Soča Katarakt is an extreme kayaking classic. With swift development of kayaking in the recent years, this section doesn’t present a demanding run for a contemporary high-end kayaker, but it is still notorious and feared for its numerous dangerous siphons. The Katarakt video was shot in November 2012, right after some of the biggest floods this valley has had in the last century. This section has been known to change often after the floods or avalanches and so it has changed in November. Those who know the section might notice some new lines and even rapids in this video, while the changes are more evident in the low water. There are numerous Soča tributaries and near-by rivers in the area, but most are only runnable by kayak after heavy rain. Tolminka and Učja are the most beautiful and also most demanding ones. They are long, dangerous and especially Tolminka is in some parts only less than a meter wide. Both of these descents were shot in 2011, probably at a record-high water level. I ran out of batteries at about a half of Tolminka descent, so the narrowest and most breath-taking part, the Tolminka Gorge, isn’t in the video. There is, however, something what could be called a bonus shot. At one point we ran into a complete tree blockade of one of its gorges, which demonstrates how dangerous descents after heavy rain can be. I only hardly stopped before running into it (and probably into my death), thanks to the last second warning of my mates. We improvised to get over the obstacle, which probably wasn’t the smartest idea, as we didn’t know what waited for us behind it, knowing that we had to go one by one, with some of us having to swim through the gorge. Luckily, we all made it through.
All the music has been made by Slovenian artists listed below and I don’t hold any rights to it. If you like the music, check the artists’ other work.
Thanks to all the buddies for some of the best times I have ever had! Thanks to all the sponsors for keeping me well equipped and making it overall possible!
EDIT: Andraž Krpič
KAYAKERS: Andraž Krpič, Andrej Bijuklič, Jernej Mlekuž, Igor Kozorog, Igor Mlekuž.
MUSIC: *MELODROM — Counting Days (Raingarden rmx) *GRAMATIK — Muse – Knights Of Cydonia (Remix) *GRAMATIK — Born Ready *TIDE — Evolution