Extreme Sports Adventure: Whitewater Rafting
I have always, always wanted to go whitewater rafting. I grew up on the Lower North Shore of Quebec, right beside Newfoundland and Labrador. So water and boats have always been a part of my life. From tiny outboards, to medium-sized inboards to large fishing boats. I have been on all types of water: ponds, lakes, rivers, and the Atlantic ocean. Being on the water makes me feel invigorated and alive. But I had never been on whitewater. Never felt that incredible power that I had read about in books and watched in movies. I had to experience it for myself.
My fiancé, Frank, had gone whitewater rafting a few years ago for a friend’s bachelor party. He said it was super freaky; the boat capsized, and he got stuck beneath the raft. But he was willing to go again with me. In August 2020, I reserved us a spot on a raft and booked two nights of rustic camping by the river.
We went with Propulsion Rafting in Grenville-sur-la Rouge, Quebec. The small company is located on the Rouge River outside of Montreal. Frank and I pitched our tent on a site with no services and had a quiet and relaxing weekend together. Quiet and relaxing except for the extreme sports adventure, that is.
Saturday afternoon, we waited for our turn. Saw the busloads of people coming back to the lodge soaking wet, grinning and occasionally limping.
They put us on a raft with the guide, his apprentice, a man, his son and his son’s friend. The guide explained the rules and techniques. Adjusted our helmets and life vests for safety and told us the number one rule. Do not lose your paddle!
We started out on a smooth section of the Rouge River and practiced obeying the commands of the guide. He would yell the command. The five of us would yell it back and preform the task. We had to repeat the command to make sure the people at the front of the raft heard it over the roaring of the water. We also had to practice getting down and bracing for an emergency so we didn’t get swept overboard.
I was hyper focused on doing it well: following the commands to paddle and stop when instructed. When we hit the white water, I stared into the churning depths and paddled as if my life depended on it. I only looked up when the water calmed in between rapids. It was intense. We had to lock our feet in the raft’s side. Our feet were the only things keeping us in. Not seatbelts, not rollercoaster restraints, not harnesses. Sneakers lodged into slippery wet rubber.
We went over one high rapid. Water crashed over the bow and swept all of us overboard. All except one teenage boy. Even the guide was swept out. When I resurfaced (with my paddle in hand, I might add) the safety kayak that was patrolling the rapid was in front of me. I grabbed the loop at the front of his kayak and he floated me to shore where I waited until all the guys had been picked up in the raft. They came to get me on shore and we set out again. We realized that capsizing was a big part of the experience. What a rush!
We had a section where we had to take the rafts out of the water and portage them to the next section to bypass the class IV rapids that were too dangerous for us. Propulsion had four wheelers waiting to carry the heavy rafts, and we got to take a nice little hike along the river. The next section was smoother, and we were able near the end to jump out and swim in the warm river alongside of the boat and practice hauling ourselves back in. Most people need someone else on board to grab them by the shoulder straps of their life vest and haul them back in. To be a guide, the number one thing you have to do is get your own butt back in the boat.
It was an amazing experience. Our guide was hilarious. He was always making jokes but also instructing us well. I can’t wait to go back again. I would really like to try whitewater kayaking for my next extreme sport. Maybe this coming summer!
What extreme sports have you tried? Which would you like to try?
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