BOW WATERS CANOE CLUB - RIVER RATING GUIDE |
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| INTERNATIONAL SCALE OF RIVER DIFFICULTY |
BOW WATERS PADDLERS CLASSIFICATION |
TYPICAL LOCAL RIVERS |
| Class I Fast moving water with riffles and small waves. Few obstructions, all easily missed with basic training. |
Novice Can effectively use all the basic canoe strokes from bow and stern (competently steer from A to B on a river) of an open canoe. Knows the basics of maneuvering (i.e.: eddy turns & ferries), reading water and can easily negotiate CLASS I rapids |
Novice Shorter runs on the Bow River in Calgary (except weir); Bow River,. Fish Creek to Mckinnon Flats; Lower Red Deer River (good intro to canoe camping); to move up try Elbow River, Sandy Beach to Ft. Calgary; Novice+; Bow River Ghost Dam to Cochrane. |
| Class II Easy rapids with waves up to one metre high. Wide, clear channels with obvious routes through them without scouting. Some competent maneuvering required. Small ledges, sweepers and log jams may be present. |
Intermediate Can front and back ferry, set and maintain boat angle in river current, carry out eddy turns in CLASS II rapids with confidence. Capable of river reading without a lead boat to follow. Helmets and floatation are recommended to avoid injury and equipment damage. Confident with shore rescue and self rescue techniques as a minimum. |
Intermediate The lower Kananaskis River, Canoe Meadows to Seebe Dam; Bow R. Banff to Canmore; Highwood River, Highway 547 - 552; Longview to Hoggs Camp; Intermediate +: Elbow River, Allan Bill Pond to Bragg Creek; Highwood Ing's Creek to Longview; Kootenay River B.C., McLeod Meadows to Canal Flats; Upper Elbow, Cobble Flats to Elbow Falls. |
| Class III Numerous rapids with high, powerful and irregular waves often capable of swamping an open canoe. Many rocks are exposed with strong eddies. Narrow passages often require complex maneuvering and scouting from shore. This is usually considered the upper limit for open canoes. |
Advanced Skillful in CLASS III rapids in bow or stern of an open canoe or solo. Can negotiate fast, turbulent water requiring complex maneuvering. Full floatation is required for all boats, and helmets are mandatory for all paddlers. Shore, self and river based rescue, knowledge and skill recommended. |
Advanced Kananaskis River, Widowmaker to Canoe Meadows; Elbow River, Canyon Creek to Paddy's Flats; Red Deer River, Mountainaire Lodge to S-Bend; Upper White River, Sheep Gorge Creek to Sandy McNabb |
| Class IV Long, difficult, and constricted passages requiring precise maneuvering in very turbulent waters. Waves high, powerful and irregular with boiling eddies, high ledges and exposed rocks. Conditions make group rescues and self rescue difficult. Scouting is necessary first time down. Risk of injury is moderate to high. Precisely executed moves are required to avoid dangerous hazards. |
Extreme CLASS IV-V; No club boats allowed. You are on your own now, you fiqure it out. |
Extreme Examples are Spring conditions on the Upper Sheep & Highwood; East Kootenay area Rivers; Findlay, Palliser. |
| Class V Almost continuous and very violent rapids with highly congested routes. Characterized by sharp corners, holes, rapid currents and many obstructions. Scouting mandatory but often difficult. Significant threat to life in the event of an upset. High level of expertise and fitness are necessary. Swims are dangerous, and rescue is difficult even for experts. Only closed boats such as kayaks. |
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| Rivers are classified according to the International Scale of River Difficulty. An entire river or a certain portion (called a reach) of a river would be graded and given an overall rating taking into account the individual rapids along its route. This grading is an average. In contrast, each individual rapid along the river would be separately classed. As an example, a section of river may have a grade of II overall, but you can encounter rapids of a higher class ie: III or IV. | When rapids and rivers have water temperature below 10 degrees Celsius or the trip is an extended one in a wilderness area, the trip should be regarded as one level higher than the generic classification. All rivers in the mountain areas are cold; wet or dry suits should be considered at all levels. | Classification of rapids can be very subjective and also depends greatly on the prevailing water levels. A rapid rated as Class III in May, may be Class II in August, or vice versa. |