Whitewater Guide School in Montana

Montana Raft Guide Training

Whitewater Raft Guide Schools with Montana River Guides

Swiftwater Rescue Training and Whitewater Raft Guide Instruction on the Blackfoot and Clark Fork Rivers near Missoula, Montana

Learn to Guide near Missoula, Montana on the Clark Fork  and Blackfoot Rivers

RAFT GUIDE SCHOOLS: These five-day Raft Guide Schools are designed for people wanting to lead river trips or become professional raft guides. Our whitewater raft guide training focuses on safety, reading water, and guiding paddle rafts through Class II, III and IV whitewater. Topics include trip preparation, safety talks, equipment, rigging, boat handling, communications, paddle commands, and rescue techniques. Our five-day Raft Guide School combines river instruction with a certified Whitewater Rescue Technician class the first three days. The swiftwater rescue training takes place on the Blackfoot and Clear water River near Missoula.  On days four and five you’ll guide whitewater raft trips on the Blackfoot River and Alberton Gorge. The course is hosted at the Alberton Gorge Ranch and includes a Whitewater Rescue Technician certification and certificate of completion.

2020 Dates

April 3-7

May 8-12

June12-16

Missoula Adventures on the River

Missoula Adventures on the River

Pack Rafting and Kayaking Trips on the Clark Fork River

Missoula rafting  opportunities just improved. Now adventurers can join a guided pack raft trip on the Blackfoot River near Missoula and explore one of Montana's most beloved wilderness rivers. Missoula's raft rental leader  the Last Best Ski & Paddle Shop, has brought a fleet of Kokopelli pack rafts and partnered with Missoula rafting outfitter 10,000 Waves to make these adventures possible. 

Guided all-inclusive river trips on the Clark Fork and Blackfoot Rivers daily. Call 10,000 waves at 406-549-6670 for more info or book online at www.10000-waves.com

Missoula Tubing Rentals and Raft Rentals

Missoula Rafting and River Rentals

Rafts   *     Kayaks    *    SUP   *    Packrafts    *Surf

Missoula raftingand Missoula River Rentalscan be found in one new location.  10000 Waves and LB Snoware working together to offer more options for people who want to run the river on either a guided trip or alone with rental equipment.   The new 10000 Waves Summer Headquarters is located in LB SNOWdowntown Missoula. Both the Waves and LB have historically offered summer rentals. New owner Willi Connell at LB has ramped up the river rental program and 100000 Waves is fired up to be a part of it. If guests want a guided river trip we are ready, but if they prefer to rent a boat and river gear, LB SNOW is ready to go with Missoula raft rentals, Missoula kayak Rentals, SUP's, Missoula Tube Rentals and even Pack Rafts!

Here's a note from the folks at LB about the new summer river rental program.

"LB SNOW has a brand new rental fleet of boats fully rigged and ready to go.  We want them to be around for a long time, but we also want them to be used. We have been rafting and camping in the Missoula area for a long time and have curated our boat packages to be exactly what makes the most sense. Our specialty is geared towards the weekend overnight or multi-day trip for people who do not have time to mess with the little things.  We provide not only the correct gear but also information on sections of river, what kind of wildlife to look for, put-ins and take-outs and the must stop hole-in-the wall bar to grab a burger at."

Missoula River Rental Equipment

"We have also expanded our rental equipment to keep our rivers clean for generations to come. Our rivers are getting busier and busier and one of the ways we can all help keep them clean is by following Leave No Trace principles.

 Another way we will be making things easier for folks to enjoy their river time to the fullest is with our rental delivery program. For $10 you can have your rental gear delivered to your home or place of work or even hotel (within 5 miles of the shop). That is right, if you want a Raft, Pakraft, Paddle Board, Surf Board, Inflatable Kayak, Hard Shell Recreational kayak, or Whitewater Kayak delivered to you we will deliver it to your doorstep the night or afternoon before your rental day. Now, don’t get us wrong we want you to come enjoy a beer at Draughtworks before or after your trip with us but if you are in a rush, we are happy to deliver your rentals to you."

Riverboarding Brothers Setting the Standard

Check out this river boarding footage of the Patterson brothers ripping on river boards in huge waves. Inspiring!

