Wrexham is a city in the Welsh county of Clwyd, near the border with England. This is a historic frontier marked by the River Dee that has separated the two countries for over 1,500 years. The Dee is one of the most important rivers in North Wales, rising in the mountains of Snowdonia and draining the snow melt and rainwater from a huge area. All of that water makes it flow fast and energetically, it jumps over falls, winds around bends and bubbles over rapids. The result is a white water route that’s ideal for rafting.

Traditional boats would struggle to get down the River Dee because their wood, metal or fibreglass hulls are too rigid to handle the force of the water and sit too deep to keep going through shallow sections. Rafts, on the other hand, are the perfect craft for riding this river. They come in different shapes and sizes, but all of them rely on inflatable structures to stay afloat and bounce off rocks, tree trunks and other obstacles. If you come rafting in Wrexham, you’ll be armed with no more than a paddle to try to guide your raft through rapids, under bridges and around tight meanders in an adventure that will keep your heart racing and a smile on your face

What’s it like to go white water rafting in Wrexham?

Rafting on the River Dee takes place around the town of Llangollen which is just 25 minutes’ drive from Wrexham. This is one of the best, most reliable rivers for rafting in the whole of the British Isles, and it’s possible to go rafting in all the seasons of the year. You might start as far upstream as Horseshoe Falls, a man made weir in the crescent shape of a horse shoe where the broad river is funnelled into a fast-flowing channel. This is a baptism of fire as you have to paddle over the 3ft drop into the current below. The river will carry you under the historic Chainbridge and shortly afterwards comes the Serpent’s Tail, a section of thrilling rapids.

If you’re looking for a shorter rafting ride in Wrexham, then you can start your journey at the next point - Tombstones. This is a drop that will leave your heart in your mouth, but you’ll just have to swallow it back down because the obstacles of the Middle Fall and Factory Falls are coming right up! Then it’s a stretch of plain sailing which takes around an island in the river and towards Llangollen, where the double drop of Town Falls is the final challenge on the route. Completing the length of the river from Horseshoe Falls to Llangollen is a 3 hour experience, while starting at Tombstones makes it 2 or 2.5 hours.

How can you take on the rapids?

Now that you know what you’ll be up against in Wrexham, you can think about what kind of raft you’ll want to use to face the rapids and falls of the River Dee.

• Full size raft: The classic vessel for taking on white water, a full size raft can hold 6-8 people, who sit on either side of the raft. Using paddles and working together, a team can control the direction of the raft during a river descent up to a point, but some bumps and maybe even spins are inevitable. But isn’t that part of the fun?

• Tubing: A tube is essentially a big inflatable rubber ring. You’ll sit on top with your bum in the hole - and partially underwater - and let the current take you downstream. That’s right, you’re at the mercy of the river if you go tubing, because you can’t do much more than splash about with your hands and feet. If you go with your friends though, you can link hands and face the white water together.

• Bugging: This is the most extreme option of all. You’ll use something like an inflatable body board and travel over falls and rapids face first! Lying on your front you’ll be able to use your arms and kick your legs to change direction to a certain extent, but you have to be prepared to get a couple of facefulls of water when you choose to go bugging!

Requirements to do this activity

The first condition is that you have to be prepared to get wet! Even in the bigger rafts, a lot of water will splash into the craft and onto you, so you’ll be damp for the duration of the descent. Having said that, this is the most family friendly of the options, and some of the adventure tour operators in Wrexham will take children as young as 7 or 8 years old rafting on the River Dee. When it comes to tubing and bugging, you need to be a little older. Tubing is suitable for everyone over the age of 12, while you can try bugging from this age too, you need to be 16 years old or over if you want to try it on the rougher parts of the river.

Whichever craft you choose, rafting is best enjoyed as a group. You need to work together with the whole crew in a big raft to get down the river in one piece, while if you go tubing or bugging you can race your friends or help each other to navigate the obstacles. The River Dee is wide and remains full throughout the year so large groups can have this experience together. You can organise a trip for up to 36 people, spread over several rafts, in Wrexham, or 20 people if you’re planning a tubing or bugging adventure.

What do you need to bring on a trip?

Bringing the right attitude is essential for getting the most out of a ride down the River Dee, especially if the water’s cold. But you don’t need any special equipment to get involved. Just bring a swimsuit, a pair of lace-up trainers that you don’t mind getting wet, a towel and a set of dry clothes. You’ll be given everything else you need in Wrexham - a wetsuit, a helmet and a buoyancy aid. You won’t be able to take personal belongings, including phones and cameras, with you when you’re on the water, but there’s a path which follows the river and bridges that cross it, so you can ask your friends or family to wait there and capture your descent on video.

Have you got what it takes? There’s only one way to find out!