The Gatineau River festival route offers world-class whitewater from class I to V rapids, featuring the famous 9-kilometer section between Maniwaki and Bouchette that hosts the Upper Gatineau Whitewater Festival. This challenging run includes 7 major rapids with 2 portages and 3 campsites, attracting hundreds of paddlers annually from across North America. The river features powerful class IV rapids with easier lines available, plus the infamous 'Guelle du Lion' play spot. Best paddled during the festival season with organized events, expert instruction, and safety support available.
The document describes 7. The map shows 0, because it only places rapids a national survey publishes a coordinate for. The two counts measure different things.
| Rapid | Class | Portage | Surveyor's note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tête des Six | S II S2 | R I, R I, R II, R III sections | |
| De Lucifer | R IV-V R4-5 | ||
| Du Corbeau | S IV-V S4-5 | yes droite | R II-III, R II-III sections |
| La danse du Draveur | R III-IV R3-4 | R II | |
| La Haute-Tension | R IV-V R4-5 | R II-III | |
| Le Mur | R IV-V R4-5 | R II | |
| Des Cèdres | S IV-V S4-5 | yes droite | R I, R IV Le Bonnet Rouge sections |
This table publishes no position for any rapid. Where a surveyor's note mentions a kilometre, those are their words quoted as written, and the figure was read off a scanned map: use it to follow their description, not to navigate. Most of these surveys were written in French.
Surveyed by Festival, 2003-08. GatineauFestival2002.pdf
The document describes 2 portage(s).
| Portage | Length | Bank | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Du Corbeau portage | not stated | droite | Pass, Rappel, Chute, Billots marked with DANGER |
| Des Cèdres portage | not stated | droite | Pass, Rappel marked with DANGER |
The document describes 3 campsite(s).
Gatineau River is rated Advanced. Whitewater ratings are not exact: grades change with water level and season. Verify current conditions locally before you paddle.
The best time is August.
Gatineau River is located in the Outaouais region of Canada.
cartespleinair.org (2002 Festival map, in French) · gatineau.org · tourismeoutaouais.com · bonjourquebec.com
Conditions change with water level and season. Grades and positions are for planning, not navigation. Verify locally before you paddle. Terms of use
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