft-6Zh crews the team from Novosibirsk took 20th place; the Krasnoyarsk team eventually took 8th place - for the first time raising Russian women's rafting to the top half of the tournament table.
Rafting as a sport
Rafting is rafting down mountain rivers, passing natural and artificial obstacles against time.
The word “rafting” comes from the English word “raft”, which means “raft”. Rafting is a team sport and each participant performs certain functions during the rafting, and the crew as a whole follows the instructions of the leader-captain.
Rafting competitions consist of four disciplines: Qualification race (according to international rules - Sprint), Parallel Sprint, Slalom, Long Race. The maximum number of points for winning in each event: 100, 200, 300 and 400 respectively. The team that scores the maximum number of points in total becomes the winner in the overall competition - All-around.
| Busy place | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Percentage of points | 100% | 95% | 90% | 85% | 80% | 75% | 70% | 65% | 60% | 55% | 50% | 45% | 40% | 35% | 30% | 25% | 20% | 15% | 10% | 5% |
Every year in Russia such competitions are held as: Ak Talay Margaan, Chuya Rally, Russian Championship and Russian Cup, which attract the country's strongest athletes. Competitions are held in two classes: Raft-6 and Raft-4 (divided into men's and women's teams).
The World Rafting Championships are held every two years. Until 2008, only crews consisting of six people took part in the competition, but since the European Championships, competitions between crews of four people have also been held. The Russians became the first champions in four-person rafts.
Rafting technique
In rafting there are 4 teams, due to which the raft moves.
- The move is forward.
- Small stroke
- Taban - back.
- Hook - a stroke with oars perpendicular to the raft axis, during which the raft moves parallel to its previous location.
Results of international competitions
World Championships
| Year | Host country | Class | Team | Qualification | Parallel Sprint | Slalom | Long race | All-around |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Costa Rica | R-6M | Altai-raft | 13 | 28 | 14 | 12 | 14 |
| 2011 | Costa Rica | R-6ZH | Krasnoyarsk | 8 | 4 | 4 | 7 | 6 |
| 2010 | Netherlands | R-4M | GASU | 1 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 5 |
| 2010 | Netherlands | R-4Zh | Krasnoyarsk | 7 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 8 |
| 2009 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | R-6M | Altai-raft | 15 | 3 | 11 | 3 | 4 |
| 2009 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | R-6ZH | Krasnoyarsk | 4 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 7 |
| 2007 | Korea | R-6M | Altai-raft | X | 9 | 3 | 2 | 4 |
| 2007 | Korea | R-6ZH | BZKO | X | 11 | 13 | 12 | 12 |
| 2005 | Ecuador | R-6M | Altai-raft | X | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| 2005 | Ecuador | R-6ZH | BZKO | X | 13 | 10 | 13 | 12 |
| 2003 | Czech | R-6M | Altai-raft | X | 11 | 5 | 4 | 6 |
| 2003 | Czech | R-6ZH | Women's team | X | 10 | 9 | 9 | 9 |
| 2001 | USA | R-6M | Neva-tour | X | 7 | 2 | 5 | 4 |
| 2000 | Chile | R-6M | Neva-tour | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 |
| 1999 | South Africa | R-6M | Neva-tour | 1 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 2 |
| 1998 | Costa Rica | R-6M | Men's team | X | 7 | 8 | 7 | 7 |
World Championships
Extreme sports are very popular today. Adrenaline in the blood, fear, risk - all this arouses admiration among lovers of such activities. One of these sports is rafting. There is an entertaining legend about the origin of rafting, as rafting through mountainous and stormy waters on an inflatable floating device - rafting. The legend tells about the emergence of rafts in Vietnam, during a bloody war. Then they were used for their exact purpose - to transport food and equipment along the country's water vessels. Once on the Mekong River, during transportation, one of the boats broke away from its mooring point and, together with the soldiers, went into the rapids. Whether this was true or not, we cannot verify, the only important thing is that from that moment on, rafting began to be called both commercial travel and rafting on wild rivers, as well as a direction in sports, which most perceive as tomfoolery and not a serious form of sports hobby, which is very wrong. As you can see, rafting was one of the very first types of transportation.
On rafts, then they were wooden rafts, they were engaged in hunting, fishing, and also supplying food. In 1842, U.S. Army Lieutenant John Fremont made the first officially recorded rafting expedition down the Platte River. Horace Day thought through and masterfully designed the equipment used on this expedition. His rafts were made from four independent rubber pipes and a wide floor.
