Blackwater Valley Canoe Club

Description
This summer BVCC will be heading to the beautiful Soča Valley in Slovenia! As kayakers the main attraction for many of use will be paddling the Soča river; however the Soča Valley, and Slovenia as a whole, has much more to offer. As a group we will likely take a couple of days off from paddling to enjoy other activities; and there’s no obligation to paddle all the other times either, you are welcome to make your own plans to enjoy your holiday. The Soča Valley has many outdoor activities to offer (more information here) and some of Slovenia’s top tourist destination are within drivable distance, alternatively you can just spend a day relaxing and taking in the mountain scenery. Here are just some of the things our members have enjoyed off the river in previous years:

• • Hiking to the source of the Soča river
  • Visiting the incredible Postojna Cave and Predjama Castle
  • Paddling kayaks & SUPs on Lake Bled
  • Taking the cable car up Mount Kanin

Paddling the Soča river is an incredible experience; it weaves it’s way through the Julian Alps providing breath-taking scenery on both sides, while the water ranges from emerald green to nearly crystal clear (there are parts where you can see every pebble on the river bed, a couple of metres below you). The different sections of the Soča provide the full range of whitewater from grade 1 to 5 (though we likely won’t be going above grade 3), so the sections we paddle will depend on the capability of those paddling each day. You should have some moving water experience if you plan on paddling the Soča with us, but there will be plenty of club moving water sessions between now and then to get some practice in.

Details
The club has booked accommodation for up to 20 people in Bovec (in the form of two 10 bed apartments adjacent to each other), with an arrival date of Sunday 22nd June and a departure date of Sunday 29th June (7 nights). The cost of the accommodation is estimated to be around £200 per person (the exact price will depend on how many people end up coming); please book on to this event and pay the £200 in order to secure your place in the accommodation.

As a group we will be renting a van to carry everyone’s equipment to Slovenia, which will be driven by a couple of volunteers. Costs associated with the van (rental, fuel, tolls, etc.), along with any shortfall in the accommodation cost, will be split among those going and need to be paid prior to the trip. Those who are not driving the van will need to arrange their own transportation to Bovec (be that driving out there or flying and booking a rental car). You are also welcome to make your own arrangements either side of the club trip (for example fly out earlier or come home later to spend some time exploring the rest of Slovenia).

In summary the costs of the trip will be:

• • Accommodation – £200 (paid to club on booking)
  • Van costs – £TBD (paid to club at later date)
  • Flights (if required) – To be booked by you
  • Hire car (if required) – To be booked by you (you can arrange to share with others in the group)

While we will endeavour to come up with an accurate estimate of van costs (based on prior experience) before the trip, it is possible that some costs associated with the van will be higher than expected. Should this be the case it may prove necessary to ask those who attend for a small top-up payment in order to ensure the costs of running the trip are covered.

Videos from our previous Slovenia trips