12+
Age
Jun-Sep
Season

Combo Package; raft through awesome whitewater and try a cliff jump, then take a guided high-alpine climb at Mt Norquay.

YouTube video
YouTube video

Included: Horseshoe Canyon Whitewater Rafting (8:15am – 12:00pm)

Experience the true thrill of rapids on this exciting morning whitewater tour on the Bow River, with cliff jumping available for the adventurous. The class 3-4 Horseshoe Canyon section offers spectacular scenery, big waves and a sense of remoteness while you raft your way through shale canyons and awesome whitewater. Conveniently located 45 minutes from Calgary and Banff in the front ranges of the Canadian Rocky Mountains.

Included: Via Ferrata Explorer Route (various times available)

Step out of your comfort zone and join your guide on the mountain on the Explorer Route climbing up to 2,235 metres at the Mt Norquay Via Ferrata. You’ll be introduced to the equipment, ascend a few pitches, and cross a suspension bridge. Rest assured, no experience is required as this is a guided experience designed to accommodate both beginners seeking a taste of the alpine and those who already have a little alpine experience. Located at Mt Norquay, just a 15 minute drive or shuttle from downtown Banff.

Tours in this package can be taken on the same day or on different days.

RAFTING INCLUDES
  • Light refreshments
  • Professional river guide on each raft
  • Safety instruction and practice paddle
  • River fee
  • Complimentary photos (online)
  • River time 1.5-2hrs
  • Wetsuits, lifejacket, helmet, rainjacket, wetsuit booties and gloves
VIA FERRATA INCLUDES
  • All climbing equipment
  • Banff Mt Norquay Sightseeing Chairlift
  • Free rental equipment including backpacks, hiking boots, rain jackets and pants
  • Orientation session
  • Professional certified guide
  • Free shuttle bus

The best parts of the Horseshoe Canyon Whitewater Rafting for most people include the following:

1

1.5 - 2 Hours on the Bow River

A ride you won’t forget. Surrounded by the magnificent Rocky Mountains.
2

Optional cliff jump and swim

A medium or BIG cliff jump for the adventurous during the float section.
3

Free photos

Professional photos of you whitewater rafting are posted for free on our website.
4

Everything is provided!

The tour includes professional guiding, instruction, equipment, practice and facilities.

The best parts of the Via Ferrata Explorer Route for most people include the following:

1

2.5 hour round trip

You’ll spend some time with your guide, get introduced to the equipment, head up a few pitches and cross the suspension bridge.
2

Everything is provided

This guided high-alpine climbing experience includes your chairlift, safety equipment, helmet and an equipment orientation. There’s even free rental equipment including backpacks, hiking boots, rain jackets and pants.
RAFTING INCLUDES
  • Light refreshments
  • Professional river guide on each raft
  • Safety instruction and practice paddle
  • River fee
  • Complimentary photos (online)
  • River time 1.5-2hrs
  • Wetsuits, lifejacket, helmet, rainjacket, wetsuit booties and gloves
VIA FERRATA INCLUDES
  • All climbing equipment
  • Banff Mt Norquay Sightseeing Chairlift
  • Free rental equipment including backpacks, hiking boots, rain jackets and pants
  • Orientation session
  • Professional certified guide
  • Free shuttle bus
The tour starts at the Nakoda Lakeside Lodge at 8:15am (meet time 8:10am) and finishes at 12pm, approximately 4 hours. This includes a short drive to the river and 1.5 to 2 hours on the water.
The tour includes 1.5 – 2 hours on the river (including a 20 minute float to finish up), a professional river guide with each boat, an optional cliff jump (with two heights to choose from), free professional photos, and light refreshment and snacks. All safety equipment including clean and dry wetsuits, wetsuit booties, fleece, spray jacket, life jacket and a helmet is provided. The tour winds through scenic views of the front range of the Rocky Mountain Ranges and occasionally we see wildlife such as osprey, bald eagles, deer and bears.

The Nakoda Lakeside Lodge has clean port-a-potties, male and female change tents and ample free parking.

