June 30, 2011 | Tips from Travellers >
McBride, River Rafting
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Located approximately 270 km out of Prince George is the beginning point of an awesome adventure through rapids with Mount Robson Whitewater Rafting Company. As part of a familiarization tour, myself and a a few coworkers headed out for a day of whitewater rafting and took the Fraser River Whitewater Raft tour, which is about 14 km long. At the beginning, we had an easy float, class 1 rapids that were the main grounds for testing out paddling and learning the techniques to being the most effective float on the river! We then entered some class 2 rapids that started to get the rafters wet and prepared for the class 3 rapids that we would encounter after the portage over rearguard falls. We stopped in at the edge before Rearguard Falls to portage the raft over, as the falls are too steep to raft over. After riding over (and through) several more rapids, there is a section of water in which our guide allowed us to jump out of the raft and go for a swim in the freezing temperatures!!
The trip was definitely worth the drive from Prince George, even if it is out of the way! The guides were great, the waters were exciting and you were provided with all the gear you would need for a safe and fun day on the river!
July 12, 2009 | Tips from Travellers >
McBride, River Rafting
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A full day in the Robson valley, on any day of the week, is always a nice break for city folk like myself. Two and a half scenic hours east out of Prince George, past Sugarbowl-Grizzly den and the Ancient Rainforest, the valley floors widen and the hills roll into mountains as you get closer to the BC/Alberta border.
With an unbridled view of Mt. Robson, it is among the thousand-metre peaks over the headwaters of the Fraser River that Mount Robson Rafting begins their whitewater route. A family owned business with roots reaching back to the 1970’s, Mount Robson Rafting offers both scenic float trips for the camera-saavy, and whitewater rafting on the Fraser and Beaver Rivers for the adventurous. While on the Fraser, look forward to Wildcat, Terry Fox and “The Ejector”; just few of the well-known stretches of rapids that will greet and soak you before you drift towards a set of Class V waterfalls. Luckily, a portage route bypasses Rearguard Falls, while you pause and get misted by the falls while guides reset the raft. Float closer to Rearguard Falls and the team’s standby-guide/photographer can get great group photos, and will rip the photos to a CD and have it available at the office before you leave. Continuing downstream, raging torrents roar past gravel bars, eddies and sweepers and you can learn a bit about the local history and geography from your trusty guide. A deep, flat section of water usually invites the wettest and bravest guests for a quick dip as you float to your takeout point near the end of the route.
My time in the Robson Valley was perfect despite scattered thunderstorms looming over the peaks. McBride and area is beautiful, especially in the summer when the valleys are lush with vegetation and wildlife viewing opportunities abound.