I am organizing a youth group. Do the kids need their parents to sign anything?
Yes, all participants under 18 must have their parents sign an acknowledgment of risk form. The form below is in Adobe pdf format. If you do not have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed, please visit www.adobe.com to download the free version.

>Acknowledgment of Risk Form

Do you have an online brochure?
Yes, The form below is in Adobe pdf format.

> A Wanderlust Adventure Brochure

How do you choose a reputable outfitter?
Going with the right outfitter could be the most important decision you make on your vacation. Some important areas to look into are: How many years has the outfitter been in business? What is their safety record? How experienced are
their guides? Do they have first year guides? What is the
average age of their staff? How new is their equipment? Do they offer a trip suitable for my group? What equipment is included? What is the cancellation policy? The right answers to these questions should narrow down your options.

How much experience do I need to go rafting with you?
We offer a variety of trips for both beginners and advanced level enthusiasts. If you have never rafted before and are a little apprehensive, we recommend trying our Taste of Whitewater trip. We do take beginners on our Class IV rated Blast Trip; however, you need to be in good physical condition and able to paddle hard through many continuous rapids. Our Full Day Trip is a Class IV Level trip designed for adventurous adults ages 16 or older and in good physical condition.

Is whitewater rafting a dangerous sport?
Rafting is an exhilarating sport that does have inherent risks. These risks add to the excitement and are the reason why people go rafting in the first place. Our staff is trained to
minimize these risks. Wanderlust has one of the best safety
records on the Poudre River and has the most experienced
guides available. Before every trip our guides conduct a thorough safety orientation that will answer any questions you might have.

I can’t swim. Can I still go whitewater rafting?
All participants are provided a Type V Coast Guard Approved Lifejacket and you are taught what to do if you find yourself in the river. We do take non swimmers on our Taste of Whitewater Trip but do not recommend a non swimmer participating on our Blast of Whitewater Trip or Full Day Trip. You should be comfortable in water if you choose either of these trips.

What safety training do guides get?
We are proud of our staff and believe they are the best guides on the Poudre River.Our guides are certified in CPR, First Aid and Swift Water Rescue. Some guides have Emergency Medical Technician or Wilderness First Responder training. Wanderlust guides have an average of eight years rafting
experience. Our staff returns year after year to work for a
professional and fun company that they care about.
Colorado State Parks Guide Inspection Form

Is rafting strenuous? How fit should I be to go rafting?
We run paddle rafts on all of our trips. Because of this all
participants are required to paddle. Paddling is fun and all guests are encouraged to paddle hard when needed. Paddling is important on all of our trips; however, it is more important and strenuous on our Blast and Full Day of Whitewater Trips. On these advanced trips you are not paddling the entire time but you will be paddling frequently to maneuver the raft, especially through all of the continuous rapids. We do recommend that you are in good physical condition if you choose the Blast or Full Day trips. The Taste trip is open to a wider range of participants.

I have children under 7 years old. Can they go rafting?
No. Our minimum age for the Taste Trip is 7 years old and the child must weigh at least 50 pounds. We do not have a trip available for children under 7 years of age.

I have never been rafting. Which trip is best for me?
We generally recommend rafting on our Class III Taste of
Whitewater Trip if you have never rafted before. We do take
beginners on our Class IV Blast Trip, but recommend that you be in good physical condition and able to paddle hard through many continuous rapids. Both trips are exciting and have many rapids. We do not offer any float trips.

Are reservations required?
YES, once we reach our Forest Service limits, we have to turn people away. The sooner you call, the more likely you will get your desired time and date.

Can I book a trip online?
We do not offer online reservations. You are welcome to fill out our Reservation Request Form to check availability for a specific trip and date. Filling out this form does not commit you to a trip though. For confirmed reservations please call us at 800-745-7238. You can only confirm your trip over the phone.

What are your office hours?
We are open daily from 8:00AM to 7:00PM, May 15th
through the last day of August. In the off-season September – May 15th, we will answer the phones 9AM-4PM, Monday thru Friday (Mountain Time Zone.)

What are the payment terms?
Until June 1, a 50% deposit confirms a reservation. The balance is due 30 days prior to the trip. After June 1, full payment is required. We accept Visa, Mastercard & Discover.

What if I need to cancel?
Fourteen days notice required for a full refund. No refund for any reason with less than fourteen days notice.

What happens on the trip day?
Park cars at Vern's and enter the garden level. Check in with our staff at designated time. Pick up a life jacket, a helmet and on cool days a fleece pullover and splash jacket. Wetsuit and insulated footwear rentals are available. Listen to a safety talk, then take a short bus ride to the launch area. Unload rafts, get
paddling instructions and shoot the rapids! After the rafting
adventure, return to Vern's to look at photos and t-shirts.

When should I arrive for my trip?
Please arrive at the check-in times provided with the trip
descriptions. There is no need to arrive sooner than the check-in times. We allow 45 minutes for groups to get checked in, geared up and presented with a safety orientation. We generally depart about 45 minutes after the check-in times for each trip.

