Salzach
- Location:
- The river Salzach runs over 200 km through Salzburg and finally it reaches the Inn in Passau.
- Suitability:
- Kayaking
- River Description:
-
- General:
- The Salzach is a river that is mainly violated by straightening
and power stations. So there are only a few parts worth paddling,
which we will in a few lines:
- Gries bis Schwarzach
- Salzachöfen
- Kuchler Schwall
- Drive on the freeway (Tauernautobahn) to the south until
you reach the KUCHL exit. Now follow the federal road to the
south until you passed a sawmill and a gas station. Then turn
in a light left turn to a smaller street and drive under the
bridge of the train. Now you only have cross the bridge and
you can already see the Kuchler Schwall uprivers.
The Kuchler Schwall gives you plenty of chances to improve your freestyle paddling, but the general rule of thoumb says: low water - high fun. After heavy rainfalls or during the spring season the wave is simply non existing. The best time is late summer and autumn and of course winter (although it is a little colder then - donīt forget something hot to drink)
When you get the maximum from Kuchl, you are rewarded with up to 5 surf waves and a really nice hole. The wave is well known in the european rodeo scene and if you are lucky, you can paddle with Bernd Sommer, Carsten Schmitt, Oliver Grau, Schorschi Schauff or other freestyle paddlers.
- Bergheimer Cataract
- Drive your car to the local train station of Bergheim, where
you have to put your equipment on your shoulders - itīs time
for a small hike. Cross the railway and go uprivers for around
300 meters. Depending on the water level, you will see a perfect
surfing wave and the BIG monsterous hole behind it (normal water
level during summertime) or a boring stone-grinding area in
wintertime. Of course you get many variations between these
extremes, but the general rule is: the more water you get, the
bigger the hole. But pay attention: It can get too big.
Since 1996 there is an annual meeting called the Salzburger Hardcore Rodeo at the beginning of the summer (so you get enough water for a big hole). The goal of the meeting is really simple: who stays in the hole for the longest time wins... going for a swim is sometimes a must even for some pros (of course we won't mention names...)
- Difficulty:
-
- Gries bis Schwarzach III-IV
- Salzachöfen IV-V
- Kuchler Schwall II+
- Bergheimer Katarakt III
- Water Level:
- Low water levels during late summer until winter and maximum water flow during snow melt and after rainfalls. A big water catchment area and endless power stations make it very difficult to make a prognosis. There is only one general rule: the is less water on the weekends, because the power stations keep the water for energy production during the workdays.
- Best Time:
- depends on the section.
- Rodeo Holes and Waves:
- Kuchler Schwall and Bergheimer Cataract
- Special Dangers:
- Service:
- shops in Hallein and Salzburg
- Places to Stay:
- sorry, don`t know special ones ... plenty around anyway.