Austria

Introduction to Creeking

Wildalpen, Austria

Dates

2026

Introduction to Creeking
19 July – 25 July

Austria Half Slice

09-15 August

Our trips

III/III+ Coached trip that is a perfect course for those who want to gain the necessary skills to step up their game by practicing skills and get ready for paddling at class IV rivers! Be ready for intensive practice!

Coaches

Adam Olesiński

Jasmin Stangl-Brachnik

3-8 people

Why Austria Introduction to Creeking?

As much as usually it is about going down the river – this course is different. It is more stationary and you will spend a lot of time practicing core skills to help you really trust into them and by increasing difficulting and changing environment prepare you to run a class IV rivers. Also, Wildalpen is our magical base in the middle of the mountains with mesmerising green water and great places to spend your holiday!

Overview
Itinerary
Includes / Excludes
F.A.Q.
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Pricing & Book Now

Kayaking in Austria

This is a unique kayaking course to introduce you to ‘creeking’. The course is perfect for those who are already comfortable on class III and are looking to progress on to more advanced whitewater.

The goal is to improve your skills on class III-III+ to tackle class IV whitewater by improving your skills and giving you tools to feel comfortable on harder sections. The trip starts on the beautiful Salza River where you will warm up and prepare for the rest of the trip.

It will have it all, core skills, safety training, boofing and even running a 5m waterfall!

On this trip

Learn how to BOOF and work on your creeking techniques in a controlled environment with our expert coaches
Master your eskimo rolls with exercises and theoretical workshops on how to bring more safety into your kayaking by improving your rolling skills
Experience paddling on Alpine rivers rarely visited by other kayakers – including the Salza, Hinterwildalpen, Koppentraun, Lammer and/or Rettenbach (depending on water levels)

Gain advanced creeking knowledge especially focussed on safety and objective dangers and how to avoid them on the rivers
Expert low ratio coaching, tailored to suit you and your kayaking

Whitewater Kayaking Holidays

Arrival to Wildalpen

The journey to Austria can be made either by car directly or fly in by airplane.

When arriving by car just set Wildwasserzentrum Naturfreunde Österreich in your GPS.

If you are arriving by plane – the closest one will be Vienna airport. You can rent a car there or enquire for our shuttle. The drive is approximately 2.5 hour to Wildalpen. Shuttle one way costs 150 euro shared between participants.

If you choose to have a shuttle you will be picked up and driven to our accommodation where you will meet the rest of your travel companions. It is recommended to book the flights arriving before 3 pm. Please get in touch regarding your flight before booking it, we will try to synchronize everybody to minimize waiting time for each group.

Please get in touch for travel advice, we will make a plan accordingly. Please enquire for further details.

Camping and logistics

At our kayak camps, we look forward to a cozy get-together in the camp. We are happy to have breakfast together and for dinner, everyone decides whether to cook or eat in local restaurants!

Basically, we are always on a campsite during the entire week, if someone would prefer to have a room there are shared rooms (+15 eur/night) at Wildalpen camping or even a Bergkristal hotel. Cost of these are excluded. Similiar can be arranged for Bad Ausse area where we gonna move in second part of the week.

Shuttles to the rivers are organized by us. It may be necessary for private vehicles to also be used for shuttles and transfers if we go to Koppentraun.

Day 1

Welcome to Austria! Arrive and check in to accommodation – we can arrange special pickups from local airports for an additional fee (Graz, Salzburg, Linz, Vienna or Bratislava airports) – please contact us for more details.

Accomodation: Wildalpen Naturfreunde Camping

Day 2 - Lower Salza training and introduction

We start with a warm up paddle on the Lower Salza. We get into our boat and get used to how it flows and go through all of the basic techniques including safety.

Day 3 - Salza course + Hinterwildalpen training (Boof day!)

We train in challenging situations and work on our manoeuvres at the Wildalpen kayak course in the morning and boofing and lapping Hinterwildalpen in the afternoon.

Day 4 - Wildalpen

Safety training at Wildalpen kayak course and at Hinterwildalpen followed by some time to rest. For anyone interested we can warm up in a local sauna to rest our bodies!

Day 5 - Lower Kummerbrucke

Two runs on the lower Kummerbrucke section – we have a chance to experience it on the first run and then work on our skills on the second one. In the afternoon we drive towards Koppentraun.

Day 6 - Koppentraun

Koppentraun is one of the biggest classics of the Salzkammergut region. Spend time working on reading the water, scouting, safety, planning the road, picking the lines while introducing the skills you’ve mastered from previous days. Dinner in Hallstat.

Accomodation: Depending on the river of choice we may move to camping in Obentraun after running the river

Day 7 - Saturday Laussa Falls

In the morning enjoy the five metre high Laussa Falls and practicing your boof using the safety and waterfall techniques you’ve been learning all week. Memorable experiences and awesome pictures guaranteed!

This is also where our course ends, if you are using our shuttle make sure your flight is in the evening, we recommend to have it after 6 pm.

Half Slice Party Program

The plan will remain flexible depending on the water levels. Below is a rough training plan for the trip that you will experience on various rivers during our half slice program here specific for Austria.

DAY 1 — Getting a Feel for the Boat

Welcome to Austria! Arrive and check in to accommodation – we can arrange special pickups from Vienna airport for an additional fee – please contact us for more details.

Accomodation: Wildalpen Naturfreunde Camping

DAY 2 — Taking It onto the River

We start with a warm up paddle on the Lower Salza — no pressure, just paddling and getting comfortable. The half-slice behaves differently from most boats, and the first thing you’ll notice is the tail: it’s short, it’s loose, and it wants to move.

