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Packrafting river Koritnica in Slovenia

Beautiful river in the Soca Valley near Bovec in the Triglav National Park.

By Packrafting.cat

November 28^th, 2024

See the main post with all the sections and information for Packrafting and other activities on the Soca River in Slovenia.

https://blog.packrafting.cat/soca-river-the-european-mecca-of-kayaking

Spanish version

See Packrafting río Koritnica

https://blog.packrafting.cat/packrafting-river-koritnica-in-slovenia

The Koritnica (pronounced [kɔˈɾiːtnitsa]; Italian:Coritenza[1]), is a tributary of the very short Soca River, only 16 kilometers long, which flows westward through the Log Koritnica Valley(Loška Koritnica in Slovenian) south of Mount Mangart and then turns south near Log pod Mangartom, flowing through the Kluže fortress in a 70-meter deep and 200-meter long (impassable) gorge, this section is known as Kluže Canyon(korita Kluže) and is worth a visit on foot. Further on in the navigable area, we will cross the Koritnica Canyon(korita Koritnice). It finally flows into the Soca River near Bovec, in the vicinity of the Liza campsite.

El valle del río Soča

The Isonzo/Soča river (Slovenian: Soča; Italian: Isonzo; Friulian: Lusinç) is a 140 km long river that flows through Western Slovenia and then flows into Northeastern Italy.

It is a characteristic alpine river, whose source is located at an altitude of 1,100 meters. The river rises in the Julian Alps, west of Mount Triglav (2864 m), the highest peak in Slovenia. After crossing this mountain, it flows south through the towns of Bovec, Kobarid, Tolmin, Nova Gorica (where the Solkan Bridge is located) and Gorizia, before finally flowing into the Adriatic Sea near the Italian town of Monfalcone. The Soča thus flows for 99 km in Slovenia and 41 km in Italy.

The Soča Valley (or Isonzo Valley) was the scene of one of the largest war operations of the First World War, between May 1915 and November 1917. This period saw the Twelve Battles of the Isonzo on the Italian Front, in which more than 300,000 Italian and Austro-Hungarian soldiers lost their lives.

The famous stretch for kayaking/packrafting is the stretch from the villages near Bovec (multi-sport base in the area) to Tolmin, the last stretch from Kobarid to Tolmin being a very nice stretch of calm water but with no remarkable rapids.

Sergi explain us a bit more...

Tramos

The sections of the Soca river are:

T0 Upper Soca: From Lepena (just after the beautiful gorge of Velika korita Soče) to the confluence of the river Soca and the river Koritnica where we had our accommodation (camping Liza).
T1 Confluence Koritnica - bridge Čezsoča (Prijon Center) - Slap Boka - Sprenica 1: Quiet stretch for everyone where you can relax and watch the scenery while being carried away by the river current.
T2 Srpenica 1 - Tronovo 1: 4 k Cl II to III (3+) a very entertaining section.
T3 Tronovo 1 to Tronovo 2 - Slalom section. Short slalom of approx. 1 km distance with class IV rapids.
T4 Gorge de la Soča. Cataract section. It is 2km of class IV+ with many potential hazards due to siphons. We did not do this section.
T5- Otona - Kobarid section. 3 km Cl III (3+) of beautiful route combining open mouth scenery with good and constant class III rapids.
T6- Kobarid - Tolmin: 14 km of calm water ride.

To these sections we have to add the section of the Koritnica river.

T1 Koritnica: One of the best sections of the Soca valley.

Here is the information about the Koritnica section.

Google Map

Here you can find a detail of all the highlights of the Soca River.

T1 Koritnica

The Koritnica is a tributary of the Soca where you will find a river style similar to the Soca but with more vegetation and a shallow water physiognomy. In case of low water levels in the area it is the first to dry up, and the canyons have a lot of overflows which can be dangerous at high water levels. During the route you will find two distinct canyon sections.

The level of isolation and having the road nearby but not visible is high.

Except for the last rapids and the area of the confluence with the Soca, it is not exactly a river suitable for playboating.