Today rafting as a sport is available to everyone. Descent down the course of an obstinate river with rapids in an inflatable boat has become widely known since the 70s of the twentieth century. As a type of water tourism, it attracted admiration among extreme sports and adrenaline junkies. For rafting you will need to have the following equipment with you:
1. Helmet
2. Life jacket
3. Boots with hard soles
4. Wetsuit (since the water is quite cold in most cases)
5. Protective jacket (depending on weather conditions)
For the first time, rafting competitions as an extreme sport began to be held in the mid-90s of the twentieth century. This is not only a way to excite the blood, but also a great way to relax in nature with pleasure. Depending on your preparation, skills and experience, rivers for rafting are divided into six categories. The first two are intended for beginners and novices, and the rest are for people who have undergone several trainings and have extensive experience in this matter.
To safely raft down a rapid mountain river, your inflatable boat must have the following necessary qualities:
Good buoyancy
Reliability,
Sustainability,
Comfort.
It should comfortably accommodate up to 12 tourists or members of your team. During rafting, you will encounter various obstacles on your way in the form of a chaotic arrangement of stones along the entire length of your path. Thresholds will also be an indispensable obstacle. Thresholds imply the presence in the channel of a body of water of places with sharp changes in water level, drains, and shafts. You can also find places with the opposite direction of water flow. You need to be very careful and careful.
There is an International classification of the level of difficulty on each section of a turbulent river with a rapid flow. According to it, the more difficult the rafting route, the higher the danger value.
Thus, rafting as an extreme sport attracts not only professional athletes, but also ordinary tourists and those who want to get an adrenaline rush into the blood. This sport will perfectly test your team for the spirit of cohesion and mutual understanding with each other, for unity into a single organism. This is a great option for spending quality time!
Are you looking for thrills and love active recreation? Then this relatively new type of tourism is what you need. If you're not afraid to get wet, welcome aboard.
Today this is one of the most interesting and quite popular ways of active recreation. This is a fashionable water sport, which is interesting for its exciting flow and transferred emotions.
So, rafting is an extreme rafting along mountain rivers or artificially created rowing channels with stormy waters. Where did this tourism get its name? As often happens, a foreign word is to blame. An inflatable raft for rafting is called a raft(from English raft), and accordingly, the ending " ing" gives the name the meaning of action.
A modern boat for rafting on mountain rivers has little in common with a conventional raft. However, this is due to sufficient danger, which is why the vehicle must be more reliable.
What is a rafting raft?
Of course, the reliability and safety of the raft is what was taken into account in this sport in the first place. That is why today the “raft” itself has the following characteristics:
- inflatable boat made of modern materials;
- special design and shape;
- high stability on water;
- capacity 4-20 people.
Thanks to these properties, an inflatable raft for rafting can be called a “water all-terrain vehicle.” But in order to easily overcome the route, you still need to familiarize yourself with all the rules and study some of the features.
- This is interesting:
What types of rafting are there?
It cannot be said that several varieties of this active recreation are very clearly distinguished. However, the purpose of the alloys themselves differs. There is the following classification:
- Expedition rafting. Travel for scientific purposes by a specially trained group of people.
- Hiking rafting. Tourist river rafting, which may even include a walk on calm water. For extreme sports enthusiasts, “white waters” are often deliberately laid out - routes with obstacles and rapids.
- Sports rafting. A pure sport in which teams compete and score points for their results.
You need to understand that if you decide to ride an inflatable raft on a mountain river, the safety of your life depends on the entire team. After all, each person in the “raft” has his own responsibilities, which are distributed by the instructor. If you become a member of the team, be prepared to perform one of three types of rowing:
- Swing oars.
- Canoe way.
- In a combined way.
The second method is most often used in sport rafting. The group members sit along the sides, with one or two helmsmen standing behind them. When traveling, swing oars are more popular. The main thing is to listen carefully to the instructor.
This extreme activity can be considered harmless if all safety standards are observed, the accompanying guide has extensive experience, and the complexity of the river section corresponds to the level of training of the group. In this situation, the stable position of the inflatable boat is easily maintained and the rafting is completed successfully.
Rafting equipment
You probably already guessed that the participants have special protective equipment. What is included in the equipment? To descend rapid and turbulent streams, participants must be equipped with protective helmets, life jackets, thermal insulation clothing and special shoes.
Mountain streams are potentially dangerous and can also carry quite cold water. Before starting your trip, be sure to check that you have all the necessary equipment.
The best rivers for rafting
For lovers of outdoor activities and tourism, we provide the most exciting places for rafting on mountain rivers on the entire planet:
Yangtze (China). It is famous for being one of the deepest and longest rivers on the entire Eurasian continent. In addition, rafting enthusiasts note the charm of the surrounding landscapes in this area.
Colorado (USA). It amazes with its beautiful flora and fauna. The site in the Grand Canyon area is especially exciting. It is one of the most popular whitewater rivers, and rafters are attracted by its many rapids and canyons.
Zambezi (Zimbabwe). This river boasts a large number of waterfalls and rapids. A natural wonder, Victoria Falls is an important landmark in South Africa. Rafting here will be unforgettably exciting for tourists.
