Over time, more and more Russians begin to get carried away. In the warm season, rafting is very popular. It involves rafting on mountain rivers.

The rafting process itself is breathtaking and teaches people who find themselves on the same raft to work as a team. But many people love rafting not only for the emotions during overcoming water rapids. For some, even a trip to a rafting site is an unforgettable adventure, full of indescribable impressions.

Shuya

The Shuya River is very popular among lovers extreme sports. It is located in the south of Karelia in the Lake Onega basin. Its length reaches 10.1 thousand kilometers.

The reservoir flows through the territories of the Prionezhsky, Pryazhinsky and Suoyarvsky districts of the Republic of Karelia.

This river is as beautiful as it is capricious. Shuya has areas of different nature and different depths. Narrow and rocky places give way to areas of high water and vice versa.

Rapids are present throughout the entire area of ​​the river. But they are safe. Rafting along it has been assigned the second category of difficulty.

It is believed that Shuya is also loved because she is easy to reach. It flows near Petrozavodsk. And this city is large administrative center, it has a train station and an airport.

Suna

Suna is a short river that flows into Lake Onega. Its length reaches 280 kilometers. Along the course of this reservoir there are also lakes.

The shores of the Suna are rocky and low. In some places there are swampy areas. But there are also sandy beaches.

The Suna River is famous for the fact that on its territory there is famous waterfall. It is called Kivach. It is considered the second highest waterfall in Europe. To see it, people specially come to Karelia.

Chirka-Kem

This Karelian river is located in the northern part of the republic. The length of the river reaches 221 kilometers. It flows into Lake Yushkojärvi. It has a large number of rapids and various rifts.

Chirka-Kem is suitable for experienced rafters. For beginners, riding it can be dangerous. It is believed that the section with the most difficult and exciting obstacles is located on a section of the river located between the village of Tiksha and the village of Borovoe.

Okhta

Local residents also call this river “Nizhnyaya Okhta” and “Ovtuya”. It is located in the north of the Republic of Karelia and is a right tributary of the Kem. The length of this mountain river reaches 142 kilometers.

It flows past the Island of Spirits. It houses a unique museum of funny wooden figures. This establishment is located under open air. Tourists will also be able to visit the surroundings of the monastery located on Trinity Island.

Ural

The Urals are the third most popular place for rafting. It is very attractive to young athletes, because the local rivers are ideal for first rafting.

As a rule, the difficulty of rafting in the Ural reservoirs does not exceed three points.

It will be interesting not only for those who like to travel along mountain rivers, but also for tourists who like to explore local attractions.

It is worth noting that the rivers of the Urals are very calm in summer, so they are recommended for novice athletes to raft. Experienced rafters will find it more interesting to conquer the Ural reservoirs in the spring, during the flood period.

White

The Belaya River is the largest tributary of the Kama. White flows through Southern Urals and the Urals.

The length of Belaya reaches 1.43 thousand kilometers.

They begin rafting on the Belaya River in May and finish in October.

Belaya flows past the Granite Canyon, which is considered one of the most beautiful places in the Republic of Adygea. Also, those who like to tickle their nerves will be able to walk along the longest suspension bridge in the area.

Those who have been involved in rafting for a long time are recommended to choose the upper reaches of the Belaya River for rafting. There are a lot of return shafts, clamps and shifters. Most of the descent will be carried out in areas where it is impossible to drive along the banks. The last automobile trail ends at the “Goose Ford” - one of the interesting parts of the route along Belaya.

Rafting competitions are often held here.

Chusovaya

Chusovaya, like Belaya, is a left, but not so large, tributary of the Kama. It flows through the territories Perm region, Sverdlovsk and Chelyabinsk regions.

Its length reaches 735 kilometers.

Where the river passes through mountain ranges, its banks abound with both beautiful and terrifying rocks, which are popularly called stones.

This river is considered relatively calm. But this calm leaves room in a person’s attention for contemplation. After all, its shores are famous for their extraordinary beauty.

Caucasus

In addition to the Belaya River, which also exists in the Republic of Adygea, the Caucasus has another body of water that is excellent for rafting. We are talking about the Mzymta River.

Mzymta

The length of this river reaches only 89 kilometers. But, despite its small size, in places it shows a capricious, one might say, violent character. But in other parts of Mzymta it is calm and happily takes rafting beginners on its waters.

It originates from lakes Kardyvach and Maly Kardyvach. Traveling along this river you can see the so-called emerald waterfalls.

Also in the Mzymta basin there are several mineral springs, the presence of which will please people who care about their health.

