Hi Everyone,
Just a few days ago I went tubing in Elora Gorge. It was stationed in a park run by the Grand River Conservation Association. I was excited because I felt that tubing would be a more relaxing experience rather than a white water rafting trip I took some years ago.
I called ahead for information. I felt that the price was reasonable and asked my friends if they were interested in going.
We went on the Friday. (just so ya know, the walk is long to and from the start and stop points and shuttles are only on weekends) The idea of a walk did not detour me.
We arrived at the starting point and there was a person there in a lawnchair with a first aid kit. I thought that this was odd, but did not question it.
I asked, "where is the best place to start?" My answer was rather vague.
"Depends on whether you want to go thru the rapids or not."
I will tell you now, at the rental site we were not warned about river speed, rocks or currents. No one pointed out whether we were signing a waiver for injury and the person in the lawnchair never inquired about our skill level.
We figured that the rapids didn't look that bad. I tucked my double-bagged Blackberry in the front of my swimsuit, clipped on my water bottle, donned my helmet and lifejacket and pushed the tube into the water. YES I BROUGHT MY BB!!! I FIGURED I COULD GET SOME NICE PICTURES ON THE MEANDERING WATERWAY.
At the first set of rapids, I fell off the tube (no handles on it or tether) I went under several times and was dragged with the force of the current. I hit a few rocks in the water and ended up with a welt on my shin that stuck out a good inch. 100yrds later, I finally got some footing in the current and figured my tube was long gone. I touched my chest to feel for my BB and found that it too was gone with the water bottle. SO FAR, NOT IMPRESSED!
I looked upstream and noticed the guy in the lawnchair had not budged and inch to see if we were ok. THAT PISSED ME OFF.
I called out to my friend, who is not a good swimmer if she was ok and then turned to look down stream and seen something floating. I told her that I was going to see if it was my BB. IT WAS....AND IT WAS DRY AND WORKING!! I walked back along the shore and noticed my friend was not fairing well. She was a bit tramatized by the water and going under. I sat her down and took off her jacket and helmut and told her to 'just breathe'.
After about 20 minutes we figured we would keep going, it couldn't get any worse then that right???? WRONG!
Another 5 minutes down we hit another set of rapids and got tossed again. By this time I had a sprained thumb and huge bruises on my legs from the rocks under the water. My friend was in a panick attack.
She wanted to walk the shore.
WORD OF ADVICE: WEAR RUNNING SHOES....it will save your feet.
So we walked. I figured she needed a bit of time to calm down. That did not happen. She did not wear runners but rather water shoes.
PEOPLE....DON'T WEAR WATER SHOES. They have no support and are horrible on the feet trying to walk on rocks.
We had to crisscross the river multiple times to avoid the current. She was afraid. UNDERSTANDABLY SO.... we had no warning of the river conditions.
After walking a long time, we finally hit a section of the river that seemed easier. The steep walls of the Gorge started to wain and i figured that this was a good clue to a calmer section. I guessed correctly.
I told her that it would be ok to get on the tube now. Her feet had taken a beating from the walk over the rocks. The last 25 minutes of the ride was easier and we came to the end.
SHE WAS ECSTATIC TO HIT DRY LAND!!!!
ALL ALONG THE TUBE RUN THERE WAS NOT ONE SPOTTER TO WATCH OUT FOR INJURED PEOPLE. THERE IS NO ACCESS OUT OF THE GORGE UNTIL YOU GET TO THE END OF THE RUN. This did not impress me.
WHAT IF SOMEONE HIT THEIR HEAD??? OR BROKE A LEG??? HOW WOULD YOU GET OUT???
When we got back to the rental shack, the person asked if I had enjoyed it?
NO.... I said. I said that I was not impressed with the lack of warning, lack of spotters, lack of exits from the gorge and the lack initiative on their part to warn us.
His reply was ...."well you signed a waiver!"
KNOW WHAT I DID...I lost it.
"What waiver? Did you tell me I was signing one? Did you post warning signs? Did you post river conditions? NO, NO AND NO!
There was a woman there with her child. The child was about 10yrs old. She stood horrified as I spoke. She did not stand there long and walked off with her child.
To me.....signing a waiver is not an appropriate way of covering your ass. I felt the park should have had warning signs up, river conditions posted and should have made people aware that they were signing a waiver and why. The park should have posted spotters with walkie talkies along the tube route in case of injury as well as having some means of exit/escape out of the Gorge in a few spots along the way.
I do not recommend this tubing site to anyone!
KNOW WHAT I SAY....SHAME ON YOU GRCA for not preparing people better.
ENOUGH SAID...
Quote of the Day.....
"if you don't tell someone that it is dangerous, they will assume its not....you could be one step away from a lawsuit. Its called 'neglect'."
Just a few days ago I went tubing in Elora Gorge. It was stationed in a park run by the Grand River Conservation Association. I was excited because I felt that tubing would be a more relaxing experience rather than a white water rafting trip I took some years ago.
I called ahead for information. I felt that the price was reasonable and asked my friends if they were interested in going.
We went on the Friday. (just so ya know, the walk is long to and from the start and stop points and shuttles are only on weekends) The idea of a walk did not detour me.
