Before we tell you about the best rafting experiences in Cumbria, we’ve got to explain what a raft is. Like a boat, it’s a watercraft used for travelling on rivers, lakes or the sea, but that’s where the similarities end. Whereas a boat is painstakingly built to spend its life in the water, transporting people and goods from one place to another whatever the weather and waves are doing, a raft is a more simple craft whose sole purpose is to keep you afloat. This simplicity means that they’re manoeuvrable on land, and can even be improvised at the water’s edge, and, once on the water, they go where the current goes.

So what does a rafting adventure look like? Well in Cumbria there are two options, which look very different but are both guaranteed to raise your pulse, make you laugh and get you soaking wet! The first is white water rafting, and, as the name suggests, it involves white water: rapids, spray and speed. It takes place on rivers that wind their way down the valleys of the Lake District, and uses inflatable rafts which hurtle down these fast flowing waterways - you just have to try and hold on! The second is raft building, in which you and your teammates are given the materials to design a makeshift raft, before taking to the waters of a lake and competing against other rafts in a series of challenges. Keep reading to find out all about these activities and decide which is the right one for you!

Where are the best places to go white water rafting in Cumbria?

It depends on whether you want to go white water rafting, which needs a river, or enjoy the fun of raft building, which takes place on lakes. A white water trip on a lake would be very boring, while a ride down the rapids on an improvised raft would be a disaster! Here are the best places for each activity in the Lake District and around Cumbria.

• Rivers: The rain that falls on the peaks of the Lake District rushes down to the sea through gorges and valleys and over rocks and waterfalls. The best way to get down these white waterways is on an inflatable raft. These lightweight craft can be carried to the best parts of the rivers, and the flat bottom means that you can get over the shallow waters of rapids, the air filled sides protect you from the rocks and the speeds that you’ll reach will put a big smile on your face. The best rafting rivers are the River Leven which flows from Windermere to the sea, and the River Greta and River Derwent which meet in Keswick in the North of the park. From Cumbria, you can also take a trip to the Peak District and go riding down the River Tees, which crosses the country to reach the North Sea, or to the Scottish borders where the River Esk is a lower intensity, family favourite spot.

• Lakes: When you’re provided with some wooden poles, a couple of lengths of rope and 3 or 4 big plastic barrels and told to make a raft, you’ll be happy to learn that you won’t have to navigate a river with it, but a calm lake. Having said that, it’s surprising how a bit of teamwork, some elbow grease, and some pointers from your instructors are all that’s necessary to transform your basic materials into a lake-worthy vessel. Once the rafts have been constructed, you’ll take to the water to test your rafts, then put them through their paces with some races, challenges, and messing about. There are lakes around where you can get involved in this activity, including the Lake District’s Windermere (the largest lake in the country), Coniston Water, and Derwentwater and on the Scottish borders, Talkin Tarn.

How long does an experience last?

If it’s white water rafting that’s caught your attention, then you’re in luck: there are excursions of different lengths in Cumbria that can fit into anyone’s holiday itinerary. In the South Lake District the most popular options are 2 or 3 hour rides down the rapids. You’ll pass through a whole variety of watery obstacles, mixing tricky rapids with calmer sections that let you pause to take in the views. The gentler white water runs are up in the North, and there are trips aimed at children here which are shorter - maybe just an hour or an hour and a half. All of these trips are in large river rafts, but you can find a more personalised adventure in Keswick: tubing. This is like rafting but your vessel is nothing more than a glorified rubber ring! It’s fantastic fun, but be prepared to get wet on a river descent that lasts either 2.5 or 4 hours. With time allowed for getting to the starting point, handing out equipment and a quick safety briefing, you should add at least an hour onto these times to get an idea of how long you’ll be doing the activity.

It might sound like a big job, but you can build a raft in about half an hour. A raft building activity will start with the building phase before you set sail and the fun really starts. A voyage of exploration, a high speed race or a naval battle can be part of the programme, and in total the adventure can last between 2 and 3 hours.

Requirements to do this activity

Both white water rafting and raft building are designed to be completed as a team. The experience is heightened by working together with your people and getting wet together. Groups of 8 can fit on a white water raft, while if you go tubing you’ll have your own raft, but you’ll still be in a group of at least 6 people. A raft building activity can be organised for a family group of 5 or so, but the best thing to do is to bring a big group - maybe a sports team, a scouts or guides group, or even your workmates - and compete as teams to build the best raft!

The difficulty and danger of this sport depends on which of Cumbria’s rivers or lakes you choose to explore. There are white water routes which aren’t suitable for the youngest in the family, especially if you choose to go tubing down a river, for which you all need to be over 18 years old. But in a larger craft, everyone over 10 years old should be fine on most voyages, and there are specially chosen routes for children as young as 6 as well. When it comes to raft building, the minimum age can be as low as 7, or a little higher at 10 years old.

What do you need to bring the day of the activity?

Whether you’re building your own raft, or racing downstream in an inflatable, you can expect to get wet, so don’t wear anything that’s too precious to you and put on a pair of trainers with good grip that you can fasten tightly on your feet. The weather here changes a lot throughout the year and if necessary you’ll be given a wetsuit to wear, but whatever the conditions you need to have a spare set of clothes and a towel waiting for you when you finish. For safety reasons, you’ll also use a life jacket and a helmet, though you don’t have to wear these on a raft building adventure before you get into the water.

Rafts are all the rage up, find out why by booking an experience today!