This river is one of the few mountain reservoirs where it is pleasant to relax with the whole family. Both adults and children feel great in the Ah-Tsu gorge. Surprisingly, in the same gorge there is a waterfall, which has a sixth level of difficulty. Only professionals with extensive rafting experience can overcome it.

Yakutia

Traveling around Yakutia is very popular among lovers of untouched nature. There is a very picturesque flora and varied fauna here, unspoiled by human intervention.

Timpton

This Yakut river is the right tributary of the Aldan. Its length reaches 644 kilometers. Its current passes through the Aldan Highlands.

Rafting on this river has been assigned the fourth level of difficulty.

Chulman

It is a left tributary of the Timpton. Great not only for rafting, but also for fishing.

Its length reaches 109 kilometers.

Rafting on the Chulman River has been assigned the third level of difficulty, which means that even beginners can “ride” this river.

Others

Also, speaking about the best places for rafting in Russia, one cannot fail to mention Kola Peninsula. There is famous river Umba. Its lower reaches are excellent for rafting. The river has rapids of the third and fourth levels of difficulty. This fact, coupled with the short length of the reservoir, makes traveling around Umba very exciting.

Also worth mentioning are mountain rivers Eastern Siberia. Rafting enthusiasts often visit Oya, Snezhnaya, Great White River, Khara-Murin and Kita. However, these reservoirs are suitable only for those rafters who are confident in their abilities.

Beginners should prefer the Irkut River. Its passage is not considered difficult or dangerous.

Conclusion

There are many mountain rivers in Russia that will delight rafting enthusiasts. Each person is able to choose the route that he can handle.

The main thing is that when choosing a place for rafting, take into account the level of your sports training and do not take unnecessary risks.

Rafting - rafting (usually in a group) through rough (white) water, often associated with a powerful adrenaline injection. Sometimes rafting refers to any activity on the water using rafts as vessels. For example, fishing from a raft.

Raft- a type of inflatable vessel (for 4-12 people) without any frame elements, used for rafting on mountain rivers. Consists of a main balloon and inflatable cross cans. There are single-layer and double-layer. The first ones weigh less, are easier to use and are made of gas-containing fabrics on a durable basis - they just need to be inflated before use. The latter take longer to assemble, but are more resistant to tears and cuts, and are easier to repair: two-layer rafts consist of a shell made of durable fabric (based on lavsan, a coating of polyurethane or polyvinyl chloride) and an internal pneumatic chamber - even an inexperienced rafting operator can cope with sealing holes on such vessels.

Participation in rafting involves constant proximity to rough water, so you should always be guided river difficulty category. According to international standards, there are six of them:

The first and second level rapids are the simplest and do not require any special skill or physical endurance.

Rapids of the third category are considered more difficult because they require some level of preparedness of the event participants - both physical and technical. The loads increase, and you have to use more skill when maneuvering on the water. Various extreme situations are possible, but they do not threaten anything other than a powerful adrenaline rush.


The fourth and fifth levels are already a real extreme, when you don’t care about natural beauties or other distractions. All thoughts and actions are directed towards one goal - to pass the next threshold, jump off the next “barrel” (this is when a powerful water flow passes over a large stone or deep depression) with minimal losses. The main task is to pass the foam shaft as fast as possible. Instant reaction, skill and experience - this is what a thrill-seeker requires when undertaking a water trip on such rivers.


The rapids are of the sixth level of difficulty - only seasoned professionals can handle them. It is no coincidence that the “six” routes are sometimes called “the straight road to hell.” It’s clear why: not everyone dares to challenge unbridled nature. This is mortally dangerous, even physically strong and resilient people who do not have sufficient experience in dealing with water flows quickly break down when caught in the terrible meat grinder of the “six” river.


IN last years gaining more and more popularity in Russia water tourism- travel on various vessels along rivers, lakes, seas and reservoirs. This is largely due to the fact that our country, like no other, is surprisingly rich in the most interesting and beautiful water routes. Russia, with its diversity of bodies of water, allows you to make trips of any category of complexity - from the simplest, suitable for inexperienced tourists, to the most complex - for true professionals of water extreme sports.


Rafting, like many other sports, has sports and amateur branches. The history of sport rafting may not be so rich, but literally in a matter of years this type of water extreme has become extremely popular.