We arrived at the starting point and there was a person there in a lawnchair with a first aid kit. I thought that this was odd, but did not question it.
I asked, "where is the best place to start?" My answer was rather vague.
"Depends on whether you want to go thru the rapids or not."
I will tell you now, at the rental site we were not warned about river speed, rocks or currents. No one pointed out whether we were signing a waiver for injury and the person in the lawnchair never inquired about our skill level.
We figured that the rapids didn't look that bad. I tucked my double-bagged Blackberry in the front of my swimsuit, clipped on my water bottle, donned my helmet and lifejacket and pushed the tube into the water. YES I BROUGHT MY BB!!! I FIGURED I COULD GET SOME NICE PICTURES ON THE MEANDERING WATERWAY.
At the first set of rapids, I fell off the tube (no handles on it or tether) I went under several times and was dragged with the force of the current. I hit a few rocks in the water and ended up with a welt on my shin that stuck out a good inch. 100yrds later, I finally got some footing in the current and figured my tube was long gone. I touched my chest to feel for my BB and found that it too was gone with the water bottle. SO FAR, NOT IMPRESSED!
I looked upstream and noticed the guy in the lawnchair had not budged and inch to see if we were ok. THAT PISSED ME OFF.
I called out to my friend, who is not a good swimmer if she was ok and then turned to look down stream and seen something floating. I told her that I was going to see if it was my BB. IT WAS....AND IT WAS DRY AND WORKING!! I walked back along the shore and noticed my friend was not fairing well. She was a bit tramatized by the water and going under. I sat her down and took off her jacket and helmut and told her to 'just breathe'.
After about 20 minutes we figured we would keep going, it couldn't get any worse then that right???? WRONG!
Another 5 minutes down we hit another set of rapids and got tossed again. By this time I had a sprained thumb and huge bruises on my legs from the rocks under the water. My friend was in a panick attack.
She wanted to walk the shore.
WORD OF ADVICE: WEAR RUNNING SHOES....it will save your feet.
So we walked. I figured she needed a bit of time to calm down. That did not happen. She did not wear runners but rather water shoes.
PEOPLE....DON'T WEAR WATER SHOES. They have no support and are horrible on the feet trying to walk on rocks.
We had to crisscross the river multiple times to avoid the current. She was afraid. UNDERSTANDABLY SO.... we had no warning of the river conditions.
After walking a long time, we finally hit a section of the river that seemed easier. The steep walls of the Gorge started to wain and i figured that this was a good clue to a calmer section. I guessed correctly.
I told her that it would be ok to get on the tube now. Her feet had taken a beating from the walk over the rocks. The last 25 minutes of the ride was easier and we came to the end.
SHE WAS ECSTATIC TO HIT DRY LAND!!!!
ALL ALONG THE TUBE RUN THERE WAS NOT ONE SPOTTER TO WATCH OUT FOR INJURED PEOPLE. THERE IS NO ACCESS OUT OF THE GORGE UNTIL YOU GET TO THE END OF THE RUN. This did not impress me.
WHAT IF SOMEONE HIT THEIR HEAD??? OR BROKE A LEG??? HOW WOULD YOU GET OUT???
When we got back to the rental shack, the person asked if I had enjoyed it?
NO.... I said. I said that I was not impressed with the lack of warning, lack of spotters, lack of exits from the gorge and the lack initiative on their part to warn us.
His reply was ...."well you signed a waiver!"
KNOW WHAT I DID...I lost it.
"What waiver? Did you tell me I was signing one? Did you post warning signs? Did you post river conditions? NO, NO AND NO!
There was a woman there with her child. The child was about 10yrs old. She stood horrified as I spoke. She did not stand there long and walked off with her child.
To me.....signing a waiver is not an appropriate way of covering your ass. I felt the park should have had warning signs up, river conditions posted and should have made people aware that they were signing a waiver and why. The park should have posted spotters with walkie talkies along the tube route in case of injury as well as having some means of exit/escape out of the Gorge in a few spots along the way.
I do not recommend this tubing site to anyone!
KNOW WHAT I SAY....SHAME ON YOU GRCA for not preparing people better.
ENOUGH SAID...
Quote of the Day.....
"if you don't tell someone that it is dangerous, they will assume its not....you could be one step away from a lawsuit. Its called 'neglect'."
I have been tubing the Elora Gorge since I was a little kid and I can understand that some people commit to running the gorge not really knowing what they are getting into, however don't blame the GRCA for your lack of information they do have signs posted pointing out every danger involved. Elora Gorge is a conservation area not a theme park. USE AT YOUR OWN RISK! If everyone looks to blame everyone else for their own ignorance when it comes to nature adventures then one by one they will all be taken away from us due to the constant threat of lawsuits.
ReplyDeleteRead up on the tubing run and ask people who have done it before what they thought of it. If you aren't a good swimmer or you may not be comfortable in water this may not be for you.
The gorge in general is a very dangerous place and it should be treated with the respect it deserves and I hope it will be around for my kids to tube just like I did as a child.
Trust me the trip through the gorge is fantastic if you read all signs and know what you are getting into.