Adventures of a Life time

We had an incredible experience with AVA Rafting & Zipline last weekend for our birthdays! My husband, two friends, and I went white water rafting in Buena Vista, and it was an adventure we'll never forget. Our guide, Todd, was absolutely amazing. His expertise and enthusiasm made the trip both thrilling and safe. We tackled class 4 rapids, and Todd’s guidance ensured we had an exhilarating and enjoyable time. The scenery was breathtaking, and the entire tour was perfectly organized from start to finish. If you're looking for a top-notch rafting experience with skilled and friendly guides, look no further than AVA Rafting & Zipline. We can't wait to return for another adventure!

Did the rafting (1/2 day Brown’s Canyon) and ziplining package Overall awesome experience - highly recommend.

Rafting Brown’s Canyon - First off, our river guide Sebastian was fabulous. It was very evident that he is very experienced on the water and he masterfully guided us through the class II and class III rapids while we shared a raft with a family with two younger kids. Definitely an exciting section of the river with lots of whitewater, but not crazy whitewater so great for an adventurous family or group. The trip itself took a little over 4 hours - about 25 minutes for the check in and getting geared up (helmet, PFD, optional splash jacket, and optional wet suit provided), about 20 minute ride to the river, about 2.5 hours on the river, then a 45 minute ride back. I’d also like to give kudos to the trip leader Will on smoothly handling all the safety/information talks while keeping things light and fun.

After a lunch break (you either bring lunch or you have time to go to Buena Vista to grab a bite), we headed off to our zipline adventure. Once again we had fantastic guides - Ernie and Torre. They brought lots of positive energy and fun to the experience. Overall, ziplining took just under 2 hours from gearing up, very short drive to the course followed by a short uphill hike to the first platform. We spent just under 90 minutes doing the 6 different ziplines that offered amazing views while zooming along the mountainside. You can take your phone (just secure it in a zipped pocket or backpack) for photos which is nice.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that it is worth it in my view to do the cancellation guarantee. Weather is highly variable so we ended up twice changing our package date to make it work with our other plans. The office staff was super helpful and accommodating when I called to adjust plans.

Overall, we had an incredibly fun day with AVA. Besides having amazing experiences, we were very pleased with the high quality guides on each of our trips. And the price for our package (and their prices at their outpost for gear/clothing) is surprisingly reasonable.

We had a great and fun experience with AVA rafting company!! They did an amazing job from start to finish. The staff was professional, friendly, and made sure everyone had a fantastic time on the river. I highly recommend AVA for anyone looking for an adventurous and memorable rafting trip. Sean did an amazing job going over all the details of white water rafting before getting on the river. He was so fun and had so much energy. Oh yes, and his jokes were very funny! :-)
Aldon, our raft guide, was the best of the best!!! He made the trip so fun and so easy to get through the river!! Thank you Aldon!

We loved this rafting trip. We are staying in Vail, so it was a 1 hour 15 minute drive... but it was worth it. We had 2 - 50 year old adults and three teens in our group and we all loved it. The rapids were just thrilling enough for us as we were looking for class 3 rafting. And the trip was a great length. The views of the Canyon were gorgeous the entire way. The guides were very friendly and likeable. We had Elliot and our whole group thought he was great. They had good equipment too: wetsuits, water proof jackets, helmets and life jackets. Their rafts had good spots to lock in your feet so you felt safe and like you wouldn't fall out of the raft... unless you weren't being smart.

Just so folks understand the time commitment: 1 1/4 drive each way from Vail, 1/2 hour to check in and get suited up at their outpost; 1/2 drive to the launch spot; about 1 1/2 hours rafting; 45 mins back to outpost... we were scheduled for 9 and were done and heading out about 12:30.

We had an absolutely fantastic time with AVA Rafting in Buena Vista, Colorado. Although the morning started off a bit chilly and we were initially concerned, the team was incredibly well-prepared for everything. From the moment we arrived, we were given thorough safety instructions that were delivered in a jovial and relaxed manner, which helped ease any anxieties we had.

We were provided with wet suits and jackets that did a good job repelling water, although you do get wet—once we started paddling, the fun quickly overshadowed any worries about the cold. Our professional guide, who was from Chile, really made the trip special. His expertise and playful attitude, including some thrilling 360-degree turns, got everyone on our boat fully engaged and, yes, very wet! Our boat was definitely the most rambunctious, and it added to the overall excitement of the trip.

We highly recommend AVA Rafting, and we’re already planning to take on the more challenging scale 4 and 5 rapids on our next visit to Colorado!