Sabine about our Whitewater Packrafting Tour Albania 2023

Testimonial, Sabine über die Wildwasser Tour Albanien 2023

Sabine has been part of the LWA community for a long time, has done many whitewater courses with us and came with us to Albania in summer 2023 for the whitewater tour on Vjosa and Osum. After her return, she emailed us a detailed feedback, which we were allowed to publish on the Land Water Blog: Albania 2023 - When the Osum turned to cocoa. Here is a short excerpt from her words:

"[...] impressed and overwhelmed by people and nature" - that's the short version of my feedback. If you have time, here is the detailed version 😀 [...]."

You can find all the feedback here, along with lots of impressions and a few anecdotes from the tour: Land Water Blog.

Ingolf from Leipzig

Testimonial, Ingolf über die Hunsrück-Tour

Ingolf has been with us on our courses, tours and expeditions for a very long time and has already been on most of our adventures. We are even more pleased that he is always there at the start of the season in the Hunsrück and left us the following feedback on Google in spring 2023, after our special Hunsrück anniversary tour:

"4 days in the Hunsrück with tent, sleeping bag and packraft on the road. A fantastic experience with a great troop and super organized by LWA."

Kersten from Weimar

Testimonial, Kersten über Wildwasser Kurse Alpen

We welcomed Kersten in the summer of 2023 for the first time on our whitewater packrafting course in the foothills of the Alps. She left us a nice review on Google, which we are happy to share here again:

"Packrafting on the Isar. It is the first time I tried something like this and it was unforgettably beautiful. Our two guides Sebastian and Andi took care of us devotedly. I learned a lot. Of course, not everything works out the first time. But the two of them never got tired of finding ways and tips so that we could acquire as many skills as possible in the short time of 4 days. I can absolutely recommend the two and the course. Fantastic scenery, a harmonious group, lots of variety and fun on the water. Thank you very much."

Robert from Thüringen

Testimonial, Robert über LWA

Robert has been on a few adventures with us, most recently for example the first run of the Packrafting Tour Albania 2022 and the Special Expedition Tour Norway 2023. On our Google profile he left us a very nice review in the summer of 2023, many thanks for that:

"Whether paddling in the whitewater of the alpine rivers, technique training in the whitewater canal or expedition tours inside or outside Germany - with LWA every one of my booked events has been a lot of fun. Everything is always very professionally organized and I always feel safe with the good-humored guides. The rental equipment at LWA is also of very good quality. Keep up the good work 👍"

Julia from Frankfurt

Testimonial, Julia über den Erlebnistag Nahe 2023

We had the pleasure to welcome Julia, together with friends and family, for the first time in May 2023 at our packrafting experience day at the Nahe river. Subsequently, she left us a nice review on Google, which we were very happy about:

"In May we spent a great packrafting day together with Sebastian in the Nahe Valley.☀️ With a lot of fun and joy he teaches all the important basics and tricks that you need as a beginner to packrafting. You can tell that he leads these tours with heart and soul. The day on and around the water will remain in our memories for a long time. It was an unforgettable and great experience! We will definitely come again."

Dani from Berlin

Testimonial, Dani über Norwegen 2023

Dani, after her first experience in a packraft on the Hunsrück tour (see below) and on other of our courses and tours, joined us on the Special Expedition Tour Norway in the summer of 2023. "Special" because it was the anniversary tour Norway and exceptionally early in the year. On her Instagram profile, she posted a review with her impressions in words and pictures following our expedition tour:

Excerpt: "Neither pictures nor words can describe this wilderness tour with @landwateradventures in the Sylan Mountains in the end. 6 days self-sufficient on the road with packraft, tent and a team that I could not have imagined better 🙏😍."

