On Monday, 05.09.2022 we drove together with our instructor Mr. Berger to the Iller in Sonthofen. There, the organizers Gerd and Peter introduced themselves to us. After that we played a game to get to know each other, where teamwork and good agreement was important. Afterwards we were divided into 4 groups and given materials to build the raft. After the construction, we were given a wetsuit and protective equipment and off we went.
First we had to walk through the Iller to become aware of the cold and the current. After a few safety instructions, we were able to launch our rafts. After the first few meters, we had to paddle to the edge of the river into a bay. This was an exercise to get better control of the raft. After everyone successfully mastered this stop, we continued downstream where we made another stop after a kilometer. There, some volunteer swimmers were able to cross the river through the current. When this was also done, we continued.
We made one last stop on a sandbank, where we had a barbecue together. While one group took care of starting a fire, the other group did a rescue exercise. In this exercise there was a swimmer who had to be rescued. Then there were two rescuers who threw a rescue bag at him from the shore. After this was also done, the fireplace was ready and we could grill our sausages. After one kilometer we arrived at the exit. There we disassembled our rafts again and took off our wetsuits and our protective gear. After a short feedback about the day we said goodbye to Gerd and Peter and took the bus back to Leutkirch.
This trip helped us to work and communicate better as a team.
© Mario, Max
