Quick Details
Trip Information
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Canyon Whitewater: Stunning scenery and fun rapids seem endless on this intermediate rafting trip in Grande Cache, Alberta. Great for families (ages 8+) and groups, highlights include paddling under the spectacular cliffs of the Sulphur Gates and hilarious water fights with super-soakers! All equipment is provided.
Read more about the Trip Experience below. Check our FAQs below, or see the Is Rafting Safe? and Rafting with Kids pages for more information.
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Full payment is required to book all trips.
ALL REFUNDS are less a 10% administration fee.
Cancellation Deadlines:
CANCELLATION DEADLINES
Less than 12 people – 3 days
More than 12 people – 7 daysWhen you book, we email you a link to our Waiver Agreement (read here). Each person in your group, even kids, needs to sign a waiver before you arrive.
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WHAT TO BRING
- Closed shoes that can get wet: water shoes, sports sandals or old runners
- Swimsuit or lightweight underclothes for under the wetsuit
- Towel and dry shoes for after
- Sunglasses, a tie-on for prescription glasses
- Extra medication, EpiPen for deadly allergies
WHAT’S INCLUDED
- Neoprene wet suits & socks
- Wind-resistant jackets
- High-performance water helmets
- US Coast Guard approved Type V lifejackets
- Available on cold days:
- Wind-resistant splash pants
- Neoprene mitts
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MEET US AT: 11113 97 Avenue, Grande Cache, AB T0E 0Y0
There is street parking across the street from our Rafting House.
Large vehicles or trailers can be accommodated.
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How safe is rafting?
- Rafting is statistically less dangerous than recreational bicycling or skiing.
- We’ve rafted without serious incident since 1998 and we have an extensive Risk Management program.
- Check out our ‘Is Rafting Safe?’ page for more information.
Do I need to know how to swim?
- Many of our guests can’t swim and some are afraid of water.
- Kids under 13 sit in the middle where it’s safer.
- We teach everyone what to do if they fall out of the raft.
- Our lifejackets are designed to keep you safe, even in rapids.
Do you have a wetsuit big or small enough?
- Most likely. We have a wide selection of sizes.
- Adult wetsuits and jackets goes as large as 4XL (350 lbs).
- Kids suits & jackets start at children’s size 6.
- Whitewater PFDs (lifejackets) are rated by weight.
- For the Revelstoke Rapids and Canyon Whitewater, kids have to weigh about 50 pounds.
What if it rains or we get cold?
- In some ways, rafting is the BEST outdoor activity to do when it is raining because you’re dressed to get wet!
- Whitewater trips go rain or shine, but we add more layers when it’s raining and cold.
- In cases of hard, sustained rain, we cancel and refund our Columbia Float and River Pirates trips. No other trips are cancelled because of rain (or snow!)
The Experience
Imagine you’re in the mountains, just west of nowhere, standing at the edge of a canyon. The fresh air is alive with the scent of wildflowers, and nature is buzzing and humming all around. You’re on a winding path, walking down to a river. You’ve been well prepared, but this just got real. You’re going white water rafting!
After a few minutes of jostling and giggling, everyone’s on board and you’re sweeping downstream. You can almost hear your heart beating over the rushing water. The views and the rapids are becoming more intense, but it’s a playful river and it eases you in. It feels almost intimate, like nature has invited you to a private viewing.
Sometimes you’re so close to the cliffs you can reach out and touch them. Plants and trees grow impossibly out of crevices in sheer rock walls. Light and colour and water change around every corner. It’s a constant unveiling of incredible beauty you can only see from the water! And there’s this wonderful feeling — you’re immersed in a total sensory experience in an ancient, pristine canyon.
You and your group, you feel a part of this wild place, a part of this river family. You’re all on a journey together — and it’s one that almost anyone can go on. The guides call out commands, and everyone paddles, rests, and paddles again. The gorgeous scenery seems endless, and when the two rivers join at the Sulphur Gates, it’s almost surreal. Most people only see that view from the top, and it’s impressive, but from the river… it blows your mind. You look up and think, “Wow, nature did this.” It’s humbling.
The Smoky River is wide, peaceful and timeless. You put your paddle down, relax and just watch the world float by, until someone (or maybe it’s you) mentions a water fight, and suddenly it’s a whole new adventure! You are shooting water at each other like little kids, folded over laughing, splashing paddles and pumping water guns. The antics slowly subside, the trip winds down as the take-out spot comes into view, and you think to yourself, “Isn’t life grand?”