Silke, Tobias and their dog Sam

Testimonial, Silke und Hund Sam im Packraft

Silke and Tobias tried Packrafting with us at the Nahe river for the first time, on this occasion their dog Sam was also allowed to try out what he thinks of watersport with his mistress. He liked it and so he came back with Silke for our course premiere "Multiday with dog" in November 2022. On this occasion the great photo of the two of them was taken. After our Christmas mail had reached the three, we got the following dear words by e-mail:

"Hello dear LWA team, thank you very much for the Christmas post. The calendar is a great thing and we are even a part of it. Really great. You can feel your enthusiasm in everything you do. That is just contagious. Great also the effort you have made in writing the personal cards. You are a great team. Have a good start into the new year and we are looking forward to Alpen 1 at the Isar. Best regards"

Sabine from Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler

Testimonial, Sabine auf Island Expedition 2022

SSabine has been on the road with us in many places over the past years and dared to join the Expedition Iceland in the summer of 2022. On Facebook, after her return, she wrote a detailed and moving post about her experiences on our expedition:

An excerpt: "What a country! What impressions! Iceland is really a dream. My dream for four years. I am so grateful not to have gotten to know it with a bus trip, but to have experienced it by packraft and on foot. Anyone who has sunk into the coarse sand while hiking, felt the moss in all its colors, drunk the water from the springs and danced on the waves of the rivers with the packraft, anyone who has slept in the tent in the storm and rain, worrying when the right time to pee is, only to crawl out and bathe in the ice water, has absorbed this island. Like, really."

Didier from the Netherlands

Testimonial, Didier from the Netherlands

We had the pleasure to meet Didier in the late summer of 2021 on the Soča, where he first participated in the whitewater safety course WRT-REC (Link in German), and then rocked the waves of Soča and Koritnica with us in the Advanced Whitewater Packrafting course. Then, just before Christmas, the following words reached us via email, which we were very happy to receive:

"What a nice surprise arrived today by mail: Your beautiful card and calendar. How thoughtful and sweet of you. I still have very fond memories of the adventure on the Soča and like to think back to all the great and special people I met there. You guys have really built a very special packrafting community.
Wishing you and your loved ones all the best for Christmas and the New Year.
Warmest regards,
Didier"

Dani from Berlin

Testimonial, Dani from Berlin

Four of them came from far away and apparently came to stay. Dani from Berlin wrote us this mail after her first course with three friends at 4 days in the Hunsrück, which, you just can not say otherwise, put an almost embarrassed smile on our faces.

"Dear LWA Team! I just want to say thank you again! Thank you for an inspiring, damn funny, educational and all-around successful weekend in nature! What you have put together with LWA (and I'm not just referring to the weekend, but to the whole company) is simply unbeatable! Such wonderful people who are wholeheartedly involved and where you can just feel that everyone loves what they do and this enthusiasm is also 100% contagious! Whether it is the warm-hearted, fast and uncomplicated mail contact with Cora, the top-maintained, high-quality material, the cheese fondue ;) the fantastic locations and versatile tour offers, the individual, uncomplicated solutions to problems or the guides (of which I was allowed to get to know three wonderful specimens), who are there with so much knowledge and skill and huge heart, a lot of humor, patience and energy .... it's just right from front to back! And the feeling that Sebastian always conveys, to always feel and see how each individual but also the group as a whole is doing, what is wanted/needed and to always look for suitable solutions, that is really something very special! I now understand why at LWA the participants all seem to know each other :) I will be back! Keep it up! You are great! Greetings from Berlin, Dani(ela)"

And then when she got the calendar in the mail at Christmas, another email came right away:

"Uuuuuh! Thank you :) And biiiiiig thanks for the mail today which has put a big smile on our faces! The calendar has already got his place and I'm already looking forward to the two LWA adventures next year! It's so nice to be a part of this really special community! Thanks for you! Have a good rest and slide well into a new wild, colorful and healthy 2022!"

Andrea

Testimonial, Andrea zur HR-Tour

Andrea came all the way from the Arctic Circle to roam the Hunsrück with us and wrote us this nice feedback afterwards. And she says she is already looking forward to packrafting again next year.

"With this message I would like to thank you again for the beautiful days, your energy and enthusiasm for packrafting and a great experience that I will remember for a long time. Lea and I still laughed heartily afterwards and were very happy about the many photos you sent us."

