The Cow Rapid (El paso de "la Vaca")

Ismael  and the cow.

From time to time, when you are looking through a river guide book or sketch, maybe sometimes you
become curious  about  some names of the river rapids.

This is the case of one of rapids in Alberche River. " The Cow" ...you could be  reflexing concerning the origin of  such a name.
Sould you leave  your imagination  fly free as a result you could think that maybe that name is related with a close farm an  a herd of cattle...perhaps some day a kayaker was in the rapid when a cow was drinking or taking a bath...
But the reallity is totally different,  the rapid is named after a dead cow that "Alberche Beavers" (The local kayak club) found  in the middle of the river.

Owed to  the weigh of the animal, several days were required  to removed the corpse. It was a hard and delicate work...the animal had been dead for long time, so the decomposition process had already started. They needed  a tractor to withdraw the corpse at risk of blowed it up and as a consequence spread the  parts of the dead animal.

Not only Deserve " The Beavers", our recognition, but also our most appreciated friendship for their outstanding labor of maintenance of the river. Thanks a lot guys!!

https://www.facebook.com/pg/castoresdelalberche/posts/?ref=page_internal

En ocasiones, cuando vemos el nombre de los pasos en las reseñas de las guias, o en los croquis, dejamos volar la imaginación...¿Cual habrá sido el motivo de tal nombre? En este caso, ni más ni menos una vaca muerta que nuestros amigos Los Castores del Alberche, retiraron del rio con la ayuda de un tractor y el considerable riesgo que el animal durante el proceso reventase debido al estado de putrefacción del mismo, pudiendo causar un grave problema ambiental en el rio. Afortunadamente ser Castor es equivalente a estar forjado en el servicio a los demás. Gracias amigos!

 

Remembering BCU 3 Stars.

Helen.

Long time ago, in a sea far far away, I attended with my friend Helen a BCU course. It was after my formation as a Sea kayak guide  by the RFEP.

There was a time when I wished to become in  a distinguished professional. Seakayaking  occupied all my thoughts until something greater, erased my previous priorities...The day I came to be Father!

Not only did not I regret, even  I feel proud of my following  step in life.
Nowadays , due to the fact that rivers are closer to home than oceans, I´m focussing my kayak activities into white water kayaking. Otherwise  from time to time I devote a little bit of time to seakayak and  surfkayak

 

Próximo otoño Curso Rescue 3.(Govin kayak)

Here you have more photos of the last  Rescue 3 Europe course that we attended in  the Alberche River, Navaluenga. Next year  the organizer Govin Kayak - Aventura Gredos is thinking seriously about organize another one  as soon as the river catch water...maybe in october or november..We will report you as  faster as we will be able!

If you don´t know anything about the rescue 3 Courses, here I provide you a link to their website. The only problem is that you will have to deal with english, otherwise whether you don´t comprehend english  fluently we will translate it into spanish to you.
It is said that the more you learn the less you know, and that is exactly  one of the main objetives of this course...open your mind and be aware of the necessity to adquire new knowledge an rehearse these rescue techniques.https://www.rescue3europe.com/

To this day, we already  have several friend who are interested in attending the next course. Which will be probably located in Navaluenga, and the Alberche River, maybe another location for the course could be in Tormes River close to Barco de Avila...in the end, water will decide the place!

Bueno en español, no me quiero enrrollar mucho, deciros que el primer curso Rescue 3 Europe organizado por Govin Kayak y UR 2000 fué un exitazo y Freddy ya está pensando en repetir la experiencia el proximo otoño...Ya os avisaremos, porque tenemos muchos amigos que se quedaron con la miel en los labios y desean realizar el curso. Un saludo!

 

RESCUE 3 INTERNATIONAL (GOVIN KAYAK)

Hace unas semanas, tuve la suerte y el placer de realizar el curso Rescue 3, Whitewater Rescue Technician, de la mano de Miguel Naval instructor Rescue 3 de UR2000 y todo gracias al interés de Govin Kayak y Aventura Gredos, Posiblemente y sin riesgo de equivocarme una de las empresas de Aguas Bravas con el profesorado más humano y profesional que puedas encontrarte en la zona Centro de la península. Freddy es un crack y desde luego que uno de los mejores profesores que jamas me he encontrado, humilde y amigable. Ando buscando tiempo para poder mejorar personalemnte con su ayuda.
Mucha suerte con esta apuesta empresarial que tan bien está funcionando. 100% recomendable.
Si no puedes localizarle ahora quizás sea porque en su afán de trabajar y mejorar profesionalmente, Freddy tiene su base de operaciones durante el verano en los Alpes y posteriormente en el Futaleufu (Chile)

No quiero terminar sin darle las gracias a todos mis compañeros de curso, gracias por el buen ambiente y el compañerismo...sin vosotros no hubiera sido posible! ¡ ¡Viva el Cabo 1º... !!