River Safety and Rescue Training

Raft Guide Training Dates: 2019

Rivers we teach on include the Clark Fork River, Yellowstone, Big Hole, Beaverhead, Missouri, Stillwater, Snake, Flathead, Blackfoot River, Kootenai, Lochsa, Salmon, Swan, Skykomish, Madison, Kern, Fisher, North Fork, Middle Fork, Middle Fork (Pick One), Big Horn, Bitterroot, Boulder, North Platte, Payette, the Maumee, Henry’s Fork, the Falls and many more!  Please call us if you would like to schedule a class on your local river. Call for more Info (406-214-0245).

April 8-9.      Montana Rafting Workshop

Missoula

April 8-12     Raft Guide School

Missoula

April 5-7       Swiftwater Rescue Technician

Missoula

April 19-21.  Swiftwater Rescue Technician

Missoula

April TBA     Swiftwater Rescue Technician

Bigfork

May 10-12.   Whitewater Rescue Technician

Missoula

May 10-14.    Raft Guide School

Missoula

May 13-14.    Whitewater Rafting Workshop

Missoula

May 17-19.    Whitewater Rescue Technician

Bozeman

May 20-22.   Whitewater Rescue Technican

Gardiner

May TBA.    Whitewater Rescue Technician

Billings

June 4-6.     Whitewater Rescue Technican

TBA

June 5-7.     Swiftwater Rescue Technician

West Glacier

June 14-16   Swiftwater Rescue  Technician

Missoula

June 14-18.    Raft Guide School

Missoula

June 17-18     Montana Rafting Workshop

Missoula

June 23-24.    Whitewater Rafting Workshop

Missoula

July TBA.      Swiftwater Rescue Class

The Best Riverboarding Trips in the United States

Missoula's Best Summer Adventure: Riverboarding!

Not many people know that Missoula's Clark Fork River is the number one riverboarding destination in North America. Missoula adventure outfitter Montana River Guides has been guiding whitewater river board trips on the Clark Fork River's Alberton Gorge since 1995.  Guided river board trips through the spectacular Alberton Gorge are offered daily at 9am, 2pm and 4 pm. Our guides provide all of your equipment along with a thorough orientation and safety briefing. After a practice session where you learn how to maneuver in river current, you'll follow your guide down the river.

A smiling river boarder attacks Fang Rapid with Montana River Guides

The Ultimate Missoula Whitewater Adventure

River boarding is a blast. If you can swim, possess enthusiasm and are looking to cool off, river boarding is hard to beat. Missoula's best summer adventure includes big fun class II and III rapids along with some fun surf waves deep in this remarkable canyon. You'll learn river trip basic risk management principals, hand signals and how to read water so you can pull maneuvers like eddy turns, peel outs, ferries and even surfing. While everyone gets their own board, we run the river as a team. Guides are ready to team up and assist guests who want to be lined up just right in the rapids.

Experiencing thrilling whitewater at face level going headfirst down a rollicking river is hands down the funnest, most exciting, guided outdoor adventure in Montana. The Clark Fork River and the Alberton Gorge are perfectly suited for river boarding because of the clean channels, fun rapids and surfable waves. At lower flows we pull over and take turns surfing at a variety of different waves.

Late July and August bring lower river levels and surfable waves at Triple Bridges, Ice Box and Fang. Icebox in the 2-3,000 cfs range is one of the most exciting surfs on the Gorge. At late summer flows the river is more technical but easier to maneuver in than at higher levels.  Our normal half day trips go through the middle canyon and it's bigger rapids. Full day trips start near the Alberton Gorge Ranch and run through Eyeopener, Swimmers, the Shelf, Potter's Plunge and Cliffside before taking a break at Sandy Beaches.
Montana River Guides has been guiding river board trips on the Gorge for over twenty years. Owner Mike Johnston started out as the lead river board guide and was eventually replaced by Bret "Gentle Muscles" Mollenhauer. Josephine Johnston took over from Bret and now Jo's younger brother Sam is MRG's lead river board guide. The longer we have been at the Gorge the more we have come to appreciate it as one of Montana's hidden adventure gems.

