One of the most enjoyable aspects of whitewater paddling for me is that of teamwork. Working with others to overcome challenging, often unknown and sometimes potentially dangerous situations creates an incredibly rewarding and powerful experience. When things go wrong on rivers the outcome is often determined by the team that you have around you. Thus, make sure you have a great team around you! And, if you don’t already have one, then build your own team!
The best way to achieve this is to find like-minded paddlers, with similar goals, who are keen to consciously and deliberately train and paddle together and support each other. Not just to train around technical paddling skills but also on safety and rescue skills, river communication, group management, gear knowledge and trip planning skills, etc.
This all takes time but it is worth it. Some rivers have taken me six years to complete them because I have had to consciously find and build the right team for that environment.