Why Choose Us? Here’s 8 Great Reasons!
1. We have the best, and safest, guest equipment. Our river are very cold – just a few degrees above freezing! So, thermal protection is very important. We provide a full-length neoprene wetsuit and jacket. Why neoprene? It provides thermal protection when wet without weighing you down – like a fleece shirt does – a risk if you fall out. Now let’s talk about helmets: we provide helmets that meet the CE 1385 standard for whitewater safety. Lifejackets? We call them PFD’s (Personal Floatation Device), and on our whitewater trips we use Type V, rated for commercial rafting! Your helmet, wetsuit and PFD are critical pieces of equipment that protect you on the river. We make sure they’re the best.
2. Water guns!! It might be the funnest part of the trip: after the rapids, we pull out the super-soakers and everyone gets into the action! Here’s where the giggles break out and the magic really happens.
3. We use oar rigs to pilot our rafts. That means our guides have two large oars on a rowing rig at the back of the raft – this gives guides far more control over the raft than if they just have their own paddle. This extra degree of control means our guides don’t depend as much on everyone in the boat paddling – but YES! We still need you to paddle! Especially for groups with kids, it’s reassuring to know your guide has greater control of the boat.
4. We’re experts in our field. In 21 summers of full-time operation, we have safely conducted over 30,000 guests down 6 different rivers with up to class 4+ rapids. We also run overnight trips, and have done multiple-day expedition trips on remote, rarely explored rivers! Learning just one river is okay, but to really become a whitewater master, you need to run many rivers in many different conditions – and we have. Read more about our safety record.
5. We have high standards for guides and safety. Our training program trains and tests guides in 35 practical and 40 written industry-standard competencies. Plus, our insurance company (Gougeon Insurance) has a Risk Management program where their specialists conduct on-site visits to our operation; inspecting our equipment, policies and risk management plans (letter of reference). We’ve even been inspected by Marine Safety, the federal department that governs our industry! We passed with flying colours.
6. We have impressive qualifications: All our guides hold guide certificates from either BCROA or PROAOA. As well, they are certified in first aid, and trip leaders hold advanced Wilderness First Aid or First Responder certifications. The guides are also certified in Swiftwater Rescue, and one of our owners is a Swiftwater Rescue Instructor who has been running courses since 2001. Besides our own staff and members of the public, we have also certified members of the Canadian Forces, the Canadian Rangers and Search & Rescue. Our guides come from around the globe, bringing a wealth of experience with them!
7. We have great references. Aside from the rave reviews that our guests give, we’ve been members of the Provincial River Outfitters Association of Alberta since 2001 (letter of reference). With our expansion in 2016 into Revelstoke, BC we joined the BCROA (British Columbia River Outfitters Association). We’ve been an approved activity provider for Scouts Canada for a number of years. Many, many school, youth and scout groups have been down the river with us: teachers and leaders who have brought their students with us for a number of years have written references regarding our operation and safety.
8. REVELSTOKE TRIPS: Guaranteed Small Group Size! In our Revelstoke location, our trips have a maximum of 20 guests – that means more personalized service, less wait times, no crowding and a much more relaxed vibe! It’s the best way to experience the river. In Grande Cache we can easily accommodate groups of up to 34 guests, but usually it’s only up to 22… so it’s not too busy!
9. GRANDE CACHE TRIPS: Short shuttles!! In Grande Cache we benefit from amazing geography – we are only 2 km from the start of our most popular river trip, and only 4km from the end, but we do 15 km on the river! How cool is that?? All our other day trips in both locations have a maximum of 30 minute shuttle. That means you spend less time on the bus and more time on the river!
Here’s our promise:
We are above industry standards, dedicated to your safety, and from the time you book until we wave good-bye, you’ll always get exceptional service – and have more fun than you can imagine!