Northwest Travel & Life profiles Riverboarding with MRG in this Article

Get Your Adventure on in Alberton Montana with Montana River Guides!
We really enjoyed this article in Northwest Travel.

Riverboarding Montana -More than Adrenaline

Riverboarding trips at Montana River Guides are awesome for many different reasons. Foremost is the section of river, the Alberton Gorge, is designed by river gods and ancient floods with deep channels, fun rapids and friendly surf waves. Our time spent gearing up for each trip and going through the safety briefing builds anticipation for the challenge and whitewater adventure to come. You'll learn basic river hydrology and terminology while learning how to ferry, do eddy turns and peel outs, and maneuver your own board down the river.

This picture is another reason we love our guided river board trips. Most of them include this moment at this beautiful spot where the anticipation and adrenaline are calmed by the sheer spectacular beauty of the place we are about to explore. There's the excitement and the challenge of the whitewater balanced by the soothing immersion in a powerful flowing river in-between the rapids. The power and grandeur of this river and place can give us perspective on our place in this world. Time spent with people you love in great places doing great things, is time well spent.

Montana River Guides
-Riverboarding the Gorge since 1994

Riverboarding & River Rescue Highlites from Montana

Check out a few river boarding  and guide training hi-lites from one week in June of 2016.  https://vimeo.com/171315409
Montana River Guides will be offering guided riverboard trips in 2017 for the 22nd consecutive year.

Riverboarding 

Riverboarding and River Fun near Missoula Montana

Spring Riverboarding & Rescue Training in Montana

Every spring we travel throughout  Montana  and Idaho teaching rescue classes and having fun along the way.Then we head back to the Alberton Gorge with Montana River Guides offering Missoula Raft Trips and guided riverboarding trips daily all summer long.

Riverboard Guide: Josephine Johnston

Montana River Guides has been one of the few companies in the world guiding river board trips since 1996...year in and year out we start river boarding rivers throughout Montana in our Swiftwater Rescue classes during April and May.  Usually in June our dedicated return customers come out for  high water river board trips and we start guiding on the Blackfoot River and Alberton Gorge.
Our lead guide the past few seasons has been longtime river boarder Jo Johnston.  Jo started river boarding Montana when she was five (about 16 years ago) and has probably guided more river board trips than any woman in North America.  Jo is certified in whitewater rescue and is a wilderness first responder, and in her senior year at Willamette University where she plays basketball and studies Environmental Science...When she's not leading river board trips , she either guides raft trips or runs safety for our raft trips, ready to give our rafting guests a helping hand if they take an unintentional swim at Tumbleweed or Fang.

Incredible Surfing Footage

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2U4CeE26AOI&feature=share

Riverboarding with Friends and Family

The Missoula Noonball Guys

While another great summer of river boarding is winding down, there is still great surf in the gorge and the water levels have held up great. Here a couple of photos from two trips with special significance.
The top photo include a few the guys I've played pickup basketball with for years at the Peak in (From right to left) Jason Pounds runs the graphic design and marketing company River Designs  and is a top level web page and graphic designer ( see our brochure and website!).
Michael Downs (aka 'the professor) is a creative

Me and Rey, My Five Year Old River Runner

writing professor at Towson Universityand author of The Greatest Show, Troy McDonough, a former all-american decathlete, used to guide for us, John McNulty ( aka Artest)
is a longtime Missoula pickup ball legend, and Jim Cearly (aka Railroad Jim) has a mean post game. We were missing a few key players such as the Mule, Pearl Jam Jeff (aka Big Sandy), Big Bob, Tim Hunter, and most of all Pat Glennon, who passed away this summer.

We are so lucky to be out here on this beautiful river. I am reminded that as much as possible we should all try to do what we love to do with  the people we love the most during the short time we are here.

In the spirit of that--in the lower photo, my five year old boy, Reynolds, is running the gorge with me just emerging from what he would call " the meat and potatoes" at Tumbleweed. Yahooo!
More on Riverboarding at www.montanariverguides.com

XSPORTS4Vets Riverboard Trips

For the past few years we have been lucky to participate in a program with Xsports4vets. Once a week during the summer, combat veterans from the Iraq and Afghanistan Campaigns come out to go river boarding and surfing on the gorge. We provide the guides and gear and they provide the guts and glory.
No matter how you feel about American foreign policy, once you spend a little time with our veterans you cannot help but appreciate their character and admire their sacrifice.  They are great people and we are lucky to run the river with them.

