Trip Planning

Got questions about the Banff Rafting Association and our whitewater trips in Alberta, Canada? We thought you might, so, to make it easy to find the answers, we’ve broken our FAQz down into five categories for you.

On The Kicking Horse River
Equipment
Safety
Meals
And Finally…

On The Kicking Horse River

Should I go rafting in Banff if I’ve never rafted?

Quick answer: yes! Most of our guests at the Banff Rafting Association are first time rafters, just like you. We’ve got a real knack for getting you prepared, and we’ve designed trips, equipment and safety briefings just for you and other first timers. If you’re ready for fun and adventure then you’ll have a terrific time in the whitewater…and likely be back for more!

I’ve been rafting before…will Banff whitewater rafting be fun for me?

Once again: yes! The Kicking Horse River is a class IV to IV+ river through most of the Canadian Rockies rafting season. If you’ve been rafting before, but never rafted the Kicking Horse, you’ll be impressed by this river’s continuity. Lots of rapids and very little down time. And, unlike other rivers, no paddling is required to get from one rapid to the next! If you’ve been rafting before, we want to make sure you get the right trip, so contact us to get your Canadian Rockies whitewater adventure rolling!

Who will be my guide?

Our staff are truly the key to our past and future success. (Thanks to all of you out there!) Our guiding team consists of men and women who possess a wealth of experience from numerous years of rafting and leading a variety of outdoor pursuits around the world. Check out these stats. Combined, we have professionally guided rafts on every continent, 28 countries, 139 rivers and enough river miles to go TWICE around the world at the equator! That’s a lot of guiding and risk management experience for you to benefit from. We generally require a minimum of three to five seasons of prior rafting experience before we see if new guides are up to our standards. Our guests constantly comment that they love our guide’s enthusiasm for the Canadian Rockies whitewater experience and what they do, and the professionalism with which they do it. At the Banff Rafting Association, we love rivers and rafting and we are in business to share that passion with you and others like you!

Of course, all of our guides meet or exceed industry standards and we have on-going in-house training and safety meetings throughout the season to constantly maintain and improve our skills and our Risk Management procedures.

Why us?

The Kicking Horse River is renowned as a great river for rafting. While fun on the river is always what we at the Banff Rafting Association strive for, we believe there is more to it than just that. You want to know that we are “Serious about Safety”. (See our “Guides” section below.) You want your trip to run on schedule, be greeted with friendly, happy, helpful and knowledgeable staff who can answer all of your Canadian whitewater questions and get great value on your trip. That’s what we’re known for. We know that you want clean gear that gets replaced and upgraded frequently, clean facilities and a secure place for your personal items while on the river. You’ll get that from us, just the way that we’ve been doing it now for over 17 years. It’s what we love to do and how we earned the trust and loyalty of our many return guests, sales agents, wholesalers, tour operators, fine hoteliers and Canadian locals who faithfully recommend our rafting trips year after year and wouldn’t consider anyone else.

Do we paddle or hang on?

On the Kicking Horse River, you choose! If you prefer to assist your guide by paddling, that’s great. If you would feel more secure by simply holding on to the safety lines positioned around the raft, perfect. We encourage you to participate at a level that is comfortable to YOU! (“All-paddle” Alberta adventure trips can easily be arranged if that is your preference, so just ask!)

How many people per raft?

We choose to carry just 8 guests per raft, plus your guide, rather than pack people in rafts to lower prices. We will sometimes go to 9 passengers if it is a group that would like to stay together, or on our Gentle trip where we often have youths. Our Canadian whitewater rafts are rated for up to 12 people.

Back to top

Equipment

What gear will you provide for me?

Warmth, comfort and security, that’s what you want when traveling Canada‘s National Parks and we at the Banff Rafting Association know that! You’ll receive quality wetsuits, neoprene booties and gloves, warm fleece pullovers and spray jackets all included in the price, and, of course, government approved lifejackets and helmets. Our gear is cleaned and DRIED daily and replaced or upgraded frequently.

What do I bring?

