WOMEN’S WHITEWATER WEEKEND 2026
FRIDAY JULY 17 TO MONDAY JULY 20
RED DEER RIVER, ALBERTA
REGISTRATION OPENS APRIL 1
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 for 2026 on the Red Deer River in 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. Folks from all over Western Canada and beyond make the journey to this grassroots fest to build paddling relationships, support each other, and share the stoke.
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, these 4 days and 3 nights are going to be chock full of whatever you want <3
COSTS
Early Bird Registration: $55/person (valid until June 1)
Regular Registration: $65/person (valid June 2 to July 14)
Camping fee (HVA bed): $30/person
Camping fee (trailer): $60/trailer
Camping fee (tent or car): $30/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 and make this event 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 receive free registration and camping, and Sweeps receive free camping, as thanks for volunteering!
Please email women.ww.weekend@gmail.com if you want to volunteer as a lead or sweep.
Additional Info
“This weekend creates a strong sense of community, allowing women to share experiences, build confidence, and support one another through challenges both on and off the water.
By fostering a safe and accepting environment, participants can engage in personal growth and navigate the thrilling and sometimes intimidating aspects of the sport together.”
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 (club membership costs vary based on club), or join the AWA as an individual directly here. ($15/person)
STEP 2) Choose to purchase one of three camping options: a bed in a cabin provided by Hunter Valley Adventures, a tent or car camping spot, or trailer camp spot.
Cabins sleep between 2 to 6 persons, and you provide your own sleeping bag and pillow.
You do not have to purchase a camping option if you plan to commute to the event each day, or if you plan to camp elsewhere.
However, we highly recommend it for shuttle ease and for enjoying camp time with the festival crew!
Parking space is limited on site, so we highly encourage carpooling with other attendees!
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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!
Leads receive free registration and camping, and Sweeps receive free camping, as thanks for volunteering!
Step 1: Registration
Must do
REGISTRATION OPENS APRIL 1!
Early Bird Pricing: $55/person (valid until June 1)
Regular Pricing: $65/person (valid June 1 to July 14)
Purchasing this item gives you access to:
- Hunter Valley Adventures cook house, shelters, bathrooms, and property
- Any meals provided by the event
- The prize raffle, including 1 raffle ticket
- Join any and all river runs
Please purchase your Camping option after adding this Registration to your cart, if you want to camp at Hunter Valley Adventures.
Remember to go to your Cart to finalize payment for camping and registration!
Step 2: Camping Options
All below costs are for 3 nights and 4 days.
REGISTRATION AND CAMPING PURCHASES OPEN APRIL 1!
Purchasing this item gives you access to setting up a tent, or camping in your vehicle, on the Hunter Valley Adventures property.
You must be registered for this event to purchase a camping option.
Remember to go to your Cart to finalize payment for camping and registration!
REGISTRATION AND CAMPING PURCHASES OPEN APRIL 1!
Purchasing this item gives you access to parking a trailer on the Hunter Valley Adventures property.
There is space for up to 5 trailers.
You must be registered for this event to purchase a camping option.
Remember to go to your Cart to finalize payment for camping and registration!
REGISTRATION AND CAMPING PURCHASES OPEN APRIL 1!
Purchasing this item gives you access to one bed in a Hunter Valley Adventures cabin. There are a variety of cabins ranging from 2 to 6 bunks per cabin, so be ready for summer camp style fun!
We cannot guarantee you will be bunked with folks you know, however, if you have a few friends booking a HVA bed make sure to put them in the notes at check out and we can do our best to bunk yall together.
Must provide own pillow and sleeping bag/blankets.
You must be registered for this event to purchase a camping option.
Remember to go to your Cart to finalize payment for camping and registration!
Read more about the Hunter Valley Adventures accommodations here.
NOTE: bus cabin is unavailable.
Schedule
Schedule may change due to weather, shuttles, and other logistics over the weekend
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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!
Raffle tickets will be available for purchase. Cash or etransfer accpeted.
LEADS & SWEEPS: recommended familiarization run will happen this afternoon for those who are available!
