WOMEN’S WHITEWATER WEEKEND 2026
Our Story
Welcome to the Women’s Whitewater Weekend! We’re so excited to host this event again and we’re looking forward to a wicked gathering of folks.
Alberta Women's Whitewater Weekend (WWW) is a paddling festival by women for women, to create a safe and fun way to get out there and get on the water.
Join us this Summer with a crew of women who live for the adventure! WWW is an excellent way to make and maintain connections between female, transgender or non-binary paddlers within the whitewater community.
Open to all female, transgender or non-binary paddlers who can reliably self-rescue in class II rapids. Kayaks, SUP’s, canoes, and other water crafts are all welcome <3
What to Expect
From Friday until Monday, there will be a variety of river sections available to us on the Red Deer River. From class ll to lV river running, to play boating at S Bends, to lounging and enjoying off-grid camping, this weekend is going to be chock full of whatever you want <3
COST
Registration fee: $ /per person
Camping fee (HVA bed): $ /per person
Camping fee (trailer) : $ /per trailer
Camping fee (tent or car): $ /per tent/car
AGES
Best for folks 16+
DATES
Friday July 17 to Monday July 20, 2026
TIME
Check in after 4pm Friday. Check out before 11am Monday.
LOCATION
Hunter Valley Adventures
https://huntervalleyadventures.ca/
Location Pin: https://maps.app.goo.gl/eCHWWRBtM7swwuc88
Refund policy: a full refund will be provided for cancellation notice by July 1, 2026. After that there is a 20% cancellation fee retained.
Participation: To participate independently over the weekend, you must have the ability to self-rescue on a class II river. Other paddlers will assist with rescues when possible, but you are always the person primarily responsible for your own safety. Paddlers must be able to eddy in and out on class II and should have a minimum experience of 20 days paddling on moving water (if an experienced paddler has invited you to attend the event with them, and they are taking responsibility for you, then you are welcome to attend with that person).
Leads & Sweeps: We greatly appreciate our leads and sweeps giving their weekend to support to make this weekend possible!
Volunteer peer led leads/sweeps have the option to do familiarization runs on Friday afternoon, time TBD. If you volunteer to be a lead or sweep, please aim to be available on Friday afternoon to participate in the familiarization if you’re able!
Leads will have their registration and camp fees waived, and sweeps will have their registration fees waived.
Please email women.ww.weekend@gmail.com if you want to volunteer as a lead or sweep.
Additional Info
How It Works
STEP 1) Register for the event.
If you are not an AWA member or club member of any kind, you will need to join the AWA or a local club first.
You need to be an AWA member to attend this event.
Join a local club here: https://www.albertawhitewater.ca/find-club , or join the AWA directly here: https://www.albertawhitewater.ca/individual-membership
STEP 2) Choose to purchase camping with a bed provided by Hunter Valley Adventures. This package gives you a bed in a Hunter Valley cabin, with cabins sleeping between 2 to 6 persons. You provide your own sleeping bag and pillow.
STEP 3) Or, choose to purchase a tent or trailer camping spot. There is room for 5 trailers, and 40 tents. Trailers will be parked approx. 150m away from the event site, on a green space close to the road but inside the Hunter Valley Adventures gate. Tents can be dispersed between cabins and various spots through out the event site. Multiple people can share/split the cost of one tent or trailer.
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Please choose either Step 2 or Step 3 for your accommodations.
You do not have to purchase both.
You are welcome to share/split costs of tent or trailer camping with other attendees, however those attendees still need to do Step 1 to attend the event and be a part of the activities.
You do not need to purchase Step 2 or Step 3 if you plan to commute each day, or you plan to camp/sleep elsewhere.
Note: if you are a group of 3 friends for example, only one person needs to book a tent or trailer spot. You can then all split the cost.
If booking a bed, we cannot guarantee you will be bunked with folks you know. Summer camp vibes baby!
Keep scrolling to get to all the Steps!
Parking space is limited on site, so we highly encourage carpooling with other attendees!
Are you volunteering as a River Lead or Sweep?
Email women.ww.weekend@gmail.com
for a discount code on registration and/or camping before you register!
Step 1
Must do
Step 2
Optional
Step 3
Optional
Schedule
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Find your way to Hunter Valley Adventures, and your WWW team will get you checked in and set up in the appropriate areas based on your camping choices.
Expect signage along the road to direct you to HVA, and a person inside the gate to further help you out!
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‘Welcome’ breakfast and event introductions between 9am and 10am.
Breakfast sponsored by:River runs will occur through out the day based on Lead availability
Appetizer and shareables potluck 7pm onwards! Bring your best dips, chips, platters, and bite size goodies
Musical Boats, bag toss, and other shenans all evening with prizes
Raffle tickets will be available for purchase, and raffle items available to bid on
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Breakfast 9am to 10am
River runs all day
Raffle prize draw 7pm!
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Be packed and ready to roll out by 11am!
Where to Find the Women’s Whitewater Weekend
Hunter Valley Adventures is a stunning off-grid basecamp located right on the edge of the Red Deer River, in the Ghost Public Land Use Zone. You can use the pin location below which will take you directly there:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/1NCVP5SrFQoufJ7z9
DIRECTIONS
From NORTH on Hwy #22
(The Cowboy Trail)
22km from Hwy#27 turn right (West) at Township Road 304, signs “Burnt Timber Road”Follow directions below.
From SOUTH on Hwy #22
(The Cowboy Trail)
5km past CREMONA turn left (West) on Township Road 304, sign “Burnt Timber Road”.The Burnt Timber Road is paved and you will follow it for 27 km until you come to the old Gas Plant site. You will see a large Ghost Public Land Use Zone sign shortly before the turn. There will be a sign with the Hunter Valley Adventures info on your right on the gravel road.
Turn right on the gravel road that goes around the plant entering the forestry reserve. Stay on this road (do not take any of the off-shoot roads) for 22km.
At approximately 11km you will cross a one-lane bridge at the Fallen Timber Creek - keep going. At 17 km there will be a hairpin corner – you are almost there!
Continue on to km 22 and HVA RAFTING CAMP —> turn-off will be on your right side. Go through the big green gate and follow the road 150 metres into camp. Keep your eyes peeled for this green gate!
If you reach a second one-lane bridge you have gone 1km too far and missed our green gate. Turn around and look for the green gate then on your left.
Fast and Female is an organization that aims to engage and keep women and girls in sport through empowering events, mentorship, and connection.
We aim to amplify this amazing cause through our on-site raffle at the Women’s Whitewater Weekend. All funds raised will be donated directly to F&F.
We encourage you to support them if able, or do your part big or small, to encourage young women to stay in sport.
Frequently Asked Questions
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No, you are responsible for packing your own food and drinks for the weekend. Unless we have a specific sponsor supplying a meal or two, you will need to be self sufficient.
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Yes! An outdoor BBQ, and 2 burner cook top is provided for your use as part of your registration. We recommend bringing your own cookware, as cooking space can be limited.
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This event is for paddlers who can safely and confidently paddle and self rescue in at least a class ll river environment. If you are a beginner, it is your responsibility to paddle with a group who will look out for you. Likewise, if you have a friend who is a beginner and you want them to join, they are your responsibility. We do not have any beginner friendly courses or river runs available.
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No! You are welcome to sleep or camp off site and simply commute in to Hunter Valley Adventures during the day
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We highly encourage all attendees to carpool with each other! Our Facebook page is a great resource to find other paddlers and make arrangements:
https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1BzxU6GfPi/
