Your friends finally took a guided whitewater rafting trip and told you what a blast they had. And now you're ready to take the plunge. You've got one big decision to make before doing anything else. And that's figuring out the level of whitewater adventure that appeals to you. Think of this as your personal "adventure quotient." For some folks, it's all about maximizing the thrills and spills. For others, it's more about floating, splashing, swimming, and playing on the rapids with family and friends, or finding a special family-bonding adventure that would be just as much for for the adults as for the kids.
Figuring out your "adventure quotient" isn't all that hard. One whitewater outfitter in Pennsylvania even offers an Adventure Profile Quiz on their website. It's an insightful set of questions about your hobbies, your personality, your physical conditioning and interests, that can help point you in the right direction.
Fortunately, there are whitewater rafting trips that fit every level of interest and experience. Another good starting point for picking your first whitewater rafting trip is to get familiar with the international rating system for whitewater rapids. This is easier than it sounds. All whitewater is divided into 6 levels of excitement and challenge. Class I whitewater is the easiest. Class VI whitewater is, well ... think Niagara Falls!
Here are the 6 categories of whitewater rapids, simply defined:
Class I - Easy whitewater with small waves, clear passages and no serious obstacles.
Class II - Whitewater rapids, moderately exciting, with clear passages.
Class III - Numerous exhilarating waves, high, and irregular. Frequent rocks and eddies. Whitewater rapids have clear, though narrow passages, requiring careful maneuvering.
Class IV - Long whitewater rapids with big drops and numerous obstacles. Powerful and precise maneuvering required.
Class V - Maximum intensity whitewater. Extremely long complicated rapids with very steep gradient requiring strong and precise paddling and expertise in maneuvering. The absolute limits of navigability.
Class VI - Unrunnable. Just like it says - Don't even think about it!
When thinking about these classifications, be sure to consider the extent of your whitewater experience. Assuming you're a first-timer, it's important to remember that a Class I whitewater rafting trip might be most appropriate if you were doing this on your own, but even as a beginner, you can reasonably participate on a rafting trip having up to Class IV whitewater, if you're going with a guided whitewater rafting outfitter. Class V whitewater rafting trips are extremely challenging, and most whitewater outfitters won't agree to take you on a Class V whitewater rafting trip unless you've gotten some previous experience on at least a Class IV whitewater trip.
If you live in the mid-West or plains states, your choices are a little more limited, unless you're willing to travel a but farther (either east or west) to find the kinds of mountain ranges that provide the kind of gradient needed for whitewater rafting rivers. Of course, if you live anywhere from the Rockies to the Pacific Coast, you're probably surrounded by mountains, and a real diversity of whitewater rafting opportunities that, again, span the range from Class I up to Class V whitewater.
Once you've developed a feel for the level of whitewater you are comfortable with, it's time to think about the other members of your party -- especially the kids. How young is the youngest person in your family or group? An easy way to compare outfitters' guided whitewater rafting trips is by checking their rafting trips' minimum age requirements, even if there are no children in your group. This will give you good insight into the outfitters' sense of the particular physical and emotional maturity appropriate for each of their whitewater rafting trips.
And finally, think about the scenery as well as the whitewater. There's more to a whitewater rafting trip than just being splashed by big roller coaster waves all day. In between the rapids, there's time to swim, relax, sunbathe, and soak up your surroundings. Some whitewater rafting trips run through urban areas; others through forested mountains; and still others through steep rocky canyons. You'll want to consider your preferences here, before deciding on your first whitewater rafting adventure vacation.
By paying attention to the class of whitewater, the minimum age and experience requirements, the type of scenery and surroundings, and your own personal "adventure quotient," you've got a great chance of picking the perfect whitewater rafting adventure vacation ... on your first time out! So go for it. As one rafting outfitter claims on their website, "It's the most fun you'll have all year!"
Visit Whitewater Challengers at www.WhitewaterChallengers.com |
