This continues the series of guest columns about how technology is reshaping people's hobbies and passions – fishing, basket weaving, community service – whatever.
This time it is Richard Hirsch who works for Siemens SIS in Austria, having grown up rafting some really wild rapids. Today he does it at a much more relaxed pace.
“On many a weekend you will find me rafting on a local river that is 5 minutes walking from my house. I can carry my raft by myself to the put-in spot (yes, the raft is that small) and the run lasts about 20 minutes. There is one Class 1-2 rapid and the rest of the ride is fairly smooth water.
It’s a long cry from my younger days when a group of friends would head to the Sierras on the weekend to run the rivers. I also participated on commercial trips on rivers with Class V rapids, such as the Tuolumne (as in the video below) and the Middle Fork of the Salmon in Idaho. These commercial trips were usually multi-day affairs where you slept on the river shore in tents.
I’ve been in rafts that have flipped in Class V rapids and ended up swimming under the raft as the water boiled around me. Exciting experiences with an adrenaline rush unmatched .
What’s the difference between Class I and V? This site defines Class I as “very relaxing” and V as only for “adrenaline junkies”, just shy of VI which is “Niagara Falls in a barrel” :)
Even in the much tamer rides of today what I really enjoy is experiencing nature’s unpredictability. Interaction based on technology in my day job - either with others or with machines - is always under your control. You can always step away from your laptop. Because of nature’s unpredictability, what happens in a rapid is always a little bit of a surprise.
But while I do it to get away from technology, technology has influenced rafting in different ways including:
- More durable rafts with the latest material (such as Hypalon) has improved the safety of rafting by reducing the likelihood of punctures on the river. Such modern rafts are often self-baling (like in photo on right) which means that waters drains without you having worry about it.
- Lighter rafts means that portages - having to carry rafts overland to avoid difficult rapids - are easier.
- Lighter and sturdier helmets -always recommended when rafting more difficult rivers - increase comfort (think moisture and cold on these trips) and safety like the Pro-Tec Ace Wake Water Helmet in photo on left.
- Mobile technology has improved safety by allows rafters to get assistance when injuries occur.
- The latest mapping technology such as GoogleMaps, Navigation devices, etc provide rafters with information on how to get to locations that were previously inaccessible.
One of the more recent uses of technology is in the social networks that have been facilitated by the web. Rafting has always been a social sport. Although it is possible to raft by yourself, usually you are in boat with others. This characteristic means that the sport involves group dynamics. Furthermore, your raft is usually not alone on the river. On a particular day, depending on a river’s popularity, there may be up to 100 or more rafts on the river. The interactions that take place between these rafts - either in the form of water fights or an information exchange about upcoming rapids - are also what makes rafting so much fun.
Via rafting communities and social networks (such as River Guides) rafters are able to share their experiences about rivers. This sharing can take the form of textual description, pictures and videos. There are usually trip reports that have current details about conditions on the river.
Here is an example of such a description
“The Upper Wind starts off pretty mellow until Initiation, which is pretty much a class IV- rapid that just lasts a really long time. It culminates at Rams Horn, a class IV drop with a big hole at the bottom. For the next few bends there are numerous class III and IV moves and a rapid called "Balls to the Wall" which, on this day, was a center line with little consequence other than getting stuck.”
Inasmuch as rivers and their rapids change constantly, having an online source of information that reflects the most current conditions is very useful.
It is this unpredictability that often frightens us - which is one of the reasons rafting is such a popular sport. Everyone enjoys a little kick of fear and then the sigh of relief when the scare is over.
Getting accustomed to this unpredictability and not being frightened by it is one of the reasons why I try to take my kids with me when I go rafting.
At its heart, however, rafting is a water sport with all that this implies. On a hot summer day, nothing beats lounging in a raft letting the current drag you downstream, waving to the occasional person sunning themselves on the shore and drifting under low-lying branches from trees hanging precariously on river banks.
And in this environment, I have little need for technology irregardless of its form."
Comments