News

What’s coming up …

2017 World Rafting Championships will be held from the 2 to 9 October on the Yoshino River (Koboke section), Miyoshi city, Tokushima Prefecture. The 2017 IRF Congress will be held on the 4th and 5th of October, at the same location as the captain’s meetings (Former Nishiu Elementary School Gym). Both meetings are scheduled to

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Guide / Safety

Adventures in the High Atlas mountains

By Mark Hirst The Morocco 2017 workshop took place this year on the Ahansal River in the High Atlas mountains of Morocco. This was to be the 3rd workshop I have run in conjunction with Berber Rafting Adventures. Each year this is one of first workshops I run in early spring to coincide with the paddling season in

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snow
Guide / Safety

Over the border and back to the snow

By Mark Hirst Finally, having been on the road delivering courses since late March, I got to spend some time at home in Finland. June 5th -11th had been in my diary for months for a 7 day IRF Guide Training Program combined with a Rescue 3 Europe Whitewater Rescue Technician Professional course based at

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Are you carrying the correct emergency equipment?

by Mark Hirst: As we now find ourselves at the beginning of a Northern hemisphere season, a quick glance at various social media outlets are awash with various stories of epic high water runs and carnage. Most of us will have been surrounded by snow all winter and are counting down the days until it begins

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Weirs – nice to play in? Or deadly – can you tell the difference?

Neil Newton Taylor | Swiftwater Rescue – Although many weirs are perfectly safe to slide over or play in the stopper formed at the bottom, many are not. Telling the difference can be very difficult. “Weirs are either straightforward or they kill you” – Franco Ferrero: Author Whitewater Safety & Rescue This statement is born out

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IRF GTE Conference 2017

Dates: 8 – 12 of April 2017. (NB: Changed from 16 – 20) Location: Greece, Aoos River Arrival airport: Thessaloniki Registration Form Participating at the IRF GTE Conference 2017 gives Instructors a chance to: Keep currency of their instructor certificate Receive all the GTE program updates at first hand Participate at the dynamic development of

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Tragic loss of Payam Banihashemi

by Kianoosh Mehrabi, Iran Rafting Association. Our best river friend, Mr Payam Banihashemi, lost his life on the Haraz River on Friday 19 August 2016, while he was trying to rescue people. The selfless way that he endangered his own life to save others is something that will always be remembered. He was a great

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Into the Unknown (again) – 1st IRF workshop in the Ukraine

As the demand for International Rafting Federation courses is growing year on year, I am noticing that I am able to travel to new and exciting destinations to run IRF courses. This year alone my travels have taken me to Morocco, Nepal, France, UK and now to the Ukraine for their first ever IRF workshop.

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