Rafting Adventures—Rollin' Down the River

Imagine getting up early to the comforting aroma of a delicious breakfast and emerging from your tent to the view of one of the world’s most beautiful rivers rushing right past your campsite. The spending the rafting on the river—floating, running rapids, swimming, relaxing, and enjoying the beautiful surroundings, with a long, leisurely lunch and perhaps a hike thrown in to stretch your legs. After dinner you gather with the guides and other guests around the campfire to relax, play games, sing, tell jokes, talk about the day—or whatever the group is up for. Sounds like heaven, don’t you think?

The Great Outdoors—Day & Night

Our river rafting adventures take you to some of the world’s most remote, beautiful destinations—some of which you can only access via the river. They are far from well-traveled routes and suitable nearby lodgings, but you’ll be pleasantly surprised how comfortable we can make you feel in these more rustic and "hard to get to" places. You will sleep in high quality, roomy tents on soft, thick mattresses. The camp will have a toilet tent and a tented (or covered) dining area. Though the guides are happy to do all the hard work so you can enjoy your vacation as much as possible, you are an active member of the team when it comes to loading boats and setting up your tent.
 

We know that food is a very important component of our trips, so great food and beverages are one of our highest priorities. The river guides will spoil you with fresh, healthy, plentiful, and delicious gourmet meals, spiced with tall tales around the campfire and the funniest jokes in the world (no freeze-dried food here!).

Exciting—and Safe—Rafting Adventures

There are ample reasons why Mountain Travel Sobek should be your first choice for a journey "down the river." With close to 30 years experience in exploring, planning, and leading river rafting trips all over the world, nobody knows the rivers better than we do. So, whether you are a novice ready to experience a river rafting adventure for the first time, or a veteran looking for a new river to conquer, we have the right trip for you.
 

Before you dip a paddle in the water, the guides will conduct a thorough (and often entertaining) familiarization briefing and instruct you in safety precautions. The boats are guided entirely by expert, professional river guides who know the rivers like their own backyards. Thanks to these superb guides, our more than 30 years’ safety record is superior, and you can feel confident in their hands.
 

Choose a Rafting Adventure That Fits Your Ability

Rivers are ranked according to the difficulty of their most severe rapids. The following American Whitewater Association’s river classification system will help you decide in which type of river you will participate. We’ve modified it slightly to reflect our commercially outfitted trips led by professional guides using rafts.

• Class I: Easy. Fast moving water with riffles and small waves. Few obstructions, all obvious and easily missed with little training. Risk to swimmers is slight; self-rescue is easy.
• Class II: Novice. Straightforward rapids with wide, clear channels, which are evident without scouting. Occasional maneuvering may be required, but rocks and medium-sized waves are easily missed. Flips or swims are highly unlikely.
• Class III: Intermediate. Rapids with moderate, irregular waves, which may be difficult to avoid but are easily negotiated by rafts with experienced guides. Sizeable waves or strainers may be present but are easily avoided. Strong eddies and powerful current effects can be found, particularly on large-volume rivers. Flips are unlikely though swims are possible. Self-rescue is usually easy.
• Class IV: Advanced. Intense, powerful but predictable rapids requiring precise boat handling in turbulent water. Depending on the character of the river, it may feature large, unavoidable waves and holes or constricted passages demanding fast maneuvers under pressure. Rapids may require "must" moves above dangerous hazards. Scouting by the guides is sometimes necessary. Flips and swims are possible. Participants should be good swimmers with the ability to aid in their rescue (self-rescue).
• Class V: Expert. Extremely long, obstructed, or very large rapids, which expose a paddler to above average endangerment. Drops may contain large, unavoidable waves and holes, or steep, congested chutes with complex, demanding routes. Rapids may continue for long distances between pools, demanding a high level of fitness. What eddies exist may be small, turbulent, or difficult to reach. At the high end of the scale, several of these factors may be combined. Scouting is mandatory but often difficult. Swims can be long and potentially dangerous so strong swimming ability is essential. The ability to self-rescue is mandatory. Portages may be necessary to avoid questionable rapids.
   

Rafting the Colorado River with MTS from Mountain Travel Sobek on Vimeo.

Call or email us for more information on all our Rafting Adventures.