Going Tribal

Photo: Bob Melville

So, you have probably heard it said, many a time, by people who have done a Grand Canyon rafting trip, that it was “the best thing they have ever done, in their life”, haven’t you. I imagine you have an idea in your mind of what being on a trip is like, i.e.: the stupendous scenery, wet and wild rapids, good food, fresh air, but you probably wonder why so many people come back in a daze wandering around like the Kool-Aid is still circulating in their blood or maybe they have a touch of dehydration, you think.

Well let us skip the hype about the big fun rapids and the glorious scenery and get to something that most people haven’t a clue about when they start a raft trip in the Canyon. And here it is: you are going to go tribal!

A river trip is a natural homecoming back to the very basics of human nature - the simple tribal way. It’s what most people had no idea they were missing in their life. In this world of technology and indoor pursuits, tribal is an experience that most folks have never had and it can be enlightening. Your body and mind do not respond rapidly (no pun intended) to the realization that you are one with nature, it takes a few days to get into the rhythm of the simple life on the river. Your little group works together as a team to deal with the elements and the routine of life on the river, all alone at the far bottom of the Grand Canyon. Usually a few days into your trip you all become close knit group, a tribe, therefore, the longer the trip the better.

Now you may ask, “...but I don’t know these other people, what if I don’t like them” or “maybe they are not people I would ever associate with in my world”. I can tell you this; it will not matter. All those thoughts swiftly wash away, like sour vinegar in Lava Falls Rapid, when you are together at the bottom of the canyon. Everyone puts their life-jackets the same way and you realize quickly that you all are a team. The guides do much to alleviate the fear of the unknown; it’s not as if you have all been set adrift in a life raft in the open seas. The guides are confident, knowledgeable and have a great ability to deal with human nature. They do much of the work, but one quickly realizes that you still have to look out for each other. Whether it’s helping to put up each others tents in a windstorm, lending a hand to the one behind you on a hike or just making sure each others life-jackets are tight above the rapids. You quickly realize that your fellow traveler is going to be there to help pull you out of the water should you fall in and that you will do your best to help them if they go overboard.

By the end of a Grand Canyon rafting trip people have often become friends for life and they reminisce in the joy of their wondrous experience together for years.