Splash White Water Rafting – Staff

Splash has a dedicated team of staff that work across many different disciplines to make sure your adventure with Splash White Water Rafting is seamless, safe and full of excitement from start to finish. Below are some short staff bios of the wonderful team that makes the adventure dream happen. 

See you on the river soon.

Team Splash.

Donas

Originally from Brittany, France, Donas has been Head Guide with Splash Whitewater Rafting since 2014. After studying business for an undergraduate degree he came to Scotland in 2007 to work a season as an outdoor activity instructor and has not looked back since. Equally, at home on the river or in the mountains, he holds qualifications in rafting and kayaking, as well as mountain biking, hillwalking, climbing and abseiling. He has ten years’ experience leading outdoor activity trips and for him, the best thing about the job is being able to share his passion with so many different people. He is currently working towards his Mountain Instructor Award (MIA) and, when he has the opportunity, likes nothing better than exploring new canyons in the south of France or Spain.

Head Guide, Splash White Water Rafting

Chris

so….
I started working at splash in 2003 as a driver and trailer jockey to supplement my own business as a freelance Graphic Designer(http://www.waingroove.co.uk/), I was soon embroiled in the life of splash and its team of merry hell makers.

After 2 years of driving and sampling all the activities on offer, I was able to start supporting and even leading on a few of the activities, white water training and dealing with the general public, having a lot of fun rafting and playing in rivers with friends:)

River Bug Guiding, Canyon Leading, Raft Guiding, Bus Driving and Client Wrangling have become my life at splash….I love the work, the people and the time I spend in the outdoors sharing my interests with whoever will listen to my verbal diarrhoea.

My job/jobs are always evolving at Splash as with the business and I have enjoyed the constant challenges and achievements throughout.

I look forward to seeing you at Splash, on the River, in the Canyon or where ever there might be some adventure to be had.

Chris ‘Slasher’ Waingroove

Bonnie

“Born and raised in Central Scotland, Bonnie has worked as a freelance raft guide since 2011 and joined the Splash team full time in 2017.  Prior to commencing her rafting career, Bonnie obtained her HND in Sports Coaching and Development in Outdoor Education at North Glasgow College before venturing to the University of Cumbria for an additional year to achieve her BA (Hons) in Outdoor Education.

When she isn’t guiding in Scotland, Bonnie leads expeditions to developing countries such as Ecuador, Borneo and Tanzania for Camps International. Bonnie is also a committee member of the Scottish Rafting Association (SRA), who support and deliver good practice in commercial rafting for Scotland.  An avid canyoneer both professionally and personally, she is planning to further her qualifications in this sport later this year, when she’ll be attending the first ever ICOpro tech course in the UK.”

Bonnie

Alice

Remember the day well 1 December 2007 I travelled to Splash in Aberfeldy from Aviemore for my first day at Splash as their book-keeper. There I meet Office Kev and the old raft guide the Rodfather who was “busy” kitting out an office oh and the boss for a wee while he found lots of paperwork!

I had arrived in Aviemore in 1992 escaping the “south” and I have been stuck ever since. I graduated from Uni with a first class degree in Engineering went on to do a PhD as I didn’t know what to do next and didn’t like working for large companies. It also meant that I could carry on playing volleyball, basketball and squash for free and all over the UK. When I arrived up “north” I ended up as a restaurant manager which I loved but needed to use my brain a wee bit more and discovered book-keeping for small business and as I love maths and problem solving decided that was the path that I wanted to take.

Took up mountain biking (I was a road biker before) and skiing and bought a house and after working for a couple of small business was offered the job at Splash. I also decided that the Rodfather should come and live with me in Aviemore. So many years later I work from home with the company of a German Shepherd and a crazy crazy cat that share my office with me along with the music of now Riverman Rod.

So what do I do at Splash well it isn’t all book-keeping. I got up and running our booking system and keep it up to date, sorted out the guides invoicing method as a scrap of paper with “Biscuit £50” is not really an invoice and got systems in place so that I can work from home (definitely warmer than the Splash office) and the boss can work from home (then I don’t have to see him very often but he does call me every now and again) and we still know who to pay and when all organised from the staff at HQ. Our postie deliveries me paperwork and I can escape for a ski or mountain bike when the weather permits and VAT returns and wages aren’t urgent.

Pay Master, Splash White Water Rafting

Robb

Robb has worked as a London tour guide, archery, fencing and martial arts instructor as well as a canyon and white water raft guide. He has travelled extensively including backpacking around South America.

Robb is an award winning film maker and our resident digital man – he resides deep in his bat cave surrounded by technology. He is the author of the book ‘Smartphone Media Production’. https://www.smartphonemediaproduction.com . Robb is passionate about travel, cultural exchange, martial arts, spirituality, photography and film making.

Digital Man, Splash White Water Rafting

Pete

World wandering nomad having annoyed the residents of over 100 countries. Started the adventure journey way back in the late 70’s when he started wandering across the Scottish mountains as a kid. The army provided a decade and a half of adventure and development before taking a 6-year journey as a corporate suit to learn about the World of business. Being a slow learner this should have only been a couple of years but Pete got lost. He eventually found the route back to full-time adventure in 2003 when the opportunity to take over Splash Rafting came along.

Since then the Splash Team has expanded not just in Scotland but around the World with operations in Spain , Morocco and Pete’s current passion www.1000milejourneys.com where he gets folk as crazy as him to take on extreme challenges to cross deserts, countries and rather large mountain ranges.

Owner, Splash White Water Rafting