Advice from Ant Stott himself - from Do It Now

Tripping the river will definitely boost your confidence before the race. You will get a good feel for the rapids as well as a chance to familiarize yourself with the course.

If the river is full..
A full river is fast and exciting. You need to concentrate and keep sharp because the rapids just keep on coming. If you take a swim the rocks are normally deep under the water so there is not too much danger in bashing your legs.

If the river is low…
The best part about a low river is how clean the water gets. You can see every rock and the bottom of all the pools. The top section gets quite technical so a bit of tripping stands you in good stead. From hatcheries down the water forms deeper channels making it a lot easier to pick your way through the rapids.

Day One is most definitely my favourite section of river in the entire world! The le mans start always gets the adrenalin flowing a bit more than a normal start does. The gradient of the top section and speed of the water keeps you on your toes while you quickly pick your way through each rapid. It's nice and short which leaves you lots of energy to enjoy the afternoon in the berg however you please.

The Valley of a Thousands rapids
If you love rapids and I'm sure you do otherwise how did you end up at the Drak? then this section of river is probably the most fun you'll ever have in a canoe. Non-stop action from the start almost all the way through to trout hatcheries. Every paddler owes it to themselves to come here at least once in their life time.

Black Murray rapid
This became notorious in the raging waters of first Drak Challenge in 1994. In a near flooding river it's probably best to head for the right hand bank and portage. For the brave it's worth attempting on the left, there are 2 massive holes to punch through, but after all, it's only water! The river has only been at that high level on race day once in 16yrs so is a bit unlikely. At a nice medium or lowish level it is best to enter in the center of the river and bob down the slot that angles 45deg to the left. As you are about to hit the left hand bank turn right and straighten out, picking your way through the next few rocks. The bottom drop is harmless and very straightforward so just bomb down the middle.

Black Murray can be a lot of fun so don't be scared by what others say. If you have made it this far down the river you are more than capable of easily making it through this rapid!

Although slightly longer, Day Two it is well worth the extra effort in return for being able to paddle through 2 gorges in one day! The long flat pools give you the chance to either make up some time or to slow down a bit for a chat with mates.

The Mineshaft / Scotstons weir
Thanks to the organizers there are always 2 hanging poles to line you up for this thrilling ride. The narrowness and speed you build up while flying down this chute make it extremely worthwhile.

The Underberg Gorge
At the age of 14 these were my first 'proper' rapids that I ever got to experience. The rapids here seem slightly bigger than the top section with less rocks and a bigger volume of water. When you get to the bottom of this gorge all you want to do is go back up to do it again!

Glenhaven
This rapid is always a nice little challenge. It has changed after the landowner filled in the traditional right hand channel, and it has been replaced with a straight slot starting in the centre heading left. Use the golden canoeing maxim…if in doubt, check it out. Recce it properly as there is a strong chance that some of the rocks will have moved in big water. If you feeling confident then definitely give it a go! But if you feeling slightly shaky after the Underberg gorge then there is an easy portage on the right hand bank.

The Lower Gorge
There is not too much here to unsettle you, it is more the fact that you are slightly fatigued from a long day that tends to make this section a bit tricky. It is as if this last gorge was put there as a final memory for the race to remind you how much fun you have just had and to make sure that you come back the following year!

To think of how much you pay to enter some of the other races in return for very little there is no doubt that the Drak entry fee is a bargain. It is very hard to drive away from this race feeling disappointed, makes you wonder why they only hold this race once a year...