What kind of equipment is used?
Eight person self-bailing rafts with foot holds and grab lines are used. Coast Guard approved Class V rated life jackets and helmets are worn by everyone.

What is provided?
We provide all river-related gear including Coast Guard approved Type V lifejackets (PFD's), helmets, water proof paddle jackets and fleece pullovers. Also included in your trip is transportation from the meeting place for each trip to the river
and back. All trips are provided with an experienced
professional guide.

What should I wear?
Wear sunglasses, quick drying shorts and shirts (avoid cotton)
and secure footwear (no flip-flops or croc sandals).  Bring a towel, sun screen and a change of clothes. Bring a swim suit or pair of nylon shorts to wear under the wetsuit. We recommend chums for prescription glasses or expensive sunglasses.

Do you have lockers?
We do not offer lockers. We collect guests’ car keys when you enter our vehicles and recommend that you leave all of your belongings locked in your own vehicle. It only takes about 10-15 minutes to drive back to our meeting area after all of our trips.

Are photos taken of the trip?
Yes, we do have a photographer following the trip taking many digital photos. We try to take at least 15-25 photos of each raft and also offer a video of one of the biggest rapids on your trip. We burn these photos and video onto a CD and run a digital slide show when you return to our meeting area. You can purchase a CD of all of your photos with the video for $39.99. With the photos on a CD you can print your own
copies, have them printed at many locations, email the photos, edit the photos or create your own movie if you have the right software.

Should I tip my guide?
Gratuity is not required at our company but our staff certainly
does appreciate it. If you feel that your guide did an excellent job providing you with an exceptional, entertaining and educational experience, feel free to reward them accordingly.

Can I bring a camera?
We don't recommend bringing expensive cameras on trips, especially if they are not waterproof. We offer waterproof cameras available for sale in our retail store. They can either attach to your lifejacket or strap to your wrist. Remember to always paddle first before taking a photo. It is a good idea to ask your guide when are appropriate times to take photos. Our trips also have photographers taking photos and video at specific locations on your trip.

Do you have restrooms?
Yes, we have one bathroom in our retail store and more
restrooms in our restaurant area above our retail store. There are restrooms located at the Put In locations for most of our trips.

Is food provided?
We do not offer food on any of our half day trips. Our Full Day Trip does include a delicious, deli style lunch. We do not recommend bringing food on our bus for any of our half day trips because there is limited space. We do offer a restaurant at our location for food either before or after your adventure with us. There is also a convenience store and bakery located at our meeting area.

Should I bring water or a towel?
We do recommend that you bring water on all of our trips. We recommend bringing a water bottle that can attach to the grab lines in our rafts or leave the water on our bus. We do sell water bottle holders in our retail store. Please remember to
collect your water bottle after the trip. Towels can be left in your
vehicle for after the rafting trip. Space is limited on our bus and towels and personal gear usually get soaked on our vehicles so that is why we recommend leaving them in your own cars.

Responsibility:
An acknowledgment of risk form must be signed before participating. We must be notified about any medical conditions of anyone in your group. Alcohol or drug use is strictly prohibited. A Wanderlust Adventure has the authority to cancel your reservation if we suspect you are under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

What Do the Difficulty Ratings Mean?
Class I: Easy - Fast moving water with riffles and small
insignificant waves. Few obstructions that can be avoided.
Class II: Beginner - Straightforward rapids with wide, clear
channels. Occasional maneuvering may be required, but rocks
and medium sized waves can easily be missed.
Class III: Intermediate - Rapids with moderate, irregular
waves, often narrow channels, maneuvering to avoid
obstacles required.
Class IV: Advanced - Intense, but predictable rapids
requiring precise boat handling in turbulent water. Large,
unavoidable waves and holes. Complex channels with many
significant obstacles to be avoided. Exact maneuvering required.
Class V: Expert - Extremely long, obstructed, or very violent
rapids. Drops may contain large, unavoidable waves and holes
or steep, congested chutes with complex, demanding routes.
Class VI: Extreme - Often considered unrunnable these runs
have almost never been attempted and often exemplify the
extremes of difficulty, unpredictability and danger.

Home | Poudre River Rafting Trips | Why Us | F.A.Q.'s | Prices| Reservations | Contact Us | Map | Links | Area Attractions
Staff | Estes Park Rafting | Fort Collins Rafting | Denver Rafting | Rocky Mountain National Park Rafting | Testimonials
Cheyenne Rafting | Cache La Poudre River Rafting | Corporate Team Building | Family Rafting | Employment | Site Map
Colorado Rafting | Boulder Rafting | Dolores River Rafting

A WANDERLUST ADVENTURE Meeting Area at Vern's Restaurant: 4120 W County Rd. 54 G Laporte, CO 80535 1-800-745-7238 or Local (970) 482-1995 E-mail: info@awanderlustadventure.com