The Scenario is as Realistic as Possible: The Water Camp of the RGS has Completed its Work in Nizhny Novgorod Region

The water camp of the youth educational and tourist project of the RGS «Nature of Safety» has completed its work in Nizhny Novgorod Region. 15 activists of the RGS Youth Movement from 10 regions of Russia were trained in water tourism skills and its features on the Uzola River.

The project participants completed an extensive training program that combined theoretical classes and practical training. It started with a course on first aid, a necessary foundation for every water professional. The participants practiced algorithms for actions in various emergency situations, including stopping bleeding, conducting cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and transporting the injured. The classes were held in the format of realistic scenarios.

«The program was very intense: lectures on equipment, first aid practice, kayak assembly, and classes on the water. Our hands remembered how to twist and tighten, and our heads remembered how to act,» said Anna Gosteva, a participant in the project from Sverdlovsk Region.

Special attention was paid to water training. During the training sessions, the children mastered the rules of safe behavior on the water, the technique of controlling kayaks and rafts, the algorithms of crew interaction, practiced actions in case of a watercraft capsizing, and the evacuation of victims from water.

«I have gained very valuable skills in assembling watercraft and controlling them on water. There was a theoretical part related to the hydrology of rivers and lakes. The instructors explained everything in an accessible way and showed examples,» said Vladislav Chernov from the Krasnoyarsk Territory.

The acquired skills were consolidated during a three-day autonomous rafting trip along the Uzola River. The route took place in conditions of natural obstacles, which allowed the participants to put their knowledge into practice, improving the technique of controlling watercraft, as well as teamwork skills.

«On the very first day, we got into a strong stream and performed exercises right on the current. Of course, there was some capsizing, but it allowed us to immediately try everything in practice. We ran aground, got stuck on driftwood, but we overcame everything,» said Vadim Zhuravlev from Samara Region.

During the route, the project participants also got acquainted with the features of the river landscape, observed the processes of coastal erosion, and the effects of erosion. The final stage of the camp was a water distance competition with elements of rescue operations and overcoming obstacles.

«In active tourism and geographical research, the ability to feel comfortable and safe in the natural environment, in all its elements, is the basis for success. We hope that the project participants from different parts of Russia do not tuck this knowledge away, but will actively apply it in their profession, in science, pedagogy, and social activities,» said Pavel Shumov, an instructor at the Nizhny Novgorod Region Tourist Club.