TOP 5 WHITEWATER RIVERS IN BC
Whitewater rafting in British Columbia is beyond compare. Those tiny water droplets tumbling down steep-sided mountains, turning into swirling, frothy frenzies entice adventurers of all ages.
RAFTING IN REVELSTOKE VS RAFTING THE KICKING HORSE RIVER
Can Revelstoke white water rafting or Kicking Horse River white water rafting satisfy your craving for adventure? River rafting in the Canadian Rockies and British Columbia offers a huge variety of options.
Welcome To The 2021 Rafting Season!
Welcome back to the river! The 2021 whitewater rafting season kicked off in grand style last month. The Wild Water crew was so happy to be back on the Kicking Horse River and moving about the RiverBase. Although the season started later than usual, we now are up and running and having loads of fun with our guests. 2021 Heat Dome After only four weeks into the season, the biggest challenge by far has been water levels. The heat dome of 2021 melted alpine snow in record quantities, feeding the river till it almost burst its banks. Locals in the area say they’d never seen the rivers so high. Some trips did require us to change which section of river we ran because the BIG whitewater of the Kicking Horse River was simply too big! Water levels have come down and we are rafting the usual sections of the river once again. We greatly appreciate the understanding and flexibility shown by our guests while Mother Nature threw us some curveballs. Highway Construction Just west of the RiverBase, on the TransCanada Highway, a mammoth construction project is underway. While there were daytime closures of the TransCanada Highway earlier in the year, only night-time closures are in effect during July, August, and the first half of September. There is no need for guests to detour through Kootenay National Park and Radium on Highways 93 and 95 in order to reach the RiverBase. Please continue to follow GoogleMap’s step-by-step instructions. Nightly closures of the highway between the RiverBase and the town of Golden take place between 10:00 pm and 7:00 am, Sunday night through Friday morning. Please refer to the Kicking Horse Canyon construction website for further details. COVID-19 Wild Water Adventures continues to adhere to its extensive COVID-19 protocols established last year. Guests are kindly reminded to bring their own face covering to wear while at the RiverBase and on our shuttle buses. Face coverings, however, will not be worn while rafting. Please also bring along a small Ziploc bag for dry storage of your face covering while on the river. Trip Cancellation Insurance Wild Water Adventures has partnered with Tugo Travel Insurance. If interested in purchasing trip cancellation insurance, simply click here for further details. COMING SOON! Later this month, Wild Water Adventures will be announcing a new adventure package in partnership with Golden Skybridge. Guests can raft either the Gentle or Whitewater Exciter and receive entrance tickets to Golden’s newest attraction. Stayed tuned! Please simply call us at 1-888-647-6444 if there are any questions. The office is open daily from 8 AM through 8 PM. The 2021 crew is looking forward to seeing everyone soon on the river. Author: Deborah Wade
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
Early Booking Bonus For 2021 Season!
Happy Holidays from Wild Water Adventures! ‘Tis the season to be jolly, and to be planning activities for next summer. For a limited time only, guests can book their 2021 Kicking Horse rafting trips and save 20%. Make your reservation, before January 4th, either via our website or by calling us directly at 1-888-647-6444. Simply use the code HolidayBonus2020. Early Booking Bonus The holiday bonus applies to rafting fares on our Whitewater Exciter, Tradition, Gentle and Maximum Horsepower trips. The bonus does not extend to the optional BBQ lunch on morning half-day trips, nor to packaged options such as Up The Mountain Down The River. Other Good News Book Now, Pay Later The beauty of booking now (and saving 20%) is that payment is collected only seven (yes, 7!) days before your rafting trip. Plan your summer activities now, and pay later. How great is that? No Charge To Change A Reservation Flexibility is the name of the game. If your reservation needs to change (the date, for example), there is no charge. As long as there is space available and we are given more than 48 hours notice from the original trip date (or, one week’s notice for groups of 8 or more), then there is no charge. Enjoy The Outdoors With Your Cohorts In this time of COVID-19, outdoors with your cohorts is definitely the place to be. Our BYOB program (Buy Your Own Boatload) is perfect for guests who wish to have their own raft on a regularly scheduled departure. Minimum 4 guests required per raft; maximum 8. Dependent on favourable water levels. Different Water Levels Make For A Different Experience 2020 saw us ‘kick’ off our rafting season later than usual. Because of this, guests enjoyed waves and rapids at medium water levels; the high-water levels of May and June were missed entirely. For a truly BIG whitewater experience next summer, nothing is finer than rafting early in the season. Make Your 2021 Rafting Reservation Now! Make your reservation now, and save 20%, by calling us directly or visiting our website. Remember to book before January 4th! The Wild Water Crew Wishes Everyone A Safe and Healthy Holiday Season! See You On The River Next Year Author: Deborah Wade
Best Canada Whitewater Rafting – The Maximum Horsepower Trip
