Tributary Whitewater Tours has been running Guide Schools since the 1980’s. Throughout the years our industry has changed and therefore so has our guide training program. We still find that an immersive multi-day day training course to learn the skills to guide rafts down white water rapids on the many rivers we are permitted to run is the best way to learn.
New in 2023
As our operations grow in the Pacific Northwest, we have added an additional Guide Training Program to our calendar. This session is scheduled specifically for college students who cannot attend our 7 day California training or folks interested in guiding the Deschutes River for the summer.
Where we go rafting
We start on the Deschutes River, with both on and off river instruction. We may travel to others rivers like the Upper Klamath, Lower Klamath or other rivers we operate on. We want to take you to the best places for putting your raft guiding skills to use on river, so often the itinerary is flexible.
Lunch is included daily. Dinner & Breakfast are not included, except for 1 of each when we teach you how to cook for our overnight meals. The group usually shops & cooks for other meals together.
For the duration of the guide school we are camping. We will provide the space for camping and you are to bring your own gear (tent, sleeping bag, camper van etc). There is typically no power at most locations, many of our guides carry around solar charges.
Whitewater Rafting Guide School Emphasis:
- River hydrology
- River navigation
- Reading whitewater
- Raft equipment rigging
- Equipment maintenance and repair
- Personal rescue equipment & signals
- Commercial safety put-in talks
- Camp/kitchen operations
- Knot tying
- Leading safe, enjoyable whitewater rafting trips