The approximate time for this route is 1h30m - 2h, which with the logistics, photos and others is a good plan for half a day.

This section starts at the car park before reaching the Kluze fort, from here we go down a marked path that takes us to the end of the Korita Kluže or Koritnica Gorges, a summer bathing area with a couple of footbridges that allow us to observe the crystal clear waters of the Koritnica River.

Both this section and the previous section of the Upper Soca are ideal for pure packraft, no two cars or logistics are required and if you have the time and desire it is highly recommended to leave the campsite with all the material in your backpack, follow the trails which in themselves are worth a visit, take the opportunity to do the scouting of the river and once you reach the starting point undo the path but this time along the water.

Be careful at the beginning of the river, there is no time to warm up, just 100 meters from the start the Koritnica gorge will be waiting for you, the most complicated section is a class III-IV depending on the water level. In my opinion, this canyon section is a bit easier than the Upper Soca gorge, but the fact that you encounter it so early increases the possibility of unexpected swims.

Once we have passed the first gorge up to km 3.6 we have an area of beautiful rapids but without any notable incident. At this point the Koritnica meets the bridge over which the road that takes us from the Liza campsite to the exit of the Upper Soca passes, and it is just after the bridge that we enter a gorge that is different from the other sections of the Soca valley. Here we are surprised by the thick vegetation, with stretches where we cannot see the sky, to the point of having a touch of jungle.

The “jungle” section

The final section of the Koritnica, the last 800 meters near the Liza campsite, is one of my favorite sections. Close to the campsite and with packraft, it is a section that can be repeated several times or used for training and practice.

Una vez el Koritnica se encuentra con el Soca en el km 5 aprox. aquí se puede practicar un poco de playboating, pegarse un baño refrescante, hacerse las fotos de grupo y desembarcar a tomar algo en al camping. ¡Planazo!

And as always the Wikiloc route of the Koritnica from Kluze to Vodenca.

There is a lot of information about the Koritnica on the Internet:

Eaux Vives Koritnica T1 from Kluze to Vodenca class II/III(IV).
The Koritnica river and Gorges.
Rivermap - Kluže - Soča confluence.
RiverApp and Whitewater Guide applications.

Of particular relevance and style, I found this post from the NRS packrafts blog:

Packrafting Amidst Golden Mountains and Turquoise Water

with this beautiful map of the Soca Valley:

About the water levels in the first week I was there, this was the gŕafica of the riverApp app.

The first day it was raining hard and that helped the water levels. On the other hand, 15 days later the levels were close to "low water". The entrance to the Gorga and the Gorga itself is very different depending on the water level, less water does not always mean easier but, in the case of canyoned sections like this one, high water levels do mean more potential dangers as the Gorga can form powerful drosholes. Be safe please!

Click on the map to see it in full.

https://www.ukriversguidebook.co.uk/site-media/socarivermap.pdf

Carlos Gang

The first team was sponsored by Packrafting Spain (Jamón Ibérico Sponsorship ™), the whole team with the tuticolori Aoraki Packraft:

The hiking trails through the river valleys are highly recommended. Personally, it was a good idea to visit the starting point of the Koritnica Gorges just after arriving, we got some very mystical photos.

Velika korita Soče (Great Soča Gorge)

You will pass through here on your way to the Upper Soca T0 car park. It is well worth a stop to visit and get to know this narrow (and forbidding) canyon of the Soca River.

A picture is worth a thousand words...

Someday I will have to explain this story in detail, but for now here is a quick recommendation: climb Mount Triglav, there are several routes, but I recommend the one I chose, a climb with sections of via ferrata, a strenuous and unique experience.

If, like us, you fly to Venice, you can make an express visit...

Packraft en el río Noguera Pallaresa

The river is a living environment, changing and subject to permanent development. The publishers of the river sketches and the creators of this website cannot be held liable in any case of inaccuracy, omission or error in the river sketches. The topos editors and website creators disclaim all liability in case of any accident that may occur on the rivers described in this guide.