In mid-June Battersea Canoe Club escaped from London into the emerald valley of the Soča, for seven days of alpine water, sun and an excellent standard of après-paddle hospitality. With boats stacked, kit checked and our hired van full, we made the 20 hour drive to a comfortable challet near Bovec, a mountain valley town in Slovenia, and set about discovering why the Soča valley is a must for paddlers. We split into two travel groups, a drive-down crew and a fly-in team, with