The meeting point is at the Nakoda Lakeside Lodge, located on Highway 1A approximately 25 minutes from Canmore and 45 minutes from Banff and Calgary. Detailed driving directions are included in your booking confirmation. There is ample free parking at the riverbase and you will brought back to your vehicle at the end of the tour.
Please wear your swimsuit under your clothes and bring warm clothes, a face mask, hand sanitizer and a towel in a bag for after the tour. We also suggest bringing a toque or hat for colder days, to wear under the helmet. Your belongings can be stored in the bus or your own car while you are on the river.

You can wear sunglasses/glasses as long as these are secured with a strap or piece of string, and contact lenses are usually okay if you are comfortable swimming with them and tell your guide. Sunscreen is great on a hot day for any areas not covered by the wetsuit, but avoid putting it above or near your eyes. You can bring your own waterproof camera or GoPro which can be secured with your own chest harness or on a helmet with a GoPro mount, but we are not responsible for loss or damage of your equipment.

Anything else! It isn’t recommended to bring your camera and rafters aren’t permitted to wear their own wetsuit or to wear anything that could cause a hazard while on the tour.
When you are making your reservation please let the agent know and they will check with the rafting team. On the day please bring any medication you may need and inform your guide of any medical conditions.
No rafting experience is necessary, and we provide a Professional River Guide with each boat who will explain and demonstrate paddle, safety and emergency techniques. This includes dryland safety instructions and practicing paddling on the river before the waves.

Guests should be physically fit and have a reasonable swimming ability.

You will go through class 3 & 4 rapids during your tour, which is ideal for adventure lovers. This is a moderate trip, exciting but not difficult. Check out the Whitewater Rafting Rapid Classification Guide for more information: https://chinookrafting.com/plan-and-book/river-classifications/.

The tour is run by Chinook Rafting who have been operating whitewater rafting tours as a licensed company in the province of Alberta since 1983 and all of the rafting guides are trained in Swiftwater Rescue and First Aid & CPR. What this means for you is that they are confident that they can manage, not eliminate, the risks today to offer you an exciting and fun day on the river, creating as safe a framework as they can, given what we are doing. However, it is important to remember that we are not on a track, this isn’t Disneyland!  The fact that we’re not on a track adds excitement to what we’re doing, but it also adds inherent risks.

There is a 24 hour cancellation policy, which allows you to change/cancel or refund your booking up to 24 hours outside your booked tour (up to 7 days for group bookings).
This is a 2.5 hour round trip tour on the Via Ferrata.
This high-alpine climbing experience includes an ACMG-certified guide, equipment orientation, harnesses, helmets, Via Ferrata leashes and rental equipment such as backpacks, hiking boots and rain jackets (if necessary). The Norquay Via Ferrata is located on the cliffs above the Mt Norquay Ski Resort at the top of North American Chair, and so the tour also includes the 8 minute open-air chairlift to access the Via Ferrata.
The meeting point is at Mount Norquay at the end of Mt Norquay Road in Banff, located approximately five minutes from downtown Banff. Full driving instructions will be provided in your booking confirmation.

Guests can also take advantage of the free shuttle bus that runs from Banff. The free shuttle bus runs throughout the day from Banff with several pick-up locations.

Free Shuttle Bus Schedule (Valid from June 11 to October 9 2022)