Yankee Jim Canyon-the Yellowstone River

We riverboarded Yankee Jim Canyon in May with the new raft guides of Paradise Adventure Company. The river was flowing at 14,000 cfs and we had a blast running features that normally flip rafts down there. A beautiful river with great people makes for a fine day. Thanks to Sarah from PAC for the photos. Find more info about our guided riverboarding trips at www.montanasurfco.com

Whether you surf or not, this is one of the most entertaining documentaries out there. "Riding Giants"
If there's a better surf movie, we haven't seen it.

Check It Out!

Of Souls and Water:

Spring 2012 Swiftwater Rescue Training

Montana River Guides and The Whitewater Rescue Institute are offering a variety of rafting and swiftwater rescue training this Spring 2012 throughout Western Montana. The classes are being taught by Mike Johnston and Cody Harris and certified through the Whitewater Rescue Institute. Here's a tentative calendar of 2012 River Rescue and Guide Classes. We're still firming up some of the dates as we hear from agencies and organizations that are working out their training schedules.

April 6 Flood Rescue - One Day Clinic Missoula, MT
April 4-8 Whitewater Rafting Workshop Missoula, MT
April 6-8 Swiftwater Rescue Technician Missoula, MT
April 13 Flood Rescue Billings, MT
April 13-15 Swiftwater Rescue Technician Billings, MT
April 20-22 Swiftwater Rescue Technician Kalispell, MT
April 13-17 Raft Guide School Billings, MT
April 27-29 Swiftwater Rescue-Technician Missoula, MT
May 4-6 Swiftwater Rescue Technician Bigfork, MT
May 11-13 Swiftwater Rescue-Technician Missoula, MT
May 11-15 Raft Guide School Missoula, MT
May 14-15 Whitewater Rafting Workshop Missoula, MT
May 19-20 Swiftwater Rescue Technician Bozeman, MT
May 19-20 Advanced Swiftwater Rescue Bozeman, MT
May 26-28 Swiftwater Rescue-Technician Big Sky, MT
May 29-31 Swiftwater Rescue Technician Gardiner, MT
June 1-3 Swiftwater Rescue Technican West Glacier, MT
June 9-11 Swiftwater Rescue Technician Missoula, MT
June 9-13 Raft Guide School Missoula, MT
June 12-13 Whitewater Rafting Workshop Missoula, MT
June 15-17 Swiftwater Rescue-Technician Kalispell, MT
June 22-24 Swiftwater Rescue Technican Hamilton, MT

Missoula Surfing Forecast: Riverboard Montana

HHave you ever gone for a four mile swim?..twelve mile swim?.. A twenty mile swim? When you riverboard the Alberton Gorge with Montana River Guides the powerful Clark Fork River carries you through a spectacular canyon and plenty of thrilling rapids--and you'll experience Montana in a way few people ever have.

And here's a secret--Riverboarding involves much more than just adrenaline and whitewater (tho those are the ingredients we give the most attention). You'll appreciate the relaxing Class I water between rapids and discover an incredible way to share an adventure with friends. Sometimes face-level with a family of otters is just as much of an adventure as being face-level with a school bus sized wave. In any case, we have had more fun with riverboarding with our friends and guides over the years than we can begin to express. Our guests come from all over the world to experience the whitewater of the Alberton Gorge where we've introduced thousands of people to the thrill of riverboarding. Our mission is to help you experience the ultimate whitewater thrill. Come catch a mountain wave and surf Montana with us! 2012 is going to be our best surf season yet.

TIger Team Surfs Montana

Tom Turney's TIger Team showed up last Firday ready to ride some of Montana's best water on Riverboards. We spent one day on the Blackfoot River and two days on the Alberton Gorge. while camping at the Alberton Gorge Ranch. Over 43 miles of rivers riverboarded in two and a half days.
Great rivers and great people. Thanks Tiger Team from Tommy, Matt, Mike, Bernice and Yael.
www.montanariverguides.com