Here are Some Quick Answers to Your Most Common Rafting Questions…
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AVA Rafting and Zipline now offers the best cancellation policy in Colorado. When you purchase our Cancellation Guarantee, you are eligible for a 90% refund if you cancel your trip at least 24 hours before your scheduled departure. Trip changes can also be made without penalty if completed more than 24 hours in advance. If you need to make changes within 24 hours of your trip, a 15% change fee will apply, and changes will be subject to availability. If you cancel within 24 hours of your trip, your reservation will be converted to an open credit equal to 85% of your total adventure cost. This credit is valid for the current season only. The Cancellation Guarantee applies to both guided trip reservations and rental gear.
If you opted out of our cancellation guarantee:
Cancellations made at least 14 days prior to the trip will receive a 90% refund. Cancellations within two weeks of the trip are nonrefundable and changes to your reservation will incur a 15% change fee. No changes are permitted within 24 hours of the trip start time.
Lateness Policy:
Guests who arrive late for their trip will be placed on the next available departure and will incur a 15% change fee. If the guest is unable or unwilling to join a later departure, the reservation will be considered a no-show and is nonrefundable.
Weather and Water Levels Policy:
All rafting trips depart as scheduled regardless of weather. AVA reserves the right to change or substitute river sections at any time due to weather conditions and water levels to ensure safety and the best experience possible.
For zipline and via ferrata tours, AVA management may cancel or delay trips due to unsafe weather conditions, such as heavy winds or lightning. If a tour is canceled, you will be contacted to either reschedule your tour or receive a full refund. AVA may delay a tour by up to one hour in order to wait out inclement weather. If the tour is started but less than 50% of the course is completed, you will receive a 50% refund. If more than 50% of the course is completed, no refund will be issued.
In the event of rain, AVA reserves the right to upgrade a rock climbing trip to a via ferrata trip or to reschedule, based on your preference and availability. If at least one climb has been completed and the trip has lasted less than 1.5 hours, you will receive a 50% refund. If the trip is beyond 1.5 hours, no refund will be given.
A: May–June & September: Bathing suit/nylon shorts, sunscreen, sunglasses with a retainer, fleece or polypropylene top (no cotton!), wool socks, bottled water, warm change of clothes for after the trip.
July–August: Bathing suit/nylon shorts, sunscreen, sunglasses with a retainer, polypropylene top for class 4-5 trips (no cotton!), bottled water, change of clothes for after the trip.
A: We employ the international river rating system to describe the waters we paddle: Class II – Class V rivers and creeks. New rafters and kayakers should get a feel for the type of whitewater that suits them best by starting out on a less difficult trip. Click on any of the specific rivers above to browse our trip options before signing up for your adventure. Feel free to contact us directly if you’d like further advice on what trip may best suit your comfort level.
A: BOOK OR QUOTE NOW or call 970-423-7031 to chat with an adventure specialist today.
A: No previous experience is necessary to enjoy BWR’s rafting trips. BWR and our experienced guides will provide you with everything you need to have a safe, fun and memorable adventure: from all the gear and equipment to comprehensive safety information and basic skills introduction.
A: All of our guides are First Aid and CPR certified which is the state requirement. Because we like to go above and beyond, almost all of our guides are Swiftwater Rescue certified and are EMTs, Wilderness First Responders, or have the Outdoor Emergency Care certification. Colorado requires 50 hours of training for river guides. Our new guide training is almost three times this minimum requirement making our raft guides ready to handle any situation that comes their way. If you would like to learn more about our raft guide training, you can watch a short video here!
A: Some of our trips like the Browns Canyon Sizzler, Full day trips and Overnight trips include food. Our half day trips do not include food but we do have an option to add on breakfast, lunch or dinner to your rafting trip. To be sure, check your trip’s specific details to know if food is included.
A: Not all rafting trips are the same and require a different number of people in each raft. Typically we put 4 to 7 people in one raft. If you are doing a trip on the Colorado River, you can expect around 8 to 10 people in one rafter.
A: It depends how old your child is and the rafting trip you are doing. Each trip has a different minimum age. We recommend checking trip details to see if your child is old enough to go. Check out family friendly river trips here!
A: The water that is in our rivers comes from the snow we get in the winter so, yes, the water is going to be cold. We provide wetsuits free of charge for the chilly water but it does warm up slightly as the season goes on.
A: No! You are going to get wet regardless if it is raining or not. Our trips can carry on even in a rainstorm because you are in the lowest point of the area and in a rubber boat.
A: Not for our mellow rafting trips! Every rafter is required to wear a personal floatation device (PFD. For our more advanced rafting trips, we do require that guests know how to swim as an extra safety precaution. If you have more questions about this, please give us a call at 1-877-RAFTING!
