Experience Québec
Whitewater expedition
Nine men and a river
Nine buddies who haven’t seen each other in a dog’s age: there’s nothing like a day of rafting to find out whether everyone is still on the same wavelength! If they are, they’ll be masters of the waves. If they’re not, the waves will show them what’s what! Just one judge: the Rivière Rouge! The river will decide their fate! Think the expression making waves is a euphemism? Think again!The Rivière Rouge is one of the most beautiful rivers of the Laurentian Mountains. It starts its 215-km (134-mi.) course in L’Ascension, passes through Calumet and flows into the Ottawa River. A 16-km (10-mi.) stretch of the river is paradise for kayakers and rafters. Four companies offer descents, and New World Raftinghas been rafting on the river for almost 30 years.
Uganda’s White Nile and Zambia’s Zambeze—two famous watercourses known for their powerful rapids and exhilarating rafting—have nothing on the Rivière Rouge. “I spent the winter on the White Nile working as a guide. Of course, the Nile is a majestic river, but for every four hours spent rafting, you have to spend two hours paddling, and the river bed is not as forgiving as the bed of the Rouge,” explains Marilou Salette, a travel guide at New World Rafting. What Marilou means is that the Laurentian Mountains are so old that the bed of Rivière Rouge has no razor-sharp rocks to hurt yourself on. “The rocks are so soft that you slide along with no snags, which is not the case with the Nile! Believe me, the Rouge is a pleasure! You paddle less to reach the rapids, you won’t cut yourself and it’s exciting!”
Sizing up the group
Everyone line up. Time to wriggle into wetsuits—indispensable in May, when the water temperature varies between 6 and 8 degrees Celsius. The coordination meeting is next—who’s leaving with whom at what time—and the rafters set out by bus for Harrington Canyon. “The water flows at 150 cubic metres per second. Strap on your helmets, it’s going to get bumpy!” says river guide Philippe Joncas, double-checking everyone’s equipment.Philippe has plenty of experience: 11 years rafting with New World, and vacations taking on Costa Rica’s Sarapiqui and Mexico’s Rio Pescados. His briefing definitely inspires confidence. Being able to size up a group is an art, and Philippe is a master.
His group consists of nine guys used to rowing, half of them used to rafting. He can tell right away that these guys can handle themselves. And right after the safety instructions, he gives them the chance to prove it, by taking on the first wave! It’s huuuuumungous!
Left back!
There are just a few rules to follow in a boat: listen to and repeat after the guide, paddle as one and never panic. Orders run to two words, max! The shortest is STOP! “Patrick, left back! Leeeeft back!” They just got back in the raft, and they’re already thrown into Confusion, the rollercoaster section of the Rouge. “Patrick! Left back,” Philippe yells again, words that the canyon swallows up. The spectacular Harrington Canyon offers up a wave that builds like a pyramid. The rafters bravely take it head on, but the wave wins out. Patrick can hardly believe it. 1-0 for the Rouge!
All for one and one for all!
“Respecting the safety rules is rule number one,” explains Philippe. The rafters are in good hands. “All of the guides have done on average 60 to 70 solo descents of the Rouge, which they do with the groups. The rookies are easy to spot.” In fact, they are alone on a mini-raft with the word rookie written on their backs. “We all have valid first-aid certification and extensive experience as river guides. But safety is everyone’s responsibility, and the instructions given at the beginning of the descent are simple and have to be followed by everyone,” Philippe adds. “If everyone does their part—listening to the guide, following instructions and paddling at the same time and in the same direction—we should all have fun and arrive at the same time!”
One more time
The sun has ducked behind the clouds. A spring drizzle is falling, as is the temperature. The river’s rate of flow picks up slightly. The midday meal is finished. Philippe’s boys are ready for the second descent. Or almost. “Don’t we have free time this afternoon?” No one is forcing you, Pierre. A bus is leaving now for base camp. It was a joke!They’re covering the same stretch, and the guys aren’t crazy about the possibility of being “humiliated” again in the canyon. Everyone is back in their places, and the wetsuit becomes their new best friend. With the physical effort, the temperature inside the suit rises.
What seemed to last hours the first time (from 90 to 100 minutes) goes by at lightning speed the second time around. If forewarned is forearmed, then these boys are ready for battle on this second pass through the canyon. The canyon just watches them go by. Capsizing is not an option this time!
Hardened by a first descent, the nine friends take a page from the book of galley slaves and row along as one. The Rivière Rouge makes short work of anyone who gets too cocky. It lays in wait at the Turbo, an incredible roller where surfing with a raft is so… uplifting! And lots of fun! The goal for the Turbo is to dominate it as long as possible, at the risk of swallowing some of the river! Score: 1 1.
It’s over?
All good things come to an end. Yes, it’s over! The bus awaits the rafters, who spend the return trip reliving some of the dicier moments. Back at base camp, a hot shower and a whirlpool are just the thing to soothe muscles that have had been put to the test.Relaxed and changed, it’s time for a nice cold beer. A hot meal awaits the guys and then the video. Yes, you’ve been filmed and photographed! Lasting memories for an unforgettable day. That’s the new world. Are you ready for it?
| R what? |
R for rapid. The higher the number, the greater the difficulty. Classifications run from R1 to R6, which more or less mean…
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| Sections of the Rivière Rouge |
| The Canyon It’s an incredible sight from on top of the water, but from below? Not so incredible. The stretch through the Canyon starts at difficulty level R3 and quickly transforms into R4 once you reach the big pyramid-shaped breaker. You’ll put your team’s power to the test. Confusion A series of fairly fast rapids like a roller coaster. The level of difficulty varies from R2 to R3 depending on the season, but even at R4, it is easy enough to cross. Plenty of fun! Turbo It closes out the long Canyon-Confusion stretch and can be both merciless and extremely fun! The objective: to surf the roller. The best hang on for minutes; the rest… Bellerose A strong current, level R2 to R3, ending with Surprise, a wave you don’t see coming, but that the guides know only too well. But you’ve seen worse: Surprise is small potatoes compared to Turbo! La porte du Diable (Devil's Door) You’ve come to the end, and if you pay attention you’ll see one of the most beautiful views of your trip. Watch for it: it only lasts a few seconds. From level R1, it’s a pleasure cruise. Jump in and let the current rock you. We’ll pick you up on the other side of this stretch! |
André Quenneville
2008-06-19