Looking for the biggest and best Calgary rafting adventure with the most whitewater action to be found in the Rockies? Look no further than Wild Water Adventure’s Maximum Horsepower rafting trip on the Kicking Horse River. The MHP, as we like to call this particular trip, definitely lives up to its name. It is not one, but TWO runs down THE best section of whitewater the Kicking Horse River has to offer. Rafters experience 24 exhilarating rapids and cover a total of 24 kilometres of river distance (the longest possible whitewater trip near Banff National Park!) But the adrenaline rush does not stop there. To make this double whitewater trip even more exhilarating, rafters power downstream in two different styles of rafts. The first run, in our ever-popular 16-foot oar-rigged rafts, gives everyone a chance to warm up and get familiar with the river. For the second run, we completely change it up and launch everyone in smaller 14-foot all-paddle rafts with the guide being just another paddler. Believe you me, those two feet make a world of difference! Smaller rafts accentuate everything: the bounces, the smashes, and the hits! It may be the second run on the same section of river, but it will be a completely different experience. Not only that, but everyone (and, I mean everyone) will have a paddle in their hands. 100% participation is required from each and every rafter. There is nothing finer than digging in and paddling hard when your guide hollers out commands. WHO CAN RAFT THE MHP? The MHP is twice the whitewater action of our single-run Whitewater Exciter, and paddling is mandatory on the second run. Because of this, every rafter must be at least 16 years old AND weigh at least 100 pounds. Muscle power, stamina, and enthusiasm for double-action whitewater are key characteristics. WHEN IS THE MHP OFFERED? Smaller boats require the Kicking Horse River to be running at a certain water level. We want to have fun, but more importantly, we want to be safe. If the water level is too high, the smaller boats are not appropriate. The 2022 MHP season kicks off July 20th, pending favourable river levels, and runs through to August 27th. Two weekly departures are offered on Wednesday and Saturday afternoons. Generally by the end of July and into August, the river is at the perfect level for the MHP. WHAT IS PROVIDED FOR RAFTERS? As with all Kicking Horse rafting trips, guests are asked to bring a towel, their own bathing suit/swimming shorts and a heavy polar fleece/polypropelene sweater (for added warmth on the river). In these times of COVID-19, guests are also asked to bring a face covering and ziploc bag (for dry storage of your face covering while on the river). Wild Water provides guests with clean, dry and sanitized wetsuits, wetsuit booties, spray jackets, life jackets, and helmets. Even wetsuit gloves are available (a piece of gear that I personally don’t raft the Kicking Horse River without!). Once back at the RiverBase after the second run, and in dry clothes once again, hot beverages are served and trip photographs displayed. To Find Out More About The MHP, Or Any Of Our Kicking Horse Rafting Adventures, Simply Give Us a Call at 1-888-647-6444. See You On The River! Rafting The Kicking Horse Since 1992 Author: Deborah Wade
The 2020 Season Has Begun!
The 2020 Kicking Horse rafting season has ‘kicked’ off! The Wild Water crew is so happy to be back on the river welcoming guests from British Columbia and Alberta, as well as other Canadian provinces. This year marks Wild Water Adventure’s 29th year of operations. We could not be more proud of all that has been achieved over the past three decades. Protocols for safety and hygiene are so well entrenched that even COVID-19 could not stop us! Our 2020 rafting roster continues to offer daily departures on the half-day Gentle and Whitewater Exciter trips, as well as the full-length Tradition. Later in July, the double-shot Maximum Horsepower will be offered on Saturday and Wednesday afternoons. River levels to date have been, in a word, exceptional. Between the massive quantities of snow melting in the alpine and the heavy rains of spring, gung-ho rafters can take their pick of adjectives to describe river conditions. Cranking, pumping and blasting are all appropriately descriptive. For those thinking about rafting, now is definitely the time to be on the river! NEW FOR 2020: PRIVATE RAFTS Two more fine words available to rafters this year are ‘private rafts’. For those wishing to have only their family or friends on board, the Build Your Own Boatload program, or BYOB, is perfect. Guests can feel more at ease on the river with their own guide and raft while still being part of a larger flotilla. All it takes is 4 to 8 guests to have your own raft on a regularly-scheduled Gentle, Whitewater Exciter, Tradition or Maximum Horsepower departure. The 2020 Season So Far After only one week on the river, the 2020 rafting season is shaping up to be as fun-filled and exciting as ever. We invite one and all to come out to the river, share the laughter and have a lot of fun. There is no need to let COVID-19 keep you at home. Feel free to refer back to the previous post which outlines our company-specific COVID-19 protocols. For information on all our departures and the BYOB program, simply give us a call at 1-888-647-6444. The office is open daily from 8 AM to 8 PM. Here’s to a great summer of river rafting. We look forward to seeing everyone soon. Rafting the Kicking Horse Since 1992 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