History of rafting


The rafts themselves, strange as it may seem, are a product of the Vietnam War, where these vessels were used to deliver cargo along waterways to American army bases. They were actively used in the USA for commercial rafting. But the history of sports rafting is inextricably linked with Russia. In 1989, Barnaul residents and Americans organized the Project Raft rally on the Chuya River, and then held similar competitions in the USA. These were the first rafting competitions in the form they are held now. There was no commercial rafting in Russia at that time, and for the entire world rafting elite it was a complete surprise that both of these competitions, which were actually the World Rafting Cup, were won by athletes from Russia - “Team Gorky”. Now, by the way, these same guys are organizing adventure and extreme tours around the world. The Gorky team also won the second World Cup, which took place in 1990 in the USA, and at the third, in Costa Rica, the guys took third place.


The Camel brand, known for its contribution to the world of extreme sports, grabbed the idea of ​​​​a new - water - Trophy with both hands. In 1995, the first Camel WhiteWater Challenge was held on the Zambezi - in the rank of the unofficial world rafting championship. The launches were also held there in 1996 - 1997. And in 1998, the CWWC was held in Costa Rica, on the Reventazon River.


Simultaneously with the holding of commercial branded rafting competitions, the organization of the International Rafting Federation (IRF) took place. The first proposals to create a federation appeared in 1995, and in 1996 it was already registered in Johannesburg ( South Africa). From the very beginning, Russia took an active part in the organization and work of the International Rafting Federation. Thus, Sergei Trofimenko, one of the Camel Trophy activists, is a member of the board of directors of the International Rafting Federation.


The development of rafting in Russia is closely connected with the name of Alexey Rumyantsev. In 1991, on his initiative, the Moscow Rafting Club was formed, and in 1994 the Moscow Rafting Federation was created. In 1996, the Russian Rafting Federation was registered, which immediately became a member of the International Rafting Federation, and in 1998 it was officially recognized by the State Sports Committee.

Along with the process of officialization of rafting, our athletes competed at international competitions. After the success of “Team Gorky” there was a short break in success, and in 1995, in the absence of restrictions on the representation of teams in Zimbabwe, the teams of Tyumen and the RAFT club “Turin” (Moscow) performed, which took 16th and 12th final results, respectively places among 26 teams.


In 1996, based on the results of the first qualifying competitions in Russia, a national team was formed from watermen from Moscow and St. Petersburg, which took 11th place among 16 teams.


In 1997, based on the results of the national selection, the best club team in the country, Irbis / Neva Tour (St. Petersburg), went to Africa, taking 4th place in Africa among 21 participants.


Subsequently, there was a systematic ascent of Russians to the highest positions in world rafting. In 1999 we became silver medalists at the world championship, and in 2000 we won the world championship in Chile on the Futa Le Fou river. The champions were the guys from the Neva-Tour team from St. Petersburg. Since then, Russian teams have never fallen below the top places. Russian teams won the European Cup in Norway, the Amazon Cup in 2004 and the Chinese Cup in 2005.

Unlike its Indian and other ancestors, a modern raft (translated from English as “raft”) looks more like a large inflatable boat or even a synthetic mattress. And it is able to overcome long distances and rather dangerous obstacles through water without loss. From four to two dozen people can sail on it with a sufficient degree of comfort and safety, even on the most turbulent river.

Based on the number of layers, rafts are divided into one- and two-layer. The advantage of the first, lighter and more compact ones, is the ease of preparation for rafting. The main advantage of the latter is considered to be greater reliability and stability on the water.

Ancient rafting

Modern rafting is not very similar to the classic wooden raft, but rafting itself has been known to mankind since time immemorial. And the same dashing “German” Indians who bravely fought with the white conquerors in the movies were probably not the pioneers of rafting, but adopted the science of controlling their boats on a far from smooth and quiet river from the former inhabitants of local reservoirs.

Similar assumptions are confirmed by archaeological excavations. In their opinion, canoe boats, which look great even on the most terrible river rapids, have been known to people for a long time and were used specifically to overcome natural water obstacles. Rafting was used to raft not only warriors, as well as expeditions of gold miners and hunters, but also to move bulky objects for industrial purposes. For example, wood.

By the way, sometimes something unimaginable is called rafting. If only there was something moving on the water that resembled a raft and could pass at least some obstacle without loss.

Sports rafting

As people mastered rivers and various ways to overcome them, rafting, along with rowing slalom, began to turn into a truly extreme sport. water sports. It is capable of injecting a real sea of ​​adrenaline and energy into the blood of participants.

