As avid whitewater rafters, with experience on III, IV and V rapids, we make a habit of adding a trip to nearly every vacation. Although the web site offered guide-your-own trips on the Lower Yough, we decided to pay the extra fee to have a guide in our raft, given that we were not familiar with the river or its conditions. Our guide, Thomas, did an outstanding job, making the experience fun for us while at the same time rescuing rafters who were having difficulty navigating the rapids. There were several guides in kayaks and another raft who gave clear, simple instructions for the guide-your-own folks; most rafters had no trouble, although every raft but ours had unexpected 'swimmers'. Only one raft repeatedly had trouble, and that came from people who did not listen to directions. Any class if whitewater can bring the unexpected, and if you are a first time rafter, be smart and book a guide. Shout outs to Andy, Connor and Dan, too, all of whom were funny and knowledgeable.
We will definitely be heading back to take on the Upper, and we'll be looking for Thomas to guide us through! Thanks, guys!