Ottawa River by ross montandon

WHITEWATER

The Ottawa River

CKUK’s resident trans-Atlantic traveller, freestyle champ and Editorial Assistant Ross Montandon shares his top tips for an easy, fun-filled trip to a true Mecca for freestyle and whitewater paddlers, the Ottawa Valley.

remember with absolute clarity what kick-started my fascination with the Ottawa River in Canada. It was back in my adolescent padding days, whilst I sat watching a video of, World Freestyle Kayak Champion and Ottawa resident, Ken Whiting paddling through the mist rising from the river. In later years, after my first trip to the Ottawa at the age of fifteen, this fascination turned into an obsession, and despite paddling all over the world, I’ve been returning to the banks of the Ottawa ever since. The Ottawa River needs no real introduction: it’s hosted the World Freestyle Championships twice, been featured in pretty much every whitewater film and been the home of some of the world’s top freestyle paddlers for decades. Its varied features and water levels, and endless opportunities for play means it lends itself perfectly to any paddler looking for a relaxed warm weather trip with world-class whitewater. The Ottawa has a vast catchment area with many damns influencing the river’s flows. This allows for some great ‘catch-on-the-fly’ and eddy service waves, big punchy stoppers and some very welcome solitude for those looking for a little soul surfing. In a month you can go from the famous and epic ‘Greyhound Buseater Wave’, home of 2007 World Freestyle Championships, to the relaxed ‘Push Button’, a small eddy service fed wave, absolutely awesome for introductory surfing and small wave moves.

e h t o t e d i u G A e l y t s e e r F e Ultimat d n u o r g y a l P Kayaker’s Article and images by Ross Montandon

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WHITEWATER Location The Ottawa is easily accessible for the modern day travelling kayaker. For ease you can fly direct to Ottawa City, which is a mere two hours away from the river. In essence you could be picking your bags of the baggage carousal in the morning. Then by the afternoon you could be claiming your air miles back busting aerials on ‘Buseater’! If it’s you’re first trip to Canada the sheer size of distances involved may come as a slight shock. So a hire car is a must. From the banks for the Ottawa the nearest large town is Pembroke, which is a 30-minute drive. Just to do a run of the river having a car at your is well worth it. Having your own transport also frees you up if you want to do other rivers in the area.

“The Ottawa River needs no real introduction: it’s hosted the World Freestyle Championships twice, been featured in pretty much every whitewater film and been the home of some of the world’s top freestyle paddlers for decades.”

The River The Ottawa River and has two main channels, the middle and the main. The Ottawa’s nature is pool drop. The river is so big that you can actually go wakeboarding at the get in, which is a flat lake. At most levels, even during the summer, local paddlers will use a jet ski or a rib to head to their favourite play-spots. But, having said that, you will very seldom see a motorised craft on the Ottawa. After every rapid the river pools out into what us Brits would call a lake! So collecting gear is pretty easy if it all goes a bit pear shaped and someone takes a swim. It’s basically BIG but friendly, hence the attraction. The river varies in volume over the season. The keen paddlers are there in May cracking off the ice, ready for Buseater to form at 16 on the gauge and the action just doesn’t stop right through to September when the fast and furious ‘Garburator’ wave can be found at –1 on the gauge! The Ottawa is influenced by other damns upstream you can occasionally get freak, but great, levels! Surfing Buseater in summer, in a shortie cag, is always a pleasure! Generally though the earlier you visit the Ottawa the bigger and colder the water. You can start heading to the river anytime from late May, to catch some big waves and whirlpools that’ll make you giggle until you’re scared silly. During late August the water is slowly dropping off and on the down. For good summer levels you really want to plan your trip anywhere between late May to late July.

It’s Not All Big! A slight misconception about the Ottawa is that all of its rapids are huge and will eat you alive if you get the line wrong. This is not at all accurate, every rapid is easily portaged, OK it might be a long walk, but the banks of the Ottawa are well maintained so it’s not hard. The Ottawa offers options. All the rapids have sneak routes, for those just getting to grips with big volume

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WHITEWATER

“You can pick and choose what you fancy paddling on any given day. The most popular play-spots all have tracks leading up to them for park and play sessions. If you fancy a cruise, then you can get on just above ‘McCoy’s Chute’, the opening rapid, with multiple holes to punch or dodge.”

paddling, and there are lines for any hero paddlers who have egos as big as the waves crashing over their heads. There are a lot of flat sections, which are never a slog. It gives you a chance to soak up the rays and re-live the exciting moments of the last rapid. You will also get a chance to spot some fantastic wildlife, beaver, wolf, loons and much more.

