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5 day Mountain River Canoe Adventure
Tour Code K
Fun, thrills and action on this downriver trip in open Canadian canoes. You learn to read the water and practice minimum impact wilderness camping. A day of training on quiet water prepares you for the run down the mighty Athabasca River. There are no towns, no houses along the route, just the wide river, islands and forests. A truly Canadian adventure for beginners and experienced canoeists. Demands: this guided canoe trip is suitable for beginners. International classification of difficulty (1 is lowest, 5 is highest) rates this stretch of the Athabasca River as Class I overall with several Class I and II rapids and one Class III rapid.
Day 1: Edmonton - You meet your guide early in the morning in Edmonton. An alternate pick up point is in the town of Hinton (near Jasper). After a 3-hour drive towards the west you pitch your tent by a lake and get ready for the canoe training. You learn the basic paddle strokes, emergency procedures and signals. You receive advise regarding camping in the wilderness, personal equipment and work sharing of the crews. Tomorrow, on the river, training will continue. No experience is necessary for the canoe tour. The river stretches are not dangerous, even for the beginner; but the current, numerous rapids, and gravel bars demand constant vigilance. Experienced canoeists find plenty of challenge in this wilderness setting. Safety and comfort of the participants are the primary concerns of the guide. Tonight’s dinner is steak from the grill
Day 2 to 4: On The River - Not needed luggage may stay safely with the bus. For the next three nights you pitch your tent on sandy islands or comfortable spots along the shore. Your paddling speed depends a lot on the water level. The glacier fed Athabasca River is full of power in the early season, clear and quiet in the fall when even the snow in the mountains stop melting. The forested river valley is uninhabited. You have excellent chances to spot wild geese, beavers, eagles, elk, bear and moose. Five or six hours daily are spent on the river, at times leisurely drifting downstream, alert to the next rapid or obstacle. Sometimes you might have to drag the boat over shallow spots. There is time for swimming, exploring, fishing and big campfires under the northern lights.It is actually easy and satisfying to keep a clean camp. Minimum impact means that your group spends an afternoon and the night camping, cooking and playing on some island, not improving nature in any way, leaving no trace but footprints in the sand - which the next rain washes away. Day 5: Edmonton – This afternoon you come to the end of your 160 km (100 mi) canoe trip. The bus is waiting near the town of Whitecourt, the first human settlement since the start of your tour. Time for a celebration. You are back in Edmonton by evening.
Included: Transportation from and to Edmonton (or Hinton), 4 nights accommodation in 2-pers. tents, welcome gift, all meals from lunch day 1 to lunch day 5, eating utensils, all camping equipment (except sleeping bag), hard-foam mattress, camping fees, 2-pers. canoes, paddles, life vest, 30 litre canoe bag, instructions and guide. Not included: alcoholic beverages, personal equipment. Group size: Minimum 5 persons. Single: single tents are availableThis is a wilderness trip. Interrupting the tour is difficult once started and is only attempted in case of emergency.
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