In sports documents, such movement of people in helmets and life jackets on rafts, or rather rafts, is called the scientific phrase: “Team rafting on mountain rivers for a time with the obligatory overcoming of natural and artificial water obstacles.” The crew of such a raft is, in fact, a professional team. And its captain also functions as a coach, responsible not only for the result, but also for the safety of his teammates and the raft.

The sport of rafting consists of four separate events: the sprint (or qualification), for which a team can receive up to 100 points; parallel sprint (200 points); slalom (300); and finally the so-called long race (400). The winner of the tournament is the team with the maximum number of points.

Tourist rafting

Inflatable and convenient both for transportation and carrying, the synthetic “raft-boat-mattress” is very popular among extreme tourists who love risk and excitement. He is especially in demand in early spring, during the descent of snow avalanches from the mountains and rushing along river beds of stormy or so-called white water with abundant foam and fountains of ice spray.

The main obstacles for rafts are considered to be individual stones, dangerous rapids (areas with a large difference in water level) and no less dangerous barrels that threaten to overturn (areas with a reverse flow that occurs where the water falls). The rapids that rafters overcome are divided into six categories. Amateurs and beginners usually compete on rapids of the third or fourth categories. Professionals - fifth or sixth.

The maximum task for many tourists, especially beginners, is a kind of swimming in the icy water of a wildly chaotic stream. But for more experienced rafters, the same task is different - to defeat this terrible flow, cope with it, subjugate the “white water” and survive...

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 place rafting 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 from 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 along 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. Leontiev. 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 Federation of Rafting (IFR) was formed, and a year later, in 1998, it was created Russian Federation rafting (RFR) 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 team from Gorno-Altai State University 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 (by 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

Many people have recently been interested in: rafting - what is it? In a general sense, rafting is rafting down wild rivers with rapids on large frameless inflatable boats. Rafts are quite reliable and stable, have great buoyancy, so you don’t have to worry about your safety. One of the most important advantages of such a holiday is the capacity of the raft (from 6 to 12 people), and this allows you to go on an extreme voyage with a large group.

Rafting in detail

Let's figure it out: rafting - what is it, swimming exclusively on rivers? In fact, this is a broad concept and means all types extreme recreation on rivers, rapids and waterfalls. This is not just a risk, but a spirit of competition and overcoming. And also a separation in the full sense of the word - from the land, civilization and the usual way of life.

Rafting is an original way to get acquainted with water element. Often rafting refers to any activity on the water where rafts are used. Since water tourism involves a certain risk, it was exclusively the privilege of professionals. But this was the case until the raft was invented - a vessel that can be used for rafting on water bodies of any complexity.

Russian Rafting Federation

In Russia, rafting has been recognized as an official sport since 2003. The Russian Rafting Federation is a non-profit organization and has been operating since 2001. This organization received accreditation in 2003. Competitions in this sport are included in international, all-Russian and interregional sporting events. The Russian Rafting Federation is also a member of the International Rafting Federation. Judges for this sport must meet certain qualification requirements.

Preparation for rafting

Each of the rafting participants must first of all think about their safety. The vessels must be of high quality, and the equipment must be reliable. The design of the raft should provide extreme sports enthusiasts with additional insurance against falling overboard (inflatable crossbars that secure their legs). Swimming participants also wear a helmet and In addition, sometimes additional equipment will be useful. For example, if the water in the river is icy, then you should think about a wetsuit; you can also choose comfortable shoes - boots with ribbed rubber soles. Rafting tours can only be carried out by those who know how to swim, because even if you are wearing a life jacket, it will not be able to independently deliver a person to the shore.

At the same time, the most reliable lifesaver is the raft itself, and if you suddenly find yourself overboard in a stormy river, it is better to go through all the obstacles, holding tightly to the raft, than to get to the shore by self-rafting.

How to take part in a rafting tour?

To participate in rafting, the participant must evaluate the difficulty of the route. It depends, in particular, on the obstacles that need to be overcome. Obstacles will include stones in the river bed, rapids (areas with a difference in water level), as well as other irregularities water flow(shafts, plums, barrels). It is worth noting that great difficulties are caused by barrels - areas with reverse flow, which occurs where water masses fall from the drain. They can impede the movement of the vessel and carry it back into the flow of water, where it can capsize. There is a worldwide classification of the complexity of obstacles in areas of water bodies. There are 6 difficulty categories in total. Therefore, the higher the difficulty number, the more dangerous and risky the route.

Reviews

Every year more and more people want to feel the fullness of emotions that rafting can give. Reviews about this activity are only positive. Moreover, many fans of this sport note that if you try to ride like this at least once, then it’s impossible to stop. Even many lovers of passive recreation note that after they went rafting on a mountain river, they did not regret at all that they risked doing something unusual for themselves.