Christian

Testimonial, Christian

Christian is a long-time LWA participant and was at the premiere of our Packraft Technique Training in the whitewaterchannel of Holibu in early summer 2021. After the course he wrote us the following feedback by e-mail:

"As always, the course was a super successful thing. I have already visited the one or other course with you and have never been disappointed so far. The course was clear and structured and has given me the opportunity to adjust and improve my paddling technique, as well as to test strong pulling eddys It was as always a feast for me to have been there, certainly not for the last time."

Ina and Matthias from Frankfurt

Testimonial, Ina und Matthias aus Frankfurt

"Thank you very much for the Christmas wishes and the great calendar, which really makes you want more! Many thanks also to Cora for forwarding the photos and the newspaper report from our trial course on the Nahe. The day with Johannes was a real bright spot last year. We remember it with pleasure and are so impressed that we have ordered our own boats.

Ina and Matthias from Frankfurt"

Group Brohl

Testimonial, Gruppe Brohl

We ourselves are rarely at the LWA headquarters in southwestern Germany, but we are always happy when people from close by join us in search of adventure. This family group from Neustadt wrote us an e-mail after their day at the Nahe (Link in German).

"Hello dear Land Water Adventures Team,

The wonderful weekend at the Nahe is over, the everyday life has us again. I would like to give a short feedback.
For all of us it was the first experience with Packrafting and it will certainly not be the last. The day on the Nahe River has completely inspired all of us, especially since the weather was perfect. The landscape is paradisiacal, also the camping site is a real gem, and that just an hour's drive away from us.
The organization was perfect. Susanne was a great guide, thanks to her patience and expertise everything worked out wonderfully and we had an incredible amount of fun. The mixture of technique training and pleasure paddling was great. It was great that we were also able to ride the track below the campsite. Great also the many information about nature and wildlife. Once again many thanks, dear Susanne!
We very much hope that you and your company get through this difficult Corona year reasonably well and that you can continue to bring these exciting things to many people.

Best wishes, see you soon again!
A colourful family group from Neustadt"

Yvonne & Thorsten, Corona times

Testimonial, Yvonne & Throsten

Our spring 2020 was significantly different than planned and we will feel the waves sent by the pandemic and LWA containment measures for a long time to come. We are very grateful for all the messages that reached us during this time and still do, and would like to share the following e-mail from Throsten and Yvonne here, which reached us without any specific occasion:

"Dear Sebastian, dear LWA team,

We would like to use these turbulent times to say thank you and to give you a little courage. Thank you for the cool weekend at the Hunsrück Compact Course for beginners, where you, Sebastian, introduced us to the fascination of packrafting despite the rather modest weather and the cancellation of some participants due to illness.😊 We were immediately so fixated that we booked the beginner course for whitewater novices in Tirol in June.
You made your passion into your job. And that is exactly what you convey on your tours. The world needs people like you, who live your passion, inspire and take with you people. For packrafting, for the time spent together outside. And that is what these difficult times are all about: Not to bury your head in the sand despite adverse circumstances. Keep fighting and persevere, not only for your job and LWA, but for your dream, your mission and the ever-growing Packrafting fan base! Especially in this tense situation: The Packrafting community needs you, your knowledge, your tours and the hours spent together with and around the paddle!
There is a time for everything. The LWA clock, however, is still at the beginning. We are looking forward to hopefully many more years with you!
Happy Easter, all of you. 😊

Many greetings
Yvonne & Thorsten"

Joachim from Hesse, Packrafting expedition course Norway

Testimonial, Frank

Joachim has got to know Packrafting at close range, has ridden with us through the waves of Tyrol and through the lava fields of Iceland and was now 2019 with us in the Scandinavian wilderness. Under the blog contribution of the course he left us the following comment:

"Another unforgettable tour with our always-good mood guide Sebastian and the white water queen Susanne! Best prepared by LWA, we were allowed to roam the beautiful landscape of the Sylan Mountains for one week. We had everything on this tour, rainy days, sunburn weather, mountains, rivers, suspension bridge, blueest sky, mosquitoes of the nasty kind, campfire, in short a perfect adventure and a blessing for all who were allowed to be there."

