The Capitachouane River presents La Vérendrye's most technical whitewater challenge, featuring dangerous Class 3-5 rapids including R5 sections that demand expert skills. This 36-rapid route through remote wilderness requires 14 portages and offers 20 campsites for extended expeditions. The river's pool-and-drop character provides thrilling whitewater descents interspersed with calmer lake sections, flowing through untouched boreal forest. Access requires long gravel road drives, but rewards experienced paddlers with world-class whitewater and pristine wilderness camping from June through September.
The document describes 36. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| R1 | R1 | yes rive gauche | 115m rapid |
| R5 | R5 | yes rive gauche | 50m rapid at Chute-6m |
| R5 | R5 | yes | Chute-6m station de mesure de débit |
| R2 | R2 | yes rive droite | |
| R5 | R5 | yes rive gauche | |
| R3 | yes | 300m | |
| R2 | 50m | ||
| R1-2 | R1-2 | yes | |
| R2-3 | R2-3 | yes | |
| R3 | R3 | yes | 30m rapid |
| R1 | R1 | yes | 100m rapid |
| R1 | R1 | yes | 15m rapid |
| R2 | R2 | yes | 76m rapid |
| R3-R2 | R3-R2 R2-3 | yes | 50m rapid |
| R2 | R2 | yes | 150m rapid |
| R2-3 | R2-3 | yes | 30m rapid |
| R2 | R2 | yes | 300m rapid |
| R1 | R1 | yes | 300m rapid |
| R2 | R2 | yes | 200m rapid |
| R3+R2 | R3+R2 R2-3 | yes | 250m combined rapids |
| R2 | R2 | yes | 50m rapid |
| R2 | R2 | yes | 50m rapid |
| R2 | R2 | yes | 150m rapid |
| R3 | R3 | yes | 90m rapid |
| R2 | R2 | yes | 250m rapid |
| R1-2 | R1-2 | yes | 30m rapid |
| R1-2 | R1-2 | yes | 50m rapid |
| R1 | R1 | 30m rapid | |
| R1-2 | R1-2 | 15m and 100m rapids | |
| R1/2 | R1/2 R1-2 | 50m rapid | |
| R3 continuous section | R3 | yes rive droite | Multiple R3 rapids marked as EH (extremely hazardous) |
| R1-R3 EH section | R1-R3 EH R1-3 | yes rive gauche | Series of rapids with extreme hazard rating including R1 EB, R2 EB, R3 EH |
| R3-4 court | R3-4 | yes | 50m short Class 3-4 rapid at end of discharge |
| R3 EH train de vagues | R3 EH R3 | Wave train at end of R2 to EB section | |
| R1 | 10m | ||
| R1-2 | 30m |
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 Charles Leduc, 2023-04. CapitachouaneLeduc2022.pdf
The document describes 14 portage(s).
| Portage | Length | Bank | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Île à Eli | not stated | chemin plus long mais sans risque | |
| R1-2 portage | 50 m | rive gauche | |
| Portage at Chute-6m, ends on beach | 200 m | rive gauche | finit sur une plage |
| P200m à G portage encombré finit sur une plage rocailleuse | 200 m | rive gauche | encombré finit sur une plage rocailleuse |
| P230m à D | 230 m | rive droite | |
| P100m à G | 100 m | rive gauche | |
| P300m | 300 m | ||
| CHUTE 3m portage à D | not stated | rive droite | Around 3m waterfall |
| Portage à D (portage to right) for CHUTE 3M | not stated | rive droite | |
| Portage recommandé à EH, halage du S5 à EB | 1200 m | rive droite | Recommended portage for extreme hazard section |
| P100m portage at end section | 100 m | ||
| le portage de 50m permet d'éviter (si désiré) une section sinueuse de quelques kilomètres | 50 m | ||
| portage non entretenu et encombré (2015) | not stated | Le portage commence du côté est de la maison, à travers de hautes herbes. Le sentier est érodé par le passage de VTT. | |
| barrage de castor possible dans le tuyau, véritable d'une année à l'autre | not stated |
The document describes 17 campsite(s).
Vérendrye - Capitachouane 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 June-September.
Vérendrye - Capitachouane River is located in the Outaouais region of Canada.
cartespleinair.org · myccr.com · sepaq.com · pleinairalacarte.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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