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‘Welcome’ breakfast and event introductions between 9am and 10am.
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
Raffle Prize draw will occur at 8pm!
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 all day and evening
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Breakfast 9am to 10am…ish
River runs all day.
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Be packed and ready to roll out by 11am! Expect a last hurrah of river runs for anyone left at the festival <3
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.
The Red Deer River
The Red Deer can be described as a pool drop river, in that it has a number of distinct rapids separated by extended sections of float. Thus while several of the drops can be class III, bank scouting and portaging is easy and there's always ample time to recover from swims.
The Red Deer is best in spring and summer.
Notes for the Upper Red Deer: generally the higher the water the bigger the waves at S-Bends. At high water watch out as this run could step up to a low Class IV. Gooseberry is probably the biggest feature on the Red Deer, and it consists of a river-wide ledge with a notch in it. The notch creates a flushy green tongue that is usually run, punching the bottom. The ledge can also be boofed on the extreme left, which is a fun popular spot to practice boof strokes. Since the drop does change significantly with flow, it's normally bank scouted, eddying out on river left.
Directly below Gooseberry is Jimbo's staircase, which is a series of small ledges that create a sequence of holes to punch through on a read-and-run basis. Further is S-bend, which consists of 4-5 big standing waves with a nice play hole at the bottom. S Bends has a great drive up spot where you can just park and play at the bottom hole, and heck, even paddle back to Hunter Valley when you’re done if you don’t feel like driving back! Other fun notable features include Right Hook and Nationals. Most people generally take out beginners at Wysenchuk's, as the paddle to Cache Hill is long and mainly a float. But, for WWW we will recommend and likely paddle passed Wysenchuk’s for a few km’s and take out right at Hunter Valley Adventures :)
Notes for the Lower Red Deer: a shorter river section, however a longer shuttle as all access is on the north side of the river from Hunter Valley Adventures. The main named feature is Double Ledge, a class lll double ledge drop that is a great practice for those breaking into the grade. This section has a few read and run ledges.
RIVER SECTIONS AND SPOTS OF NOTE
Class lll/lV: “Upper Red Deer”, or Mountain Aire to Cache Hill run: https://paddlingmaps.com/trip/Alberta/50-mountain-aire-to-cache-hill-iii
* there is an alternate put in a few km’s upstream of Mountain Aire that adds a nice class 2 warm up section and scenery as well. This alternate put-in to Gooseberry is a nice run for class 2/2+ boaters to consider, with take out at GooseberryS Bends play boating/surf area for park and play sessions: Sbends play wave
Class lll: “Lower Red Deer”, or Coal Camp run : https://paddlingmaps.com/trip/Alberta/355-coal-camp
Class ll+: short and sweet Red Deer middle run: Hunter Valley Adventures to Cache Hill
Class ll: Panther River: https://paddlingmaps.com/trip/Alberta/Panther-River-Map
* this section only really comes in when the Red Deer is at high flow
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.
Raffle prizes will be drawn Saturday night around 8pm.
Tickets will be available for purchase Friday night, Saturday morning, and Saturday night up until 745pm.
Cash and E-transfers will be accepted.
1 ticket: $1
5 tickets: $5
10 tickets: $10
20 tickets: $15
40 tickets: $30
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/ -
Choosing this camping option gives you access to a bed in a HVA cabin of some sort. There are 23 beds available, situated in a variety of small cabins to bunk houses. They are very rustic, with no power.
If you have a friend or two you want to be bunked with specifically, please say so in the notes when you book your bed! -
There is no power at HVA, so make sure pack a battery pack or two to charge any electronics.
Basic cookware to make your own meals, and fresh water. There is limited fresh water available each day for the group, so packing your own full water jugs is your best bet!
Drysuits for paddling is a great asset. At the very least, a wetsuit paired with a dry top is a must. The water is cold, and the weather can change on a dime.
A folding camp chair, and your own coffee mug with plate/bowl/cutlery.
Food for yourself for each day. The potluck on Saturday is optional, and is based on appies/shareables for those interested.
Thank you to our sponsors