Frank from the Stuttgart area, Multiday Packrafting Training Hunsrück, Spring 2018

Testimonial, Frank

This is Frank. Frank was with us for the first time in spring 2018 in the Hunsrück. And because he had read so much about the chocolate love of the LWA team on our channels in advance, he brought a whole box of it with him to the tour start. We were impressed! :-)

After the tour Frank replied to us with a wink of the eye:

"An old saying goes: 'If you can't impress people with performance, impress them with chocolate' ;-) I have to thank you for the great tour, it was really an experience! Since I was able to cope with the weight of the luggage much better than I feared, I now also plan to take the next step next year and go on the Norway tour with you."

In the autumn of the same year Frank and his wife joined us at river Soca together. And now that they have expanded their own Packraft fleet, Frank stands true to his announcement and will join us for the expedition training in Norway and Sweden 2019.

Mareike and Jens from the Neckar

Testimonial, Mareike und JensTestimonial, Mareike und Jens

They were already enthusiastic outdoor enthusiasts, they became enthusiastic packrafters on the Nahe (Link in German), then immediately in the Hunsrück and in the coming season we meet again in Tyrol and at the Soca. But since the courses Mareike and Jens are also on their own fist with their own Packrafts. They wrote about their trip to the west of Canada in the Land Water Blog, you can find their contribution here: https://www.land-water-blog.de/de/kanada-hike-in-raft-out/ (Link in German)

Shortly before the end of their trip they sent us this mail directly from Canada - "carelessly" ;-) - because we immediately wrote back if they don't want to tell us about it in the blog. They did! Thanks for that and for those nice words:

"Hello Sebastian! A year ago we sat in a Packraft for the first time and were immediately addicted! Thanks to your training we neither capsized nor sank in Canada ;-) Instead we are now immortalized with the colorful boats on various photos of outdoor-enthusiasts Canadians! With this in mind, thank you very much for that and especially many greetings from Canada!!! We are looking forward to October! Jens and Mareike

Christine from Heidelberg, Multiday Packrafting Training Hunsrück Compact, Fall 2018

Testimonial, ChristineTestimonial, Christine

In the early summer of 2018 at one of our day trainings on river Nahe (Link in German), Christine got into a Packraft for the first time. There she must have caught something, because shortly after she had her own Packraft with which she visited us in autumn of the same year for the Multiday Compact training in the Hunsrück area. In a positive way this demanded a lot from her and apparently made her want more. Christine has followed her announcement from the mail below and will venture with us in June for the first time in Tyrol into whitewater.

The e-mail below came from Christine a few days after the Hunsrück training in the Hunsrück. Many thanks for these nice words - but why save on the chocolate croissants? But read for yourself:

"I really enjoyed the weekend and paddling, and I don't regret buying a boat for a single second. And the enthusiasm that you and Moni show for it just sweeps away all doubts and worries. This is really great! Also the campfire and cheese fondue were great! Untrained as I was, I reached my physical limits during the luggage march :). All the happier and prouder I am to have managed this nevertheless - and next time I will certainly pack more "reasonably" or expedition-suited and leave chocolate croissants at home ;).

So thank you very much for your patience, peace and of course your support. Even if your photos were great, Iceland is probably one too many for me :). But I'd really like a course in Soca or Tyrol :). Let's see what the next year will bring. I will keep myself up to date in any case!"

Marie from Switzerland

Testimonial, Marie Testimonial, Marie

Marie has often been on dry paths before she decided to dive into the Packrafting adventure with us. With the aim of participating in an Iceland expedition she roamed the Hunsrück with us in spring, then rode the waves of Tyrol to finally join us on the lava rock in July. Shortly before Christmas this picture of her with ice on her helmet came from the Vorderrhein together with a nice feedback we would like to share here.

