Sledgehammer Rapid (Class IV-V) - Royal Gorge

A solid class IV rapid at any water flow, Sledgehammer is a favorite of a lot of raft guides and crews. It has lots of drops, big hits, obstacles to avoid, and probably more named features than most rapids in the Royal Gorge! Sledgehammer Hole, Bird Drop, Envelope Wave (or Envelope Rock at lower flows), Mount Rush, and Clark’s Hole are all features to work around or paddle right through! The routes guides choose vary greatly with the different water flows, and it would require a short novel to talk through them, so let’s break it down this way…

Paddle hard when you hear those paddle commands, try not to fall out, and if you do fall out of the raft, take some comfort in the fact that there’s a gentle recovery zone just below the rapid to catch your breath!