Stay safe but keep the enjoyment with friends while crossing the river. Apply these steps and bring it on in your travels.

1. By Ken Jensen

2. Crossing with a Rope
One method for crossing, and the best method if you
can do it is crossing with a rope. Follow these tips.
•Choose a rope 3 times the width of the river if
available. Do NOT tie the rope off on the first bank, just
wrap around a tree so you can retrieve it later.
•The strongest person will cross first while being tied to
the rope. Don't give too much slack, but just enough for
them to continue to move across the river.
•Once across, the first person ties off the rope on the
other side.
•Then each other person will cross. It is best for
everyone to be clipped onto the rope with a carabiner.

3. Chain Method
If you don't have a rope, you failed, but you still
have options. Use the chain method.
•Each person lined up so that the lightest
person is breaking the current for the others
and the heaviest is the downstream anchor.
•Everyone interlocks their arms.
•This method give more friction on the bottom
and less chance of current being able to catch
you.
•Small calculated steps.

4. Pole Method
Similar to the chain method, the pole
method will reduce the currents ability to
overtake you and raise your friction on the
ground.
•Hold the pole parallel to the current
•Lightest man upstream
•Heaviest man downstream to act as the
anchor for crossing.
•Small calculated steps

5. You need to learn to navigate and learn
how to read topographic maps. As you
look at the topographic maps, you can
easily choose the easiest and fastest
methods for traversing terrain.

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