The Rapids It would be a very dull read if I was to give you a blow-by-blow account of every rapid at every level. Generally you can pick and choose what you fancy paddling on any given day. The most popular play-spots all have tracks leading up to them for park and play sessions. If you fancy a cruise, then you can get on just above ‘McCoy’s Chute’, the opening rapid, with multiple holes to punch or dodge. McCoy’s is home to some fun play-spots such as ‘Babyface’ and ‘Corner Wave’, along with a good powerful hole called ‘Horseshoe’. You’ve then got a flat-water paddle to the beginning of the Main Channel, which cuts off to the left. Or the Middle, which is straight ahead and a slightly longer paddle to get to. If you’re looking for a pure play session then the Main has is home to the big names of Buseater, Garburator, Push Button and many more, plus some great boils and whirlpools. The Middle is more of a river-play run with some great, big rapids, such as Garvin’s Chute; a ledge that stretches across the whole river, forming lots of different lines. At different levels different waves come in and out, so you will never get tired of this river.

DECEMBER 2010

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Other Rivers and Activities There are plenty of other good play-spots in the area, but all will need a car. Locally you’ve got the Petawawa River, and then further over you’ve got the Gatineau. Further over in Montreal you’ve got a realm of urban boating. The famous Lachine Rapids, on the St Lawrence River, are a must, as there is nowhere else quite like it; surfing a screaming wave against a backdrop of the Montreal skyline. However you do need a bombproof roll. The St Lawrence is so wide it has its own shipping channel! Be watchful for other water users too, I’ve been surfing there to find a 30-seater jet boat hurtling towards me!

A good three-week trip itinerary is to rent an apartment in the pleasant district of Lachine. Get sucked in by the French influence and go surfing, then head over to habitat 67 or take a trip into town at night and listen to jazz. Then head over to the Ottawa River to enjoy the serenity of the river. If you’re going for longer then why not pop into the Algonquin Park for a change of pace on a multiday canoe trip. Or the city of Ottawa is just two hours away by car. Wilderness Tours, which practically own the banks of the river, are a bit like the Canadian version of Centre Parcs. They have regular parties, a bar, plus loads of activities, they also have a variety of accommodation to suit all needs.

Ross’s Top Ottawa Tips • Canadian Affair will take kayaks for £30 each way and they fly directly to Ottawa. So you can paddle the same day as you land! They can also sort you out a car through National, and they can do good deals. For more information visit www.canadianaffair.com

floors and have a wide range of outdoor gear. If you time it right with the pound against the dollar then you can get some great deals. In Ottawa it’s on a road called Adventure Alley, there’s a whole street full of outdoor shops. It makes for a relaxed day off. If you do decide to go, then you must have a burger at the Works Burger Joint too.

• During the summer season take bug spray,

• Whilst on the Ottawa you must get up at first

Muskol is a great brand and can be purchased out there from big stores such as Canadian Tire.

light and go paddling. It’s the best time to go. With the air temperature cooling off and the

• Take good shoes. Although there are great paths

warm water you get this lovely mist. It’s like paddling in the clouds. You’re more likely to see beaver and loon as well.

to, and from, the river the volcanic rock is razor sharp. Not to mention poison ivy and poison sumac. Don’t risk bare feet, if you cut your foot and it puts you out of paddling for the reminder of the trip. Then you’ll regret it!

• Be warned, the Canadians are really friendly. So just ask and they’ll help you out no end. On one visit we arrived late into Montreal from the UK and got lost looking for our apartment. We stopped to ask at a petrol station and whilst we listened to the checkout clerk for directions a lady queuing behind us interrupted and asked us if we wanted to stay with her, and then set out to look for our accommodation the next day! Here in the UK I don’t even make eye contact with anyone in most petrol stations!

• Check your trip against any national competitions. The Americans and Canadians do use the river for their team selections. So paddlers come from all over North America to train, it can get very busy at those times.

• Surf, spin, cruise, play the river. Go huge, or kick back and relax but the one thing that’s guaranteed is that you will have so much fun you’ll probably be booking your next flight to the Ottawa before as soon as you return home.

Info

• If you like shopping for outdoors gear, then you will love the Mountain Equipment Co-ops. They are big outdoor stores located in Ottawa and Montreal. They normally have a minimum of three

For more great freestyle and whitewater articles eddy out at www.canoekayak.co.uk