Black hole

Mission "Black Hole" - Vorderrhein (A snapshot) - 17.06.2006

Right past the first big roller, left past the second even bigger roller, then hard right across and past the big boulders on the right. That was our plan. Me in front, Marcus behind. And off we go.

I haven't paddled seriously for months, but this is definitely doable. The two obvious lines - stubbornly right or stubbornly left - are too easy for me, so I choose a slightly more challenging one. This "quick threesome" is simply more fun this way.

Past the first big roller on the right - everything goes according to plan.

There are two of us on the trip, so we would probably need the help of other paddlers on the stream when swimming and recovering, which would make things easier, but is also kind of embarrassing.

The Funkey, which I haven't ridden for years, dips pretty deep. Where exactly is the second roller? Ah, here it comes. Everything under control.

Lindsay watches us from the shore. We're going to give her an impressive demonstration that whitewater paddling can be just as safe and controllable as driving a car - depending on how you drive. Ok, now please focus on the moment, the change of direction is coming soon.

The current here is pretty fast, so I'd better get a little closer to the roller so that I can make it across before the blocks. Oh well, maybe not that close after all. Never mind, I'll just pop through at the edge, I'll be fine. Hauerha, that's a big one! It looked different from the shore. Over the edge, hectic boof into the foam, strong pressure on the stern, bow in front of a blue summer sky.

Cerebellum: "Oh no, don't swim." Adopting the melee position, flipping backwards into the deep notch, wild jolting and shaking. Cerebrum: "Why actually swim? We could also roll. We still have air. Let's wait and see." The active suppression of the exit scenario and the targeted visualization of the roll as well as the permanent weighing up between air reserves for swimming and waiting for a calmer opportunity to roll, which may never come because I am not spat out of the roller, passes the time for the next twenty seconds. But it's actually surprisingly unexciting.

It gets quieter! Zack roll, spotz shake where am I, oh here, where are the blocks, oh there, well then that's good. I tackle the rest of the smaller rocks in the passage and then, giggling and laughing, loop into the eddy behind the gravel bank. Now I'm starting to feel a bit of adrenaline and endorphins. This is where I meet Marcus; he has seen my involuntary stunt in the roller and has therefore spontaneously decided to get his ass kicked in the other passage. The official explanation for his role: he was looking around for me and the stone jumped out at him from behind. Lindsay covers her eyes and squints between her fingers at us - she saw a swimmer do several laps in the backwash of my roller right in front of us before it spat him out.

Two flips, two rolls, summer, sun, nice river... we enjoy the remaining kilometers and then sit in the beer garden with Nicole and Lindsay. This is the way to live! We are sure: basically we did everything right. We just have to explain to Lindsay in more detail about the controllable whitewater paddling... the next stream is sure to come!

Have a great summer everyone and many great river experiences!

Greetings from Munich

Matthias