We Are Still In This Together: 2021 COVID-19 Protocols
It is 2021 and COVID-19 is still a hot topic. Every day we all continue to keep our distance, wash our hands frequently and wear increasingly colourful face coverings. We have all done a tremendous job … and deserve to blow off some steam! We here at Wild Water Adventures cannot wait to welcome everyone back to the river. It has been a long winter and we are ready for some fun! Soon the crew will gather, the RiverBase scrubbed from top to bottom and the rafts prepped and pumped. Back by popular demand, this season will be the well-thought-out COVID-19 protocols established in 2020. If the last two years proved anything, it was how well everyone respected and adhered to provincial health guidelines. Each and every guest knew in advance what to expect upon arrival at the RiverBase and took their own responsibilities seriously. We are so proud of this effort. This season will be no different. The same well-entrenched protocols and measures, as outlined in 2020’s blog, remain in effect again for both guests and crew to follow. 2021 COVID-19 Protocols Please be sure to familiarize yourselves with Wild Water Adventures‘ COVID-19 protocols, before arriving at the RiverBase: Remain at home if a) feeling unwell or displaying symptoms of COVID-19; b) have been in contact with anyone else who is unwell or displaying symptoms of COVID-19, or c) have returned to Canada in the past 14 days. Guests will be screened before entering the RiverBase. Guests will be required to sign a declaration of health and release of liability waiver, as well as agree to contact tracing. Kindly provide your own face covering(s), and a small Ziploc bag, for when a 2-meter distance is not possible with other guests and crew. Face coverings must be worn by all when in the change rooms and travelling by bus between the RiverBase and the river (crew included). Face coverings will not be worn on the rafts due to river safety. While on the river, face coverings will be stored in your own Ziploc bag and kept in the pocket of your spray jacket. Please have your bathing suit on before arriving at the RiverBase to make changing into rafting gear more efficient. Personal clothing and items not needed on the river will be kept in your own vehicle. A cloth or plastic bag will be useful to keep such belongings organized. Car keys will be locked in a safe at the RiverBase. For added warmth and comfort while on the river, we recommend bringing a polar fleece sweater(s) and/or polypropylene layer(s) to wear on top of the wetsuit. Do NOT bring cotton sweatshirts (they are useless when wet and will only keep you cold). Post-trip snacks on half-day trips, regrettably, will not be available this year. Hot beverages, however, will be served after each trip, back at the RiverBase. Lunch for the Tradition will be served, as usual, after rafting is completed. Menu items and presentation may require adjustment depending on provincial health regulations. It is a good idea to bring your own water bottles and water supply. Wild Water Adventures will not be able to top up water bottles. Guests will handle and touch only the equipment provided directly to them, and not handle equipment provided to other guests. In other words, please keep your hands on your own gear! Pack along your own hand sanitizer to complement provisions at the RiverBase. Be prepared to regularly clean and sanitize your hands! Maintain a 2-meter (6-foot) physical distance at all times from guests who are not part of your cohort family or group. Credit and debit payment is preferred for souvenir items and trip photographs purchased at our gift shop. As always, bring along an adventurous spirit and a smile on your face! A guest not in compliance with any of these protocols, unfortunately, will not be able to raft. Wild Water Adventures’ Implemented Safety Measures: Monitor the health of the crew on a daily basis Enforce physical distancing Use of PPE where recommended Reduce the number of touchpoints and increase cleaning of remaining touchpoints Wild Water staff are trained on enhanced cleaning, disinfecting and sanitizing procedures Guests and staff alike must adhere to Wild Water Adventures‘ policies and procedures A full list of the company-specific COVID-19 measures will be posted at the Wild Water front desk. We Can Still Do This We hope life will be more familiar in 2022. For now, however, we continue to kindly ask for each guest’s cooperation to support our COVID-19 measures. Comments left on our TripAdvisor page over the last two seasons offer lovely insights into the effectiveness of everyone’s efforts. Please feel free to call (1-888-647-6444) or float us an email (info@wildwater.com) if there are any questions. We are so looking forward to seeing everyone on the river this summer. Author: Deborah Wade
