Vitals
- Locale: Whistler, British Columbia
- What It's Like: Classic. Continuous river running at its finest.
- Class: Continuous class IV at 2.5-2.6.
- Scouting/Portaging: Easy to moderate - good boat scouting skills will make things go much faster.
- Level: Online gauge: Cheakamus near Miller Creek. This gauge and a staff for visual confirmation is located at the take out.
- Time: 1.5 hours if you take your time. A casual 20-30 minutes when it's familiar.
- When To Go: Long season - spring, summer and fall.
- Info From: Many visits.
- Other Beta: None.
- Map: Click here for a map of the shuttle.
Description
If there ever was a flagship run for the boating around Whistler, the Upper Cheakamus just might be it. Although relatively short it is packed with great rapids from start to finish and it has a season that extends from the start of the melt well into the fall. To top it off there's a small waterfall at the put in that is one of the best boofs in town. No matter if you're a seasoned veteran or someone looking for that next step into continuous and pushy whitewater, you are definitely going to have a good time.
The Upper Cheak is incredibly popular and is a staple for locals and out-of-towners alike. To find the take out - which is often a busy hang out for boaters - simply find the Function Junction intersection west of Whistler. Turn south, towards the Athletes Village that was built for the 2010 Olympics. Take the logging road up the west side of the river - after crossing the bridge there will be a left turn after 100 meters leading to a large parking lot and an informal campsite with a huge fire ring. The take out is just down the trail along the river - there is a stick gauge at the take out which corresponds to the online gauge.
The put in is further up the west side logging road. Drive up this road for about 5 minutes - you will go up a steep hill that is sometimes a little bumpy after which the road will flatten out. A short ways after getting flat you will notice a 3 or 4 car pullout on the left and the river will be shoaly class II-III - this pull out is the put in parking. If you want to run the put in falls go straight to the water here. If you want to start below the falls there is an obvious trail 50 meters back down the road that takes you to the eddy - or the big seal launch - below the falls.
The Cheakamus is runnable at a wide range of flows. A fair minimum is 2.2, and it will be somewhat rocky. The Cheak starts getting prime at 2.5 - at this flow the river is solid class IV the whole way with one rapid that's perhaps a little more challenging. An upper level is up to you although it's well within reason to be running it over 3.0 on the gauge. As always, difficulty changes accordingly with the level and because of the continuousness you need to act quickly to save gear should someone swim, even at lower flows.
The run itself is self explanatory and much of it can be boat scouted. If you're not comfortable doing this it is also possible to scout everything from the shore and if there's need to get off the river a trail follows it closely along the river left side right to the take out.
The put in falls is optional. It's a great boof but it does develop a decent hole as the level goes up. Most people who run it regularly start to think twice once the level gets up around 2.8-2.9. Below the falls things start right away - the first rapid of note just downstream is called Cobra. After this things ease slightly until you see a suspension bridge over head.
There's a good rapid under the bridge which is immediately followed by Triple Drop, the toughest of the run. It has a long entrance with a big hole at the bottom. Run it on the left. The river goes on with more of the same below Triple right until the take out. The last rapid is called House Rock and is marked by a big square boulder in the middle of the river. The take out is right below here next to the stick gauge. And that's it - jump out for a second lap or if the level is right keep on going through Balls to the Wall - it's just as good, and a little bit harder.
Matt Kompass at the put in falls. A fine way to start the run.
Clearing the hole in the middle of Triple Drop.
Updated Feb 25, 2010