Not much, really! We’ll take care of most of it as part of the price you pay. Just bring your swimsuit (having it on ahead of time is helpful), dress appropriately for the day and bring a towel. You may want to purchase some souvenirs or photos of your Kicking Horse River experience, so plan for that.

Where do we change?

Our RiverBase Daylodge was purpose built for our rafting trips with REAL change rooms and washrooms. Your personal items remain dry and secure while you are having a good time on the Kicking Horse River. You’ll never have to change in the bushes, alongside the river, or under tarps, that’s for sure!

I tend to get cold easily!

Our guests who are “thermally challenged” find that the gear works extremely well to keep them warm, but we won’t kid you, the Canadian Rockies’ water is refreshing! That’s why we work very hard to keep you warm and inside the raft!

Can we buy pictures?

Yes. We offer a “same day” digital photo service. We want you to have the bragging rights for your friends, family and workmates who didn’t come with you on this Alberta rafting adventure!

Can we take cameras?

You should leave them behind and not risk getting your camera ruined on the river. You can take some “before and after” photos off the river. If it’s waterproof, then bring it along! We also have disposable waterproof cameras available for sale at our “RiversEdge” gift shop in our RiverBase Daylodge.

Back to top

Safety

I’m not a strong swimmer, or can’t swim…should I go?

Swimming ability is recommended and good health is required. It is your choice to come if you are a weak or non-swimmer and we have many each year. Please keep in mind that this is a REAL Canadian Rockies whitewater adventure!

Will I fall out?

With an adventure activity such as whitewater rafting in Banff, Alberta, there is always a chance that you may. Here’s what we do at the Banff Rafting Association to minimize that risk:

First, you can hang on to our safety lines positioned around the raft. Unlike others, we use a guiding system so that our guests can securely hold on and “get down” when your Kicking Horse River guide feels it’s necessary, but they can still steer the raft. (It’s technically called a “centre-mount oar rig.“ We’ve found it’s the best. Two oars are better than just one paddle) Our guests can still paddle (four on every raft), but they don’t have to when we get to the big rapids of the Kicking Horse. That’s the difference and that’s when people typically may fall out of the raft. When you ride with the Banff Rafting Association, we do all that we can to keep you out of the Canadian Rockies’ Kicking Horse River!

Second, our safety briefings and demonstrations are clear, concise and thorough. We don’t rush through this just to get you on the river. We want you to be prepared for anything that the Kicking Horse River may throw your way.

Why do you have minimum ages or weights (or both) for your trips?

Weight minimums are dictated by the manufacturers of our lifejackets for use in Canadian whitewater. Age minimums are either the industry standard of care or from our many years of experience and tens of thousands who have gone rafting with the Banff Rafting Association.

Back to top

The Meals

Half day trips: (Whitewater Exciter and Gentle trips)

At the conclusion of the trip, enjoy tasty bakery treats, fresh fruit served with fresh brewed coffee, tea, rich hot chocolate or juice served while relaxing on the terrace of our RiverBase Daylodge.

Full day trip: (Classic trip and Maximum Horse Power trips)

A delicious lunch is served at the conclusion of your trip back at our comfortable RiverBase Daylodge. A succulent marinated chicken breast is barbecued and served with fresh baked French bread, assorted salads, tasty deserts, fresh fruit and hot and cold beverages. You’ll enjoy lunch prior to going on the water on the Maximum Horse Power Kicking Horse River trip.

Back to top

And Finally…

What if it rains?

Actually, rafting in the refreshing Canadian rain can be a lot of fun…you are going to get wet anyway! Our trips run, rain or shine.

What if I need to cancel my trip?

Sometimes your plans may change or unavoidable situations arise that necessitate having to cancel or change your trip plans. We understand that. We provide you with a generous 24 hour cancellation policy for individual bookings, and 7 days for groups of 8 or more.

However, please understand that once your trip is booked we reserve your space and assign Banff Rafting Association staff and resources to ensure your trip runs smoothly. Since few of these costs are recoverable at the last minute, cancellations inside of 24 hours (7 days for groups of 8 or more) of your scheduled trip departure are non-refundable and you will be fully charged.

In the unlikely event that the Banff Rafting Association must cancel a trip, full refunds or alternate dates will be given.