Alpine Break

Quite simply it doesn’t get any better! Guillestre is right at the centre of the boating scene in the French Alps!

For the novice paddlers there are the lakes of the various plan d’eau’s at Roche de Rame or Argentiere for example.

The intermediate paddlers will get their fill on the Durance. The thirty kilometre section from Argentiere le Besse down to Embrun is never harder than grade III (there are two easily portaged sections) and can easily be split into manageable portions.

It is however for the advanced paddlers that the area is renowned! If grade III and above is what you want then the area has the lot! The Guil (as in Guil – lestre) has a number of sections that are all great. The highest sections offer some low volume grade III runs – lower sections offer river running at any grade you can handle! Then there’s the Durance gorge, the Briancon gorge, the Gyr and the Onde. Don’t forget to check out the Claree and the Guisane too! A trip or two over to the Ubaye is also a must! A variety of sections from the tough grade III upper section on through the grades to as hard as it gets! The Ubaye racecourse is the best of it – a brilliant roller-coaster of grade IV alpine white water fun!

There is an English guide available, written by Pete Knowles – White Water Europe – South. This is the Bible!

The earlier in the season you go, the bigger (read harder) the water will be! Early May – early August.

There are some webcams on the rivers so you can check out the conditions:-
on the Guil at Chateau Queyras
on the Durance at the Rabioux wave
on the white water course at Argentiere