| Warning: Close up, the Lachine Rapids are much larger than they appear!
Having grown up near the Lachine Rapids, I had always looked distantly upon them as the kind of softly babbling, white-capped waves that one might wake up to with one of those “sounds of nature” radios. By the same token I suppose that if far enough away, an erupting volcano might also sound like a cork being popped from a bottle of Moët et Chandon… But as my adventure-ready colleague and I were about to discover, these rapids are literally and figuratively a whole other world just a kilometer or so offshore from Lasalle’s scenic bicycle/hiking paths—a few minutes’ drive from downtown Montreal.
For the past 18 years (since Marc Desgroseillers launched the venture in1992), the capable, security-conscious team at Les Excursions des Rapides de Lachine have been the city’s sole guides to this gem of a rafting adventure. In fact, it is the only outfit to provide rafting excursions in Montreal; as well, it offers a jet boating option for those who wish to ride instead of paddle. While their expert guides are the sensible, strong, and “safety-first” kind of people, they also guarantee “an amazing, adventurous trip”, according to manager Julie Carrière. As my only prior rafting experience had involved yahoos who launched us all into the rushing water for kicks, this was welcome information! As with any sporting activity that takes on Mother Nature, it is not without risk, but every precaution is taken to make sure rafters have a full—yet safe—white water experience.
All excursions begin with a thorough, but amusing, safety lesson. If you retain nothing else, you will always remember to “swim towards the boat!” should you find yourself in the river (not a common occurrence—but if you are a non-swimmer or fearful of water, you can be seated in an area where you are virtually guaranteed to not go for an unexpected swim…though you will get wet). Life jackets and helmets are provided to you, and are mandatory.
Following the safety lesson, we piled into the sizeable raft. Each boat seats no more than 12 (plus the expert rafting guide), and group rates are available if you and your friends fill up one or more rafts. Each raft is equipped with two oars which the guide uses to steer the craft, but that doesn’t mean you just get to sit back and enjoy the ride! Perched astride the edge of the raft, we all had to pull our weight and follow the various commands Julie shouted to us to get us safely through our adventure—two main paddle strokes (“Forward” and “Hard Forward”), and my favourites “Break” (where you take a rest) and “Down” where you tuck down inside the boat so the water washes harmlessly but forcefully over you as you pass through the rapids. With such names as “Devil’s Drop”, and “Big John”, and as you see each rapid loom ahead, you just follow your orders without much time to think.
Midway through the excursion, we paddled to a secret little oasis of calm in the middle of the river—well, secret to us landlubbers, but a well-known treasure to local surfers (yes, surfers in Montreal!) and white-water kayakers. It is a platform of flat rocks with little rivulets trickling through that serves as a resting spot for these extreme-sport lovers between tackling the waves. It was a whole other world out there, complete with surfer dudes and the associated lingo. We got out and sunned on the rocks a bit while watching the kayakers cut powerfully through the water—and marvelled at the surfers seemingly on a wave treadmill—before taking on the final rapid. After a breathtaking and refreshing last wave, Julie told us we were to jump out and hold onto the rope on the outside of the raft. In the time it took us to jump out and gain our bearings (maybe 20 seconds), Julie told us to look at how far we’d travelled, and to my surprise we were suddenly about a kilometre away from where we jumped into the water! A perfect illustration as to the strength of the current. We paddled ashore to our shuttle bus pick-up in Verdun, and all I wanted to do was to try it again.
As mentioned earlier, there are two options: rafting or jet boating. The rafting trip that I just recounted takes you through the Class 3 / 4 Lachine Rapids, while the jet boat takes you through the Class 5 Ste-Catherine Rapids, which are too dangerous to attempt in a non-motorized boat. Those who book one excursion receive a $7 discount on their next escapade with this company. Advance reservations are recommended, but occasionally it is possible to show up and find a spot available. About 100 people per day ride these rapids, with between three and six runs going out per day in high season (June 15-August15). Families can ask for a gentler version of the trips (children aged 6 and over can participate in the rafting trip, while the jet boats take children aged 8 and older). And for a $7 fee, two photos of your group can be e-mailed to separate e-mail addresses to commemorate the adventure.
To our guides who took us out in a rafting “caravan”: Julie, Manu, Simon, Timothy, Zsolt, and Jean-Guy, thanks for an awesome day in the waves!
Additional Information
Address: 8912 Boulevard Lasalle, Lasalle (QC), H8P 1Z9
Phone: 1.800.324.RAFT; 514.767.2230
Web site: www.raftingmontreal.com
Duration: Rafting—2 hours, 15 minutes; Jet Boating—1 hour, 15 minutes
Group rates available
Bathroom and snack bar on-site. |
