Kicking Horse River Safety – Our Priority

Are you scared of falling out of the raft? Are you worried about the raft flipping, or wondering, is rafting a safe thing to do?

We hear you!

All are very legitimate questions and they are ones we take seriously. We know you’re trusting us when you get into one of our boats and that’s why safety on the Kicking Horse River is our number one priority.

No exceptions, no question, no ifs, ands or buts about it. Keeping you and your family safe is our primary goal, and this commitment informs the decisions we make every day.

You can have the best day of white water rafting on the Kicking Horse River because you never have to question if safety is as important to us as it is to you.

If you have other questions or hesitations, we address the 10 Most Common Rafting Fears in this blog.

Safety briefing before rafting Kicking Horse River in Golden BC

EXPERIENCED GUIDES

Our guides are professionals who have years of experience working on the river. They have rafted 100s (if not 1000s of trips), and their goal is to have a safe, clean run everyday.

They each have a valid British Columbia River Outfitters Association Guide Licence, Swift Water Rescue Technician Certificate, and Wilderness First Aid Certificate.

Two guides scouting the White River in British Columbia

CHECKING WATER LEVELS

We check water levels every morning, and we have strict guidelines that dictate our course for the day. If water levels are above a specific cutoff point, we will not raft certain sections.

This happens commonly in June on the Kicking Horse River when the water is too high for us to run the lower canyon. This doesn’t mean you’re going to experience any less of an adventure, however. High water brings the biggest rapids and biggest hits. The middle canyon at this time has the most whitewater we’ll see at any point throughout the summer.

Safety briefing with guests at Glacier Raft Company base before rafting the Kicking Horse River

INTRO TALKS AND SAFETY BRIEFINGS

Our guides go through very thorough intro talks and safety briefings before you get anywhere near the water. They’ll go over how to get ready, what to expect, and what to do in the event something does happen. While flips and swims are rare, they do occur, and we want you to be as prepared as possible just in case.

Your guide will let you know exactly what you need to do. They'll have you practice various commands, as once you’re in the raft everyone is working together as a team.

Young rafting guest getting helmet and life jacket on at Glacier Raft Company

MINIMUM AGE REQUIREMENTS

Our minimum age and weight restrictions are also established with safety in mind.

Who has to stay and who gets to go is always left up to the discretion of our guides. We know it can be tough when the whole family can’t continue on together, but the guides’ decisions are always made with your best interest at heart. If they don’t feel it’s safe for someone to carry on it’s for a very good reason.

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Glacier's main focus was safety by far. They were very clear and explicit about all aspects of safety but made sure that everyone felt comfortable to ensure a great time. It was my first time white water rafting and no part of it made me nervous after all the instructions were given.

MichelleHughson, TripAdvisor
As required by all adventure activity providers, each guest of Glacier Raft Company is required to read, agree to and sign a Release of Liability, Waiver of Claims and Assumption of Risks and Indemnity Agreement prior to their rafting trip. You can VIEW AND READ OUR WAIVER here.