How is the swim going?

For people who do not have special training, no higher than 3rd category is permissible. For those who want to fully experience adrenaline in large doses, special expeditions are offered. However, only those tourists who have descended steep rapids more than once dare to take such a risk.

During the trip, people sit on the sides of the raft and row with oars under the guidance of an instructor. The guide will give simple commands regarding the direction of the oars. On difficult routes, the unit’s instructors are athletes. Rafting is not only rowing, but also stops in beautiful places with cooking over a fire, overnight stays, and songs with a guitar.

Geography of travel

Now that we have sorted out all the details, we hope you will no longer wonder: what is rafting? Therefore, let's move on to a review of the most popular routes. The most famous rafting centers are Karelia, the Caucasus and Altai. However, there are other, no less interesting, routes: Siberia, Yakutia, Far East, Ural. As part of such tours, you can not only go rowing, but also get acquainted with the amazing beauty of protected and wild areas of Russia.

Karelia

Our country has many unique water routes that you can travel from spring to autumn. A large number of rafting tours are organized in Karelia. For rafting, there is plenty to choose from. The most popular rivers are the Suna, Shuya, Okhta, Chirka-Kem and others. Even children can participate in rafting on Shuya. This river flows through densely populated areas on steep, high banks covered with pine forests. There are also many beaches and, naturally, rapids of the second degree of difficulty. Those who want to get a particularly thrilling experience can take a trip along the difficult rapids of the Okhta River. Rafting in Karelia offers a wide variety of route options. The Psta River, which flows through the northern part of the republic and flows into

A characteristic property of the rivers of Karelia is the alternation of lake sections with river sections. One of the most exciting is the “Janisjoki-Valaam-Ladoga Skerries” tour, which lasts a week. It includes a trip through the rocky bays among the Ladoga Islands, rafting on the Janisjoki River and a tour of the estate, which is located in a fabulous beautiful place. Rafting in Karelia is an unforgettable experience along routes of varying difficulty.

Murmansk

Enough interesting route for rafting lovers is the Umbozera River ( Murmansk region). Along its entire length there are rapids, reaches, lakes (there are places up to the 4th category of difficulty). The best place for rafting on this river is July-August. This type of holiday will appeal to those who love an active but secluded holiday, fishing, northern berries and mushrooms.

Caucasus

In the Caucasus, Mzymta also attracts the attention of tourists. By the way, it is on them, as well as on the mountain rivers of Altai, that the rafting federation holds stages of the Russian Rafting Championship. The source of the Mzymta is in the mountains, then it flows through a narrow valley and flows into the Black Sea near Adler. Rafting from the Akh-Tsu gorge is in demand among mothers with children, because here rafting takes place on almost calm water. But there are also more complex routes: from the Krasnopolyanskaya hydroelectric station to the Akh-tsu gorge. In some areas, the raft even begins to jump along huge shafts, overcoming the turbulent water abyss.

The path along the Belaya River is one of the most extreme. Here, in a small area, a whole series of rapids are concentrated: Teatralny, Toporiki, Kishi-1, Kishi-2 and Topori. The last three are considered the fifth category of difficulty. The Topora rapids are generally insurmountable, so participants carry rafts along the shore, and the Kishi-2 rapids are passed with the help of additional insurance. This excursion is suitable only for the bravest and bravest. Rafting is truly a test not only of the body, but also of the spirit.

Altai

In Altai, most rivers have a mountainous, stormy character. Rafting along the Katun and its tributary Chuya is the most common in the region. Chuya is a mountain river with quite difficult rapids. Katun is a large and wide body of water with mighty swells; it originates on the slope of the high mountain Siberia - Beluga whales. You can also walk through both bodies of water sequentially. Rafting on the Chuya River is considered much more difficult: during rafting, tourists overcome rapids from the third to fifth category of difficulty. In order to successfully complete them, you will need well-coordinated teamwork, composure and endurance. The “Horizon” rapids are especially striking; here the Chuya River seethes and rumbles between two narrow rocky cliffs, and then turns sharply by as much as 90 degrees. But the thresholds don't end there. Only in the lower reaches of the Katun can you relax, there is no particular danger here, you are even allowed to take children on this route.

You'll like it!

So, rafting - what is it? These are exciting adventures, a release of emotions, and victory over oneself and the water element. At the same time, remember that there are clear rules that must be followed. Only if there is rafting safe holiday, it can bring a lot of fun.