On the picture below you can see Marie at the Tyrol-Training.

"Hi Sebastian! Yesterday the great calendar and the christmas card arrived! Thank you very much for that and best regards from Switzerland. I have moved here in the meantime and was actually during the weekend at -9 degrees riding the Rhein near Versam, something that I would never have dared to do without LWA. So thank you very much for everything I could learn from you in this area this year. I have heard that the Bayern training is unfortunately already full... Too bad. But if there's something very crazy in the pipeline again, then I'd love to be there again."

Christophe from Switzerland, Whitewater Packrafting Training Soca3-2018

 
Testimonial, Christophe

Christophe had already tried Packrafting in calm waters in Switzerland before joining us in the whitewater waves of Soca in 2018. Shortly after he has climbed out of the waters of the cemetery run his eyes have shone so brightly that we asked how it was. The result is this short sequence. He speaks in Swiss German and what he says translates to: "Cemetry-Run: This was just awesome, just amazing, this is a dream, just do it, just come here."

He also left us this e-mail after the course:

"Many thanks again for these great, extraordinary and unforgettable 5 days I was able to experience with you, Andi and the whole LWA team. I have thought on the whole way back about the countless small and big actions in and out of the water with huge joy and look forward to the next expedition in the coming April."

Tim from Munich, Packrafting Expedition Norway 2017

Tim came with previous outdoor, mountain and whitewater experience and started with us directly with the expedition training Sylan in Norway and Sweden. After this expedition he sent us following feedback via email:

"A thank you to you for this intense and perfect trip week! Everything worked out just perfectly: From the group setting, the route and stage planning to the weather. Of course you don’t have an affect on everything, but you made things right. I felt well cared and the mixture of challenge, nature feeling and the possibility to learn was just right for me."

Konrad from Kaiserslautern, part of our piloting Tyrol trip 2017

Konrad became familiar with us in the turquois waves of the Soča and was directly infected by the packrafting virus. After he then went with us for the first time to Tyrol, he sent us following feedback via email:

"For me personally, it was again a wonderful experience, which gave me a lot of strength and self-confidence and I am drawing from this for a long time. Especially your way, of bringing people together and creating a positive atmosphere, impresses me. I like being on the tour with you, and without any bad conscience, I can highly recommend your trips and trainings to everyone."

Frank from Hamburg, joining us in the Hunsrück, Norway, Tyrol and Iceland

Frank is a privat expeditioner doing autonomous tours to Russia and elsewhere. Since 2015, he has started his personal outdoor seasons with our packrafting training in the Hunsrück. He traveled with us to Norway, Tyrol and was part of the first Iceland Expedition in 2017. He wrote us a feedback about why he continuously travels with us:

"I am having fun traveling with you and being part of a few of your expeditions. Sure, the expeditions, challenges and adventures are the main reasons I do this. But, I am doing this with you, because you are the way you are. And I like this. Prior to the trips, I did not know anyone of the participants. (…) but you have a knack for finding the right participants and guiding them. Just in the perfect dimensions. This is why I will travel with you as much as it is possible. :-) "

Anika and Till from Dresden, Packrafting Training Hunsrück in Spring 2017

Anika and Till made their way from Dresden to us at the beginning of 2017, to start the season in the Hunsrück. After their first multiday packrafting trip and maiden journey of their new boats, they both described their impressions to us in an email. Just to jump into the waves of Soca a half a year later.

"During the Hunsrück trip we had a lot of fun, learned a lot and were able to pick up so many impressions and inspiration. Looking back it really feels longer than four days. It was great to meet you. You two were very sympathetically guides with whom we felt save at any time. The course was perfectly organized and we could really see that you put great passion in details."

In the meantime, Anika and Till have hit it off with their rafts on own adventures, of which they have written in our Blog: www.land-water-blog.de/fruehling-ardeche/

Berit from Geneva, Packrafting Training Hunsrück in Spring 2017

Berit prepared herself by participating in the Hunsrück Training for the Expedition Norway and wrote her feedback after her first four days in a packraft.