Location Times
Train Station Info Centre 07:55 08:50 09:50 10:50 11:50 12:50 13:50 14:50 15:50 16:50 17:50 18:35
Mt Royal Parking Lot 07:57 08:52 09:52 10:52 11:52 12:52 13:52 14:52 15:52 16:52 17:52
Banff Park Lodge (Opposite) 08:00 08:55 09:55 10:55 11:55 12:55 13:55 14:55 15:55 16:55 17:55
ARRIVES AT NORQUAY 08:10 09:10 10:10 11:10 12:10 13:10 14:10 15:10 16:10 17:10 18:10
RETURN TO BANFF 09:35 10:35 11:35 12:35 13:35 14:35 15:35 16:35 17:20 18:20 19:10
Please arrive 30 minutes prior to your tour.
Via Ferrata is a trail or route‐making method used in the mountains to make passage easier and more secure. It’s done by a installing steel steps, handles, ladder rungs, and a steel cable in places where the trail steepens. Travellers are secured to the rock by wearing a harness that is always attached to the steel cable.
No experience is required, the Via Ferrata is designed to accommodate beginners seeking a taste of the alpine and those who live for the mountains alike. You can do it, no experience needed. It’s just like climbing a series of ladders, all of which are located on the side of a mountain. Guests should be aware that the routes are exposed.
Dress for the outdoors with an all-weather/waterproof outerwear (e.g. rain jacket and soft-shell pants suitable for outdoor activity involving moderate physical exertion), warm layers, sunglasses, and sturdy hiking footwear. You’ll be on a mountain, so be sure to pack some sunscreen, water and a snack in your small backpack. If you don’t have these items, you can access the extensive range of free rental equipment before your tour if needed, including backpacks, hiking boots, rain jackets and pants. Available on a first come first serve basis; can’t guarantee availability or sizes.
Yes, you can fall. Your fall will be arrested by your leashes, which are attached to the steel cable. The whole point of the Via Ferrata is to reduce the probability of falling, and minimize the consequences should a fall occur.
There is a 48 hour cancellation policy, which allows you to change/cancel or refund your booking up to 48 hours outside your booked tour (up to 7 days for group bookings).
Tips are not expected, but are certainly appreciated. If you think your guide did a wonderful job and would like to indicate that with a tip, it will be graciously accepted.
RAFTING INCLUDES
  • Light refreshments
  • Professional river guide on each raft
  • Safety instruction and practice paddle
  • River fee
  • Complimentary photos (online)
  • River time 1.5-2hrs
  • Wetsuits, lifejacket, helmet, rainjacket, wetsuit booties and gloves
VIA FERRATA INCLUDES
  • All climbing equipment
  • Banff Mt Norquay Sightseeing Chairlift
  • Free rental equipment including backpacks, hiking boots, rain jackets and pants
  • Orientation session
  • Professional certified guide
  • Free shuttle bus
  • Tours in this package can be taken on the same day or on different days.
  • The minimum age is 12 years and the minimum weight per person is 90lbs. If the guest is unaccompanied by an adult then the minimum age is 16 years old.
  • The maximum weight per person is 140kg (308lbs).
  • A waiver must be completed for both tours and is a condition of participation, this will be sent through upon booking. In addition, a Parental Consent form must be completed by the parent or legal guardian of any child under the age of 18 years prior to arrival. This is especially important if you are bringing someone else’s child (under 18 years old).
  • Photo ID may be required for identity verification.
  • The guide to guest ratio is 1:8 for each group on the Via Ferrata. Groups larger than 8 will be split between two guides.
  • Please note that the Horseshoe Canyon Whitewater Rafting Tour requires a minimum of 8 participants and the Via Ferrata Explorer Tour requires a minimum of 2 participants. Please call the day prior to confirm the tours.
RAFTING INCLUDES
  • Light refreshments
  • Professional river guide on each raft
  • Safety instruction and practice paddle
  • River fee
  • Complimentary photos (online)
  • River time 1.5-2hrs
  • Wetsuits, lifejacket, helmet, rainjacket, wetsuit booties and gloves
VIA FERRATA INCLUDES
  • All climbing equipment
  • Banff Mt Norquay Sightseeing Chairlift
  • Free rental equipment including backpacks, hiking boots, rain jackets and pants
  • Orientation session
  • Professional certified guide
  • Free shuttle bus
Experience guided alpine climbing on the Mount Norquay Via Ferrata Explorer Route
Blue Skies on the Horseshoe Canyon with Chinook Rafting in the Canadian Rockies
Class 4 rapids on the Horseshoe Canyon section of the Bow River with Chinook Rafting in the Canadian Rockies
Jump into the Bow River on the Horseshoe Canyon rafting tour with Chinook Rafting
Dabbing fun on the Horseshoe Canyon with Chinook Rafting in the Canadian Rockies
Get fitted with equipment for the Mount Norquay Via Ferrata
Learn alpine climbing on the Mount Norquay Via Ferrata Explorer Route
Cross a suspension bridge on the Mount Norquay Via Ferrata Explorer Route
Cross a suspension bridge on the Mount Norquay Via Ferrata Explorer Route