Several weeks ago, I had the luck and pleasure of taking a Rescue 3 course, Whitewater rescue Technician, given by the Rescue 3 instructor Miguel Naval.  We owe this effort to Govin Kayak y Aventura Gredos. Possibly and without a shadow of a doubt  one of the white water centers with the most professional and humane staff that you can find in the center of Spain.   Freddy is a Pro, besides  that, he is humble and friendly...of course he is one of the best teachers I have ever meet, I recommend  him to you with all my heart. I´m waiting to have time to improve myself with Freddy as my trainer .  I wish you the best of luck with this business initiative that is working so well. I recomend it 100%

Above all, I want to give thanks to all my mates in this course!, You made it possible!!

Kayak Swimming

Hay que saber reirse de uno mismo, y si encima mis amigos Ruben y Jorge de los Castores, me ven nadar por primera vez...mejor que mejor.

Mi amigo Miguel, dice que hay dos clases de piragüistas, los que han nadado y los que van a nadar...yo añado una tercera clase, los que para no nadar, no se meten al agua...Lo importante es levantarnos y volver al agua por muy fuerte que esta nos golpee...(Bueno quizás no...)

El caso es que tras más de un año si poder entrenar  por tener la casa de campo sin agua, decidí desenpolvar mi kayak de rodeo...Después de varios descensos con la Prijon Pure y la Pyranha 9R, el cambio asi de golpe fue brutal, las sensaciones son diferentes, y las reacciones del kayak también. Y así pasó, al ir a quedarme tras una piedra en el "Cabezazo"  como siempre hacía con los otros kayaks, la corriente hundió mi pala haciendome caer, aunque conseguí esquimotar por dos veces,  estaba desequilibrado y finalmente se me salió la rodilla de la muslera...el resto es un baño fresco que no viene mal para recordarle a uno que hay que estar siempre alerta.

 Gracias a mis Castores, que mi Luis me dejó solo...jajaja ¡Amigo, Amigo!

It´s a good thing to laugh at yourself! anf if your friends see you swimming for the firts time... better than better.

My friend Michael, tell us that there are two kinds of kayakers, The ones thata are just swimming, and the ones that are going to swim. I have to add a third one: those that in order to not swim, avoid entering in the water...The important thing is to stand up and going back to water no matter how hard the water hit us...(maybe)

Well, let´s go to the subjetc. I´ve  not been training for more than a year, so I decided to dust off my freestyle kayak... After several descents with my Prijon Pure and a Pyranha 9R, the differences: sensations  and kayak reactions were brutal.

I wanted to stop in a back current behind a rock as always, but the kayak was different so my paddle went down into the water , as a result, I capsized and I was able to roll my kayak for two ocassions...but at the end my knee was out of the thigh brace so...

Stand Up Paddle Session. Punta Umbría

Odiel´s River Estuary

Marshes

Pine forest close to the Marrsh.

During the las Easter, I was Paddling in Punta Umbría,  this time I decided to leave at home my kayak, and go arround with the SUP.  One of the best thhings of living in Punta Umbría, is that you can choose beween paddling at the sea or at the estuary.   Finally I decided to paddled along the river Odiel estuary. Wildlife in the marshes is full of birds. The only problem you have to deal with are the flow tides. Paddling against current with an inflatable board is a hard work... for that reason is a good thing planning your trip taking into account the tides, so you paddle in favor of current.

Punta Umbria´s beach

 

Alberche River Surfing

Jorge Castor.

Javi

Another day in Alberche river, with our friends "The Beavers"...This is the best river season I remember! Plenty of water, and a wide range of rivers to navigate.
The only problem, I don´t have enough time ...!!

Jose Carlos.

Samuel.

Jorge

Jorge.

El grupo.