"By flipping through the pictures, I again have the chilled Hunsrück-Feeling. Thanks again for this amazing Hunsrück trip. We really had some nice relaxing days with the great team (…) Organization and preparation were over the top and we had a feeling about how intense you care for each participant."

Janine, Day Training Packrafting in Spring 2017

Janine got involved with the adventure of water sports for the first time with us and sent us this enthusiastic feedback by e-mail after her Nahe-Training (Link in German):

"The day with you was really great, I felt so good with you. The location chosen by you is absolutely enchanting. Was for sure not my last visit on this camping site. But also our group, as different as the participants were, was really great. Greet Susanne again very cordially from me. Everything, all the best for you, your family and your company, so that you can still make many people as happy as me with your work :-)"

Moni from the Lower Rhine, Participant of our whitewater Packrafting Training on river Soca 2016

Moni discovered us about three weeks before going on vacation. After her first whitewater training in the Soca valley, she wrote the following review on our facebook page:

"Thank you to you Sebastian and Andi! My expectations where high… but you exceeded them all! The combination of action, fun, nature, nonsense, adventure, and the total relaxing atmosphere, were just great. Thanks for showing us so many unbelievable and stunning places. I will miss this crazy gang. Can’t wait to next years trip! See you!"

Thomas from Vienna, participant of the Iceland Expedition in 2017

Thomas is searching together with Land Water Adventures since 2014 his own personal adventures:

"Two years after my trip to the Sylan Mountains I again was one week on tour with LWA – an individual trip in the southern part of Iceland. I don’t want to deal with the description of this country, to be any way near in describing these unforgettable and fascinating impressions you must be a writer or poet. I am neither, just a 60 year old, reasonably fit, townsman who learned to trust in Sebastian from LWA: If Sebastian offers me a hiking/rafting trip to the Icelandic highlands, he will be sure that I can make it, and that is all I need to know. This trust paid off. I experienced the capability of a man, having an experienced guide, precise preparation and a bit of flexibility on-site. In every single way a challenging but fulfilling week, in which I partly was happy doing nothing but following Sebastian’s wide back. In the last two years LWA became an even more professional provider of adventure trips. I highly recommend anyone to take the chance and explore your own limits."

A Participant of our piloting Tyrol trip 2017

After three days of sun, rain and a lot of whitewater in Tyrol, we received this feedback via email:

"Everything was just perfect – even things that didn’t run smoothly, if looking from the distance. The rain gathered us under the LWA pavilion and brought us, after a short trip to the riverside kiosk and the old lady, all together at the extremely cozy black master of the sky’s, with culinary delicacies, top service and table neighbors, who even filmed us on the water – how much better can it get?! He brought us water to the rivers on which we could extensively dive into the waves. And the right conditions to ride on the upper Isar. We experienced that summer is not always the same and ravioli can be a culinary delight for breakfast. Sebastian and Susanne not only taught us a lot und rescued some of us out of the waves after going overboard – ok one sandal drowned – no, Sebastian gave us the priceless guarantee of stage fright combined with detailed information (I am talking about an 1,5m dive into a rock gorge!!!) and Susanne provided us with incredible pictures and by the way showed us how whitewater paddling can look, well, maybe some day. You saw the relief and pride, of successfully meeting challenges and not flipping over, in the eyes of every one grinning proudly after mastering torrents. Above all, we talked, listened, did nonsense and laughed even more. I am now richer of memories and got to know wonderful people. Thank you very much!"

Victoria from Berlin, participant Packrafting Hunsrück 2014

Victoria was traveling with us in a packraft for the first time ever on an autonomous multiday tour. After the tour she wrote the following review on Facebook.

"During these four days I have surpassed myself and in my mind I am still trying to arrange all these little adventure puzzle pieces.

Again a huge ‘Thank You’ to the guides [...] – I felt safe at all times and the tour has benefited immensely from your charm and serenity that you radiate. [...] I recommend this trip to anyone, having a pulse for the nature and action. Cheers, Victoria"