Some things change, and some things stay the same…
Case and point…
Regardless of if you’re 18 or 31 years old, you will scream like a 12 year old girl when racing down class 4 rapids…
If you pee in the pool (or wet suit in this case) it will turn blue…
Some of the most amazing experiences can be had in your own back yard…
Standing at the front of a boat (any boat) and reinacting the iconic scene from Titanic never gets old…
If you want to have a good time, surround yourself with great people!
I was recently selected as one of sixteen lucky local YVR Bloggers to take part in a one day HYAK River Rafting adventure out on the Chilliwack River. This was my second time River Rafting, the first time being way back in the day for my grade 12 grad trip. This trip blew that trip out of the proverbial water!
The whole HYAK experience was amazing, from start to finish. Our day began early, with a pick up at Brentwood Mall… Yes, that’s right… The HYAK shuttle comes right out and picks you up and drops you back off at the end of the day! No driving required, how great is that?! Our drive out to Chilliwack went quickly, between getting to know each other, and learning all about HYAK, it’s inception and it’s team, we were the resident pros by the time we arrived on site.
After a quick rundown on what we could expect for the day, we were ready to gear up in wet suits and rain gear, and sign our lives away!
All geared up and ready to go, we hopped into the van destined for the mouth of the Chilliwack River where the next leg of our adventure would take place.
Another quick orientation, this time teaching us the basics of how to paddle, what to do in the (un)likely event of ourselves, or anyone else in the boat going overboard, and of course the useful commands that our guide would be giving us during the trip such as “get down”, “over left”, “over right”, and of course “high five, we’re still alive” (note: you may want to brush up on your left and right prior to this, you may be surprised at your inability to differentiate the two in a high pressure situation!) But don’t worry, your rafting guides wage is drastically decreased for each member of his raft who doesn’t return at the end of the day, so you know you’re in good hands based on that alone!
And before we knew it, we were off paddling the “beginner” rapids. A quick stop, and easy hike led us a be beautiful, secluded waterfall fed by a hot spring. And then once again we were off rafting the Chilliwack River. Next, was lunch. A cute little sandwich buffet in the middle of the forrest, complete with a DIY pseudo chocolate chip cookie cheesecakes… These guys don’t mess around!
After lunch, with oars in our hands and smiles on our faces, we eagerly hopped back into the rafts, ready to tackle the most difficult, and exciting portion of the River. In addition to the class 4+ rapids that graced the last part of our 18 km journey, we also had the opportunity to hop out of the raft and enjoy the “swimming rapids”, by floating alongside the raft if you were willing to brave the 4° water. Seriously though, with the adrenaline from the day, coupled with the serenity of the flowing river and beautiful scenery I definitely recommend jumping in when the opportunity arises, it’s not that cold!
I swear the day was over before it even began. We piled back into the the bus, amped on adrenalin, each recounting our stories of narrowly escaping hitting rocks or being ejected from from the rafts. This is an experience I highly recommend, and will without a doubt be going to again in the near future. The staff at HYAK are fun, friendly, knowledgeable, and know how to have a good time!
One more item crossed off my summer bucket list that needs to be crossed off yours as well! The lovely folks at HYAK are generously giving away an opportunity for one of my readers to win a one day river rafting adventure! Enter below for your chance at the fun!
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I haven’t but I want to! It sounds like it was a great day on the water, lots of fun.
I’ve never been, but it looks like such a great time!! =) I would love to take my boyfriend rafting as a bonding activity.