We Are In This Together: COVID-19 Protocols For All Rafting Guests
THE 2020 RAFTING SEASON ‘KICKS’ OFF ON SATURDAY, JUNE 27TH! Thank you for your patience. We are so excited to welcome everyone back to the Kicking Horse River, for the best whitewater in the Rockies! In this time of COVID-19, the river truly is the place to be. With naturally wild landscapes and waterways, who wants to be indoors when there is so much fun to be had outdoors? At Wild Water Adventures, safety has always been the #1 priority. COVID-19 will not change that in the slightest. Our crew will be in full compliance with provincial health protocols and guidelines. Guests, as well, will kindly be required to adhere to these new protocols. We are, after all, in this together. Please be sure to familiarize yourselves with Wild Water Adventures‘ COVID-19 protocols, before arriving at the RiverBase: Remain at home if a) feeling unwell or displaying symptoms of COVID-19; b) have been in contact with anyone else who is unwell or displaying symptoms of COVID-19, or c) have returned to Canada in the past 14 days. Guests will be screened before entering the RiverBase. Guests will be required to sign a declaration of health and release of liability waiver, as well as agree to contact tracing. Kindly provide your own face covering(s), and small ziploc bag, for when a 2-meter distance is not possible with other guests and crew. Face coverings must be worn by all when in the change rooms and travelling by bus between the RiverBase and river (crew included). Face coverings will not be worn on the rafts due to river safety. While on the river, face coverings will be stored in your own ziploc bag and kept in the pocket of your spray jacket. Please have your bathing suit on before arriving at the RiverBase to make changing into rafting gear more efficient. Personal clothing and items not needed on the river will be kept in your own vehicle. A cloth or plastic bag will be useful to keep such belongings organized. Car keys will be locked in a safe at the RiverBase. For added warmth and comfort while on the river, we recommend bringing a polar fleece sweater(s) and/or polypropylene layer(s) to wear on top of the wetsuit. Do NOT bring cotton sweatshirts (they are useless when wet, and will only keep you cold). Post-trip snacks nor the BBQ lunch, regrettably, will not be available this year. Please fuel up before the trip (i.e. have a hearty breakfast or lunch first!). Hot beverages, however, will be served after the trip, back at the RiverBase. It is a good idea to bring your own water bottles and water supply. Wild Water Adventures will not be able to top up water bottles. Guests will handle and touch only the equipment provided directly to them, and not handle equipment provided to other guests. In other words, keep your hands on your own gear! Pack along your own hand sanitizer to complement provisions at the RiverBase. Be prepared to regularly clean and sanitize your hands! Maintain a 2-meter (6-foot) physical distance at all times from guests who are not part of your cohort family or group. Credit and debit payment is preferred for souvenir items and trip photographs purchased at our gift shoppe. As always, bring along an adventurous spirit and smile on your face! A guest not in compliance with any of these protocols, unfortunately, will not be able to raft. Wild Water Adventures’ Implemented Safety Measures: Monitor the health of the crew on a daily basis Enforce physical distancing Use of PPE where recommended Reduce the number of touchpoints and increase cleaning of remaining touchpoints Wild Water staff are trained on enhanced cleaning, disinfecting and sanitizing procedures Guests and staff alike must adhere to Wild Water Adventures‘ policies and procedures A full list of the company-specific COVID-19 measures will be posted at the Wild Water front desk. We Can Do This! As so many people say today, we are in this together. With everyone’s respect and cooperation, we will still be able to have a heck of a lot of fun on the Kicking Horse this summer! Please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions or queries at 1-888-647-6444 or info@wildwater.com. We look forward to seeing everyone, soon, on the river. Author: Deborah Wade
River Rafting In The Time of COVID-19
