[mayuan]

The river that is in the picture is not a class III. That is a class IV river as you can see no clear passage through the river. As long as you don't want to go on any of these rivers listed below you should be fine. Always leave room for error.


Here is a list of the class ratings for some of the rivers in Alberta;

Bow River - Horseshoe Canyon, II - III
Carbondale Creek, Southern Alberta
Cascade Creek, Western Rockies, III - IV
Elbow River, Western Rockies, III+ - IV
Kananaskis River, Foothills, II - III
Mosquito Creek - Western Rockies, II - III
Mystia River, Western Rockies, II - III+
North Saskatchewan River, Rockies to Plains, II - III
Pipestone River, Western Rockies, III - IV
Red Earth Creek, Western Rockies, IV - V
St. Mary River (Montana-Alberta), II - III
Sheep River, Western Rockies, III+ - V
Upper Bow - Western Rockies, Willys Rapid Section, III - IV
Upper Red Deer River, Alberta foothills, II - III

Also, here is a list of what the classes mean;

Class I

Easy – Waves small, passages clear; no serious obstacles, perfect for all ages and abilities. No guide needed.

Class II

Medium – Rapids of low difficulty with passages clear. Suitable for everyone, no experience necessary. A guide is preferable for these rapids, but not required.

Class III

Moderate – Waves numerous, high, irregular; rocks; eddies; rapids with passages clear though narrow, requiring experience in maneuvering. No previous experience is necessary.

Class IV

Difficult – Long rapids; waves powerful, irregular; dangerous rocks; boiling eddies; powerful and precise maneuvering required. Have an experienced guide. Previous experience is helpful, but not necessary.

Class V

Extremely Difficult – Exceedingly difficult, long and violent rapids, following each other almost without interruption; riverbed extremely obstructed; big drops; violent currents; very steep gradient. Paddlers should have prior Class IV or better whitewater experience with experienced guides who know the river.

Class VI

Unrunnable!Just like it says – Don’t even think about it! These constitute waterfalls and other death-traps that should not be attempted.