|
IRF Rafting Course in Brazil A few days ago I finished the first course IRF (International Rafting Federation) in Brotas-Brazil.
The course was dictated by my colleague and instructor Core (class 4/5) and me. Before continuing I have to say something about him. Above all a very humble person, member and Team Captain Bozo d'agua (2 times world champions, 8 times Brazilian champion, 3 times Panamerican champions and 4 times European champions) one of the strongest and most experienced person I have known in the last 15 years of river life.
Returning to the course, it lasted 4 days in which they were 3 days of training and a assessment day. The first 3 days were filled with rescue techniques such as fast swimming, jumping, wading in shallow currents, knots, anchors, pulley systems 3-1 4-1 tensioned diagonal lines, Flip drills and a good amount of other exercises.
Also the international river signals, Pedagogy of teaching, safety talk and many different types of scenarios. Between classroom work and river work we were between 10 and 11 hours per day including transportation.
The standard of the river guide's, the respect between them and their desire to learn makes you work hard for so many hours of enjoyment, well, the truth is that the climate and the temperature of the tropical waters makes it a pleasure. I like to think that by giving a course not only teaching I have also learned a lot. When some students bring with them other skills for example, firefighters, mountain guides, cave guides, rescuers and also different types of course rivers guides with many years of experience working in different rivers- it gives you a lot of new useful techniques!
Some of course participants are junior Rafting team members from Brazil, the current world champions in the last World Championship in Costa Rica 2011.
Well, soon I will keep sharing my experiences in this awesome river life...
 (Posted on the 25th Jan 2012 by pete) |
RSS 2.0