La Surprise (Surprise)

A big wide-open rapid with multiple routes.  A hard boat slot along the left edge; two big drops in the center (the left-of-center run for rafts and a few hard-boats, and the center route thru the pothole at higher water). Finally the slalom route, a technical hard boat route on river-right.  At the bottom the channels come together into a large wave-train that is a fun ride.

This drop is one of the most difficult on the river. There have been two fatalities in recent years. One in 2005 where a guide was ejected from a raft and snagged a waist-attached throw-bag on the rocks during high water; the second in 2010 where a kayaker swam in shallow water below the island and snagged his sprayskirt on the rocks.

Scout from the island in the center of the river just at the top of the rapid.  If doing the left-edge slot, scout from shore just above the drop to ensure it is clean.