George Hein

Early morning on Motta Naluns. The air is crisp and cool. George Hein slips into his cycling jacket and gazes out over a sea of fog nestled between the mountain flanks. The passionate biker takes in the rare and magical atmosphere, a sight he doesn’t get to see every day, even though he spends plenty of time up here. Then he sets off down the «Sentiago» trail. After nearly an hour of singletrack fun, he’s back at the rafting base in Scuol, planning whitewater trips for guests from all over the world.

Whether it's a mountain bike trail, a whitewater river, or an untouched powder slope – George loves playing with the elements. His passion for outdoor sports has taken him around the world. Eventually, he settled in Scuol, where he now runs «Engadin Adventure» organizing rafting tours on the Inn and operating a bike shop with a professional workshop, retail, and rentals. «In the Lower Engadin, I have found a wonderful corner of Switzerland where I could turn my hobbies into a year-round profession.» In winter, he also works for the Scuol-Ftan ski school.

Guests arrive at the rafting base. George welcomes them warmly and explains what’s in store: river rafting through the Giarsun Gorge, Switzerland’s best whitewater route, with one rapid after another. Each guest is assigned to a rafting guide, who outfits them with wetsuit, life vest, and helmet and gives a detailed briefing on everything they need to know for this adventure on one of the top 5 rafting routes in Europe.

George himself isn’t out on the Inn as much these days. «I definitely spend more time at my desk than in the raft», he says with a grin. But he still knows every rock and every rapid and enjoys it every time to hit the water with his paddle. «The passion is still there.»

He spent sixteen years travelling as a professional raft guide – not only on the Inn, but also on challenging rivers in Nepal, Mexico, Argentina and New Zealand. «It takes a lot of experience to be able to safely navigate the challenging Giarsun Gorge with guests. That's why good raft guides travel from river to river and continent to continent.» This is also the reason why George's team is so international. His guides come from England, Argentina, Nepal or don't even know anything like a home country.

In addition to the Giarsun Gorge (difficulty level 4+ out of 5), the Inn around Scuol offers two other rafting routes: the Scuol Gorge (difficulty level 3), the lower section of which is also ideal for leisurely family rafting (difficulty level 2). There’s also the stretch from the Pradella hydroelectric plant to Martina, a scenic alternative when water levels are high and the other routes become impassable. «Having different routes to choose from is unusual and a big plus for us», says George. «That’s one reason why the Lower Engadin is so popular with whitewater enthusiasts.»

George’s first trip on the Inn was in the summer of 1997 when he asked Fletsch, the longtime head of the rafting base in Scuol and an old friend from his days as a ski instructor, if he could work for him. Today, the two are not only close friends but also neighbors in their chosen home of Scuol.

George was captivated by whitewater rafting from the very start. «Rafting was something completely new to me, but it reminded me of freeriding on a snowboard, windsurfing and biking. Just like in the mountains or on a wave in the sea, you always have to find the perfect line in the river.» As a result, George went through all the river rafting training stages right up to becoming a triple leader.  

During this time, he travelled after the rivers and lived the dream of endless summer. «I really had enough of winter back then.» Before that, he had done it the other way round and spent years chasing the snow, working as a snow sports instructor in Switzerland and New Zealand, and later in Canada, Colorado and Japan, spending around 200 days a year in ski or snowboard boots. «At some point, my feet simply started to hurt.»

The rafting guests sit in the bus driven by George. In the back, two rafting boats are stacked on a trailer. «For safety reasons, we always travel in convoy on the river», explains the 58-year-old. «If only one boat can be occupied, an additional raft guide comes along in a kayak. The guests are always accompanied by two professionals who can help in case anything happens.»

The atmosphere is relaxed and upbeat, with people saying things like: «The most dangerous part of today is the bus ride – not the river.» George explains that a raft guide is not just a boat captain, but also an entertainer, coach and psychologist. «Being able to correctly assess and lead people is an important skill. Humor definitely helps.»

Suddenly the laughter stops. During the safety briefing, the faces look serious and attentive. The two raft guides explain to their group the do’s and don’ts, how to behave if you fall into the water and why you should never let go of the paddle handle: namely for the sake of your teeth

After a short paddle training session on land, the boats are carried to the water, the groups get in – and off they go. George wishes them lots of fun and takes souvenir photos. Two hours later and twelve kilometres further down, he picks them up again.

George has been a globetrotter since childhood: born in Switzerland, early years in the USA, back to Switzerland for school, first in Flims, then in Greifensee near Zurich. That’s where he discovered the element of water and became a windsurfer.

He went on to complete a commercial apprenticeship and tcbegan a typical business career, working in banks and industry. But after five years, he had had enough of office life. George missed the mountains and being close to nature. So he became a snowboard instructor, traveled extensively, and increasingly turned his hobbies into a livelihood.

The Lower Engadin reminds George, especially when the sheep are grazing, of the Canterbury region in New Zealand, where he lived on and off for years. «I appreciate the unspoiled nature, the majestic mountains, the variety of sports, and the great local community. Plus, I found the love of my life here.» Ironically, his partner also grew up on Lake Greifensee, on the other side of the lake from George's family home. However, the two first met in Scuol.

George is standing below the village of Ardez, at the point where the rafting trip through the Giarsun Gorge comes to an end. He’s focused on the final rapid, nicknamed «Flip-Flop», for good reason, since more than one raft has flipped here. And sure enough, one of the boats starts to tilt – but all goes well «The passage is no problem today», assures the rafting pro.

The guests look a little tired, but have a big grin on their faces: «That was pure action!» – «What a nature experience» – «Amazing, but now I'm a bit cold.» Time to head back to the rafting base, where drinks and a warm sauna are waiting.

Text: Franco Furger
Pictures: Dominik Täuber