European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 28, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Rafting is photos by j. King Cruger rafters Cool off during a summer run on  River right. The group enjoys a smooth stretch of the River below. Each Section of the River has its own season Bacon said. A. -. The arc Carmich one Day rafting trip costs $45. Garmisch also offers a two Day sea & ski program. The first Day features a raft ride on the inn with an overnight in Selden Austria on the second Day participants ski the Glacier above Selden. Arc Berchtesgaden also offers regularly scheduled rafting programs. Its one Day program costs $35 and its two Day program costs $55. The rafting trips Are on Austria s Szalach River. For More information Contact arc Garmisch outdoor recreation unit 2451, Apo a 09053, or. Phone German civilian 08821-750591 or Dan 440 2591. Or arc Berchtesgaden outdoor recreation unit 24401, Apo a 09029, or phone German civilian 08652-58764 or Dan 441-5764. While Austria and Switzerland Are Best known in Europe for White water rafting Slovenia is up and coming. The former yugoslav Republic boasts rafting operations on the upper Sava Krka and soca Rivers. The soca expeditions Are run out of the rustic ski resort of Bovey beneath the dramatic Julian Alps and in the midst of the Republic s finest scenery. Quite shallow in spots the soca was delightfully warm and fairly Well behaved when a group from Aviano a Italy ran it late last summer. However at the Start of last season it was a scream Stream As its frigid Waters raged according to River guides there. The rafting trips on the soca in the extreme Northwest of Slovenia take several hours and Cost about $25. For More information Telephone soca rafting at its Headquarters in the hotel Alp Rovech 38 65 86 040. The army at Vicenza Italy runs monthly rafting trips to either Garmisch in conjunction with arc or to Slovenia. Trips Are scheduled this summer to Garmisch on june 24-2.6, to Slovenia on july 22-24, to Garmisch on aug. 26-28, and again to Slovenia sometime in september according to Audrey Floyd an assistant at Vicenza s outdoor recreation division. The rafting trips Are very popular. We had great fun with them last summer and had no problem getting groups organized to take part in them Floyd said. For More information about rafting trips from Vicenza Contact 22nd area support group outdoor recreation at Apo a 09630, or phone italian civilian 39 0444 517094 or Dan 634-7094. Rafts get a final Check before the run. Photo tips Here Are some photo tips for raft trips try to get hold of an army surplus ammunition Case in which to store your camera equipment. It will keep your gear dry while you Are plunging through even the wettest stretches. Just in Case pack a Small Container of desiccant to absorb any Spray splash or rain. A Fine alternative to an ammunition Case is a rubber generate bag. J picked one up for a song in a surplus store in Canada some years ago and it kept my camera and lenses Bone dry on a we Klong rafting trip. The Only drawback to using the bag was that it was a bit difficult and time consuming getting the stuff in and out. Clear plastic bags can come in Handy As Protection against limited splash and Spray while the camera is around your neck but Don t absolutely rely on them unless you have camera insurance. Naturally for those who can afford the Cost and who plan on doing a lot of underwater or White water photography an underwater camera such As the Nikolos is the Way to go since it is designed to get wet. The easiest and potentially cheapest Way to get those Salt tag Shoals to buy one or two throwaway cameras such As Kodak s weekend 35 my camera. The camera costs about $10, has 24 exposures is weatherproof and it s Waterproof in up to 8 feet of water. Because of the motion of the raft and the fact that you la be much too Busy ensuring your own and the raft s survival your Best pictures will probably be taken from Shore try to make several runs in the Lead raft and then shoot the other rafts on their runs bring lots of film along and shoot it up because when you run out of film in the wilderness you stay out of film. J. Kin Cruger april 28, 1994 stripes Magazine 11