Paddle Up - Float Down: Mixed Group Tour

Pricing

Solo - $120 Small Group (2-3) - $75/person Large Group (4-6) - $70/person

Duration

2 - 3 Hours

About

Get your work out in and then lavish in a mellow float back to the river put-in point. This tour requires a moderate amount of upper body physical strength and cardiovascular ability. This tour only operates in mid to late-Summer and Fall when the Animas River is not at a high flow rate. There is something to be said about putting in some work on an adventure; it's like it feeds the Soul, or maybe it’s just the endorphins released from repetitive effort. Either way it’s good living in our book! This tour is designed to put in the work up front, and then lavish in the surrounding natural beauty as we let the river do the work and casually float back down. Many of our SUPs are able to convert into a kayak-like mode, with a backrest to lean against, and an extra paddle blade to make for a double-sided kayak paddle. Most people find this to be noticeably easier when paddling upstream. The world gets quieter when we travel upstream. More birds, more peace, more views, but more work. You earn your epic pics on this tour! No previous SUP or kayak experience necessary. (MINIMUM AGE: 8 years old)

Additional Tour Details

This tour does require a moderate amount of upper body strength. We will be paddling rather consistently for the first 1-1.5 hours. There will be a few different eddies we can catch and relax for a bit on our way up stream. If you would like to bring your 8+ year olds on the adventure, we have a few paddle boards that are large enough to accommodate an adult and child. We also have small child-size paddleboards for the little adventurers, but it is a fair amount of upstream paddling. It is not crazy hard, but does require consistent effort. If booking as a Private Tour your group can call it good whenever, and we will find an eddie in the river to enjoy some snacks before letting the river do the work for the rest of the tour. In general, and on Mixed Group Tours we paddle upstream for around 1.25 hours and then float back down for about 45 minutes, with some breaks on the way up and at the turnaround spot. Your guide will instruct and demonstrate how to paddle from a kneeling position, standing position, remounting your board if (and when) you fall in, and how to convert your SUP and paddle into kayak-mode. It is also required that you know how to swim and are able to swim up to 30 ft with a PFD on in order to book this tour. Guides will have a throw-rope with them at all times, and will assist in any way they are needed. Please let your guide know ahead of time if you want the extra items to potentially convert your SUP into kayak-mode and we will be sure to pack enough for anyone that wants them. There are bathrooms/changing rooms at the river put-in, and we recommend using them as we will not have another option besides the river until we get back. Please do not hesitate to call or email us with any questions before booking this tour. We are happy to answer all of your questions and make sure you end up on the best tour that fits your group’s desires and abilities!

Location

The tour puts in on the Animas River at Oxbow Park & Preserve on the north end of town. We paddle upstream into a beautiful serene setting where the land on either side of the river is private. Due to this we are required to stay on our boards and utilize eddies for breaks rather than pulling onto shore. This section of the Animas River is located at about 6,500ft in elevation, which for many traveling from out of town is great for acclimatization compared to the high elevation trails around 10,000ft! This makes for a great adventure day earlier on in your trip before you go exploring in the big mountains nearby.

What’s Included

• Demonstration and instruction on how to SUP and SUP-kayak
• Use of our highend SUPs with abilities to convert into a kayak-like experience
• Use of our Osprey Daylite Plus backpacks (20L volume)
• Use of our top-of-the-line Astral PFDs meant for paddle watersports
• Snacks: Guides will provide a variety of snacks for guests to pack into their daypacks at the river put-in if they would like.
• Transportation to and from your lodging (within 5 miles of Durango’s city center) or an established meeting location
• A medically trained and well experienced SUP guide, aware of local dangers and how to mitigate them, who is excited to share their passion for the outdoors with you; as well as their favorite places to eat in town!

What's Not Included

• Rain jacket and a variety of layers
• Appropriate footwear (sandals/water shoes recommended)
• Lodging
• Personalized Snacks
• Trip and Medical Insurance
• Water bottles/water badders (ability to carry 1 liter is required)
• Guide Gratuity

Transportation/Pick-Up Locations

Meraki guides are happy to pick you up from your place of lodging, as long as it is within 5 miles of Durango’s city center. If you are staying farther outside of town we will establish a spot to meet and transport you from there, or we can meet at the. If you are booking a “Mixed Group Tour”, please recognize your guide will be making multiple stops to pick up and drop off guests. Please be on time with your set pick up time to avoid delaying the entire tour. Guides will drop off guests in the order that makes the most sense to them.

FAQs

• Do I need to have good physical fitness to do this tour? You need to have a moderate level of physical fitness to do this tour. You need to have the cardiovascular ability and physical strength to be rather consistently paddling for 1-1.5 hours, with little breaks along the way. Most guests find the tour to be a nice challenge to slowly work their way upstream. It is also required that you know how to swim and can swim for up to 30 feet with a PFD on. Your SUP is a large flotation device, and you will be wearing a PFD, but in case you get separated from your SUP, it is required that you know how to swim. It is very important that you fill out the health profile section of the Registration Form with complete accuracy. Not doing so may put yourself, others in the group, and/or the guide at risk of serious injury or even death. Please provide all pertinent health information and let us design a tour that fits you well.

• Is there a minimum age required to do this tour? Yes. Our insurance requires all participants on river tours to be at least 8 years of age. If your little rascals are under 8 years of age and you still want to learn/enjoy time SUPing, you will need to book the Electra Lake Tour. If you are planning to bring your little ones who may need more time or paddle a little slower than your average adult, please book a private tour and your guide will be happy to move at the pace of your family’s needs. If you are not booking a private tour we ask that all guests be able to paddle upstream at a moderate pace for approximately 1-1.5 hours. Please reach out to us if you have any questions or concerns about the appropriateness of bringing your child. Any guest under the age of 18 needs to be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian.

• How does tipping work with these tours? Guides put a lot of work into preparing your tour, running it safely, and doing their best to make your smile large and send you home with great memories; and then clean and store gear. Gratuity is not expected, but it is greatly appreciated. If you thought your guide did a great job keeping you safe, teaching you about the area and accommodating your needs, gratuities usually range between 15-20% of the tour price.

What to Bring

• Rain Jacket (even if the weather calls for pure sunshine, that isn’t always accurate and it can change quickly here)
• A swimsuit or clothing you don’t mind swimming in, if you fall off your board
• A variety of clothing layers to adjust to speed of movement and varying weather conditions that will likely occur. Athletic clothing is preferred.
• A hat to protect from the intense Colorado sun
• Sunglasses
• Long sleeve sunshirt (not required, but definitely recommended for this environment)
• Sunscreen
• Your all-time favorite snacks
• 1-2 liters of water (We will have a large water jug in the vehicle to top up water bottles at the trailhead.)
• Appropriate footwear: We find that most clients prefer to wear a sandal or some form of a water shoe when SUPing