River Crossing Basics

Most river-crossing accidents come down to the same mistake: committing to a line before actually reading the water. Before you step in, walk the bank and look for a stretch that’s wide, braided, and slow rather than narrow and fast — width nearly always beats depth.

Face upstream at a slight angle, unclip your pack’s sternum and hip belt so you can shed it if you go down, and move one point of contact at a time — whether that’s your feet alone or feet plus a trekking pole for a third point. If the water is above your knees and moving fast, or you can’t see the bottom clearly, that’s your sign to look for another crossing rather than push through. Turning back costs you time. Getting swept downstream costs a lot more.