In the morning you’ll learn how to use that. You will learn skiping by approaching waves at a 45° angle and sweeping from the bow, you’ll start landing on wave peaks — hopping across the river rather than just going down it. It’s the first taste of what this boat can do.

In the afternoon you get into your first stern squirts. You’ll break the movement down step by step — finding the right angle, speed, and edge to sink the tail and pop the bow into the air. By the end of the day you’ll be initiating from eddies on both sides and starting to feel when it works and why.

DAY 3 — Taking It onto the River

Salza course – We train in challenging situations and work on our manoeuvres at the Wildalpen kayak course in the morning and boofing and lapping Hinterwildalpen in the afternoon.

The skills from Day 1 start going into real river situations. You’ll learn to cut the tail in and kick the boat up and forward while actually moving — hopping between wave peaks, using the current to help rather than fight you.

In the afternoon you’ll push the squirt further: working on holding the rotation past vertical, and learning how an early sweep stroke can make the whole initiation feel effortless. Things start clicking.

DAY 4 — Turning Up the Intensity

We will move to Faster water, quicker eddies, less time to think. We may do another section of canyon of Salza or move to Enns river depending on the water levels. This day is about doing everything you’ve learned under pressure — committing fully to the edge, trusting the rotation, and letting the boat do its job. You’ll run the section multiple times, each lap sharper than the last.

DAY 5 — Reading Features & Making Decisions

Moving into harder river again, either another section of Enns

You’ll encounter a new section and spend the day learning how to read it and respond to it. The focus is on two different ways to work a feature with this boat: a clean boof (driving up and over) versus a flare (letting the tail slice in and spin). They look similar from the bank — the difference is in your angle and how much you pull. You’ll feel the difference immediately.

DAY 6 — Putting It All Together

The final day is yours. We will do harder section of Enns or go to Koppentraun. You run the same section as Day 4 but now with everything in your toolkit — wave hopping, clean squirt initiations, boof or flare decisions made on the fly. The goal is fluid, connected paddling where each move sets up the next.

You’ll finish with a group conversation about what changed over the week — and why everything you learned here applies to every other boat you’ll ever paddle.

DAY 7 — Departure Day

This is also where our course ends, after the breakfast, if you are using our shuttle it will go to the airport. Make sure your flight is in the evening, we recommend to have it after 3 pm.

Due to water levels, the plan has to stay flexible. But we will plan for staying in Wildalpen Camping and drive to the rivers on last days (maximum 2h to furthest Koppentraun).

INTRODUCTION TO CREEKING

Includes

A week of expert coaching
Video analysis and a comprehensive review of your paddling and an action plan for your future development at the end
Transport between paddling locations
Advice prior to the trip, local knowledge on and off the river to help you get the most out of your stay
Accommodation (Camping, upgrades available at an additional cost)
Travel Insurance

Excludes

Flights/transport to the beginning of the trip (pick up for airport available for at least two people from the group otherwise individual plans will be made, 200 euro to split between participants each way)
Accomodation upgrade – for just 15 eur per night (95 eur total) upgrade to shared room during duration of the course.
Personal paddling equipment (available to rent at an additional cost, let us know what equipment you need and we can arrange it for you!) – Kayak 160 eur for Jackson Kayak & Unlocked kayak boats & Paddle 55 euro per trip.
Food

Half Slice Party

Includes

A week of expert coaching
Video analysis and a comprehensive review of your paddling and an action plan for your future development at the end.
Transport between paddling locations
Advice prior to the trip, local knowledge on and off the river to help you get the most out of your stay
Travel Insurance

Excludes

Flights/transport to the beginning of the trip (pick up for airport available for at least two people from the group otherwise individual plans will be made, 200 euro to split between participants each way)
Accomodation upgrade – for just 15 eur per night (95 eur total) upgrade to shared room during duration of the course.
Personal paddling equipment (available to rent at an additional cost, let us know what equipment you need and we can arrange it for you!) – Kayak 160 eur for Jackson Kayak & Unlocked kayak boats & Paddle 55 euro per trip.
Food

Can I rent kayak equipment?

Personal paddling equipment (available to rent at an additional cost, let us know what equipment you need and we can arrange it for you!) – Kayak 160 for Jackson/Unlocked Kayak boats & Paddle 55 euro per trip (Sherpa, Surge, Powerhouse). When renting please be sure to bring 2 air bags and additional hip pads/foam bits that you would have in your boat. We usually source private boats and these won’t have these pieces.

Is this the right trip for me?

The trip is suitable for people that have finished a basic course, feel stable in a boat, have a solid roll and are looking for the next step and a challenge bigger than class III. The course will help you step up your game under the eye of professional kayakers with a high level of coaching and guidance.

Why half slice party?

Do you want to paddle a Half Slice boat but don’t really know how to make all these fancy moves? Or maybe you don’t want to run hard rivers but still have fun? Also if you are a II/III paddler you can join that trip and enjoy the rivers and sections we do!

Accomodation on half slice party

Food and accommodation

Camping is not included in the trip however once we are certain of water levels and weather predictions we will be helping you to arrange them making a booking for all the participants that has to be paid separately. Each place where we will be staying has nice fully equipped camping nearby. Basic camping equipment is advised. Alternative options of accommodation in the area may be selected. We can also help with renting camping gear if you let us know upfront. It is good to account for 15 euro for camping fees per night. We will have camping stove and we can share meals together or go out for meals around places we stay.

Introduction to Creeking – Austria

From: $1,049

Reserve your place from just $400 deposit!

How much is this in other currencies:

USD	$1,049-$1,449
EUR	€899-€1,249
GBP	£785-£1,085

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Categories: Coaching, Travel & Tourism SKU: LILI_008

Additional information

Additional information

Type of the trip	Introduction to Creeking, Half Slice Party

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