OPENING DAY: SATURDAY, JUNE 27TH! Whitewater rafting on the Kicking Horse River, near Banff National Park, might just be the best outdoor activity to enjoy in the coming months. Once everyone gets the green light to move about more freely in our COVID-19 world, the river will be the place to be. High on everyone’s minds are three critical questions: ‘Where do we go? What do we do? And, is rafting a good activity in the time of COVID-19?’. Question #1: Where Do We Go? Staying relatively close to home, and exploring further into our own provincial backyard, is the message from our health experts. Weeks and weeks of cooped up isolation mean that fun-seeking adventurers are wondering where they can go to play. The Canadian Rockies could not provide a better wilderness setting in which to kick back, relax and blow off some pent up COVID-19 steam. When permitted, hop in your car, truck or RV and road trip out to Banff, Jasper, Kootenay and Yoho National Parks. Long-lasting summer memories can still be made without travelling too far from home. Question #2: What Do We Do? The world may have changed in the past several months, along with how we interact with each other within that world. One aspect, however, that remains steadfast is the importance of spending time in nature and wilderness. River rafting has always offered a grand, naturally wild experience: a chance to deeply breathe in pine-scented air; gaze out at stupendous mountain scenery; and, vigorously shake off cascading water after ploughing through a thrilling set of waves and rapids. Recent articles in the L.A. Times and Men’s Journal reflect on this exact thought. Also worth noting is that the river is already running at a high level, and forecasted to remain so for the season. This summer will be the perfect time to experience the true ‘kick’ in the Kicking Horse River! Returning to the question of ‘what do we do?’, the answer is simple. Let’s go rafting! Question #3: Is Rafting A Wise Activity In The Time of COVID-19? In a word, yes. Public health officials encourage activities that involve being in wide-open spaces. ‘Outdoor rather than indoor’ is the motto when it comes to choosing what to do. For a summer adventure, river rafting could not be better suited to put a smile on a guest’s face while respecting public health advice. Wild Water Adventures adheres strictly to industry safety standards regarding how to raft a river. Provincial guidelines regarding COVID-19 will be met with the same high standard of care. Whether it be at the RiverBase, on our shuttle vehicles, or on the rafts themselves, government safety measures and protocols will be followed to the letter. Exceptions will not be made. Guests gather at the RiverBase, our main hub of activity, before and after the rafting trip. Fortunately, the naturally spacious setting ensures no one needs to feel crowded. Extensive measures will be implemented to uphold both distancing and sanitary requirements. Similar considerations will also come into play while transporting guests to, and from, the river. On the raft itself, guests are already spaced between the bow and stern (or, front and back). Each 16-foot raft holds 8 guests, with 4 in the front, and 4 in the back. The guide sits at the centre of the raft, rowing with the oars. Private raft options are available for intact travelling groups along with fully private departures available for large groups of up to 32 people. Whether on land, in a vehicle, or on a raft, face coverings will be worn, by both guests and crew, if the 2-metre distance cannot be maintained. Guests are required to provide their own face coverings. Rafting gear provided by Wild Water includes wetsuit, wetsuit booties and gloves, spray jacket, life jacket and helmet. Over the past 29 years, it has been our modus operandi to clean, dry and sterilize gear after every single use. With such well-established systems already in place, we are good to go for COVID-19 procedures. For additional warmth, guests are encouraged to pack along their own polar fleece sweater or polypropylene layer. You’ll have that much more fun when warm and happy on the river! WHEN CAN WE RAFT? Opening day on the river is SATURDAY, JUNE 27th! The entire crew at Wild Water Adventures wishes to reassure each and every guest that your health and safety remain our Number 1 priority. That is the way it has always been and will continue to be. Adjusting our current safety-conscious operations to incorporate COVID-19 health measures requires only minor tweaking. We are, essentially, ready to ‘rock and raft’. To chat about summer possibilities, simply give us a call at 1-888-647-6444. We do look forward to seeing everyone on the river. Remember to bring your bathing suit, towel and face coverings! Author: Deborah Wade