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We have put together a structured Hierarchy of the people going on the trip.  The purpose of the Hierarchy was to give a structure to any trips we run over there, and to optimize our capabilities on the water.  The Hierarchy is not based solely on kayaking ability but also on experience.  We have split the team up into 5 tiers, Trip Leaders, Sweepers, Rescue and two buddy groups.  We have decided upon responsibility for each of these tiers. 

The tiers are split up as follows; in alphabetic order:

This list is merely a starting structure for the trip.  As people’s ability improves over the fortnight the hierarchy may be reviewed.  The idea of the hierarchy is to give an authority structure on the water (not off the water!!).  The trips we run in the Alpes will be more organised and defined than our usual Saturday trips.  As leaders, we bear a responsibility for the trip as a whole and therefore I’m afraid that on the water what we decide will go.  (I hope that people will not be offended by this outlook but will realise the occasional necessity for dictatorship in the name of safety) 

Group trips will generally be run in the morning on more accessible rivers.  These trips will be open to everybody in the group and will be on grade2/3.  All group trips will have a maximum capacity of 10 paddlers, but preferably 8 paddlers -  i.e. two groups of 8 to 10 on large days.  In each group there must be at least 1 “trip leader”, 1 “sweeper”, 1 or 2 “rescue” and a roughly balanced number of buddy 1 and buddy 2 paddlers, who will be paired off in a buddy system similar to that employed on other trips during the year.  

Normally, we will split into 3 to 5 groups to keep the numbers in each group to a minimum.

We cannot guarantee that the Junior Buddies Group paddlers will be able to paddle on every grade 2/3 trip we run. Last year, many people opted out for a day or two due to tiredness anyway, so we do not foresee any problems with people feeling they are not getting the most out of the holiday. Paddling everyday for two weeks is tough work.

In the afternoons, harder trips will be run on grade 4+ water.  It must be understood that these trips will not be open to everybody.  The group(s) shall be decided on a trip-to-trip basis, ultimately by us as leaders, depending on the suitability of the paddler to the river.  I hope that people realise that we respect you all as kayakers.  We plead that you will all respect any decisions made by us as leaders as they will be in the group’s interest, with safety as a priority.  These groups will be smaller in size with a maximum of 7 people per group and with a minimum of 4.  Most of these trips will be made up of majority of leaders and rescue.

On the water a senior paddler will lead from the front calling lines and scouting for danger.  People must realise that we are not as familiar with these rivers as we are with the ones in Ireland.  This adds another dimension to the trip and requires a need for extra caution.  A second senior paddler will be immersed in the group for rapid rescue access in case of an incident and the closers will sweep the group.  The importance of the sweeper cannot be over emphasised!!  The sweeper is probably the most important person in the chain on any trip.  His/her decisions must be respected and he/she must realise the responsibility they are adopting.  A lot of kayaking accidents derive from people being separated from the group, which is easily avoidable if a reliable and confident sweeper is employed.  Hail to the sweepers.