French Alps

For many Irish paddlers, the French Alps provide the first real taste of international adventure. A sunny climate, reliable water levels and a variety of rivers make it an ideal location for that first big step.

Time of year:
Water levels depend on the snow-pack of the preceding winter and occasional spring rain storms, but are generally pretty reliable at the following:

May- high
June- medium
July- low
August- scraping the barrel

June is the most popular month and generally offers the most choices.

How to get there:
Load up the wagon…
Traditionally, everyone loaded their car and headed for either the Rosslare crossing, or the land-bridge route through England. This is still a great option if you want to take lots of camping gear and perhaps more than one boat each.

The Rosslare crossing is an overnight affair. Fast ferries on both the Irish sea and the English channel take just 90 minutes or so, but the drive through England is at least 8 hours (depending on traffic).

Once in France, you face a long drive of around 15 hours, to reach the paddling centres. This is achievable in a single day if there are multiple drivers, but most folk take a stop somewhere along the way. French motorways (Auto-routes) are fast, but a little pricey with toll charges. The national road system will definitely take longer, but it is cheaper and more scenic.

Fly-drive options…
For short trips, many people find it cheaper and infinitely easier to fly with a low cost carrier to somewhere like Turin or Lyon and rent a car from there. Ryanair charge a standard rate for kayaks of about 25 euro each way.

Where to head:
The majority of paddlers base themselves in the Briancon area, at least for part of their trip and it’s as good a place as any to start. The route from the ferry will take you past Lyon, where you may decide to session Hawaii-sur-Rhone before breaking east through Grenoble and onto Briancon.

Accommodation options are varied and plentiful as this is a ski resort in winter. Briancon itself is an interesting town with a fortified medieval quarter that is a delight to stay in, if a little pricey. Most paddlers opt for one of the many campsites along the Durance river valley. These offer a low cost and pleasant holiday experience. They are generally well equipped with toilet blocks, but require you to have all your own camping and cooking facilities. The tourist office in Briancon will be able to point you in the right direction.

Local supermarkets supply everything you need at affordable prices. If your cooking skills are a little lacking then don’t worry- some fresh bread and cheap wine are always enough to make me feel suitably cultured! There’s also some extremely good value to be had at local pizza-pasta restaurants.

Rivers
For a full description of the rivers in the region, consult Peter Knowles’ White-Water Europe – South Alps. Most runs are roadside, and suitable sections can be picked off bit by bit. Some notable rivers:

The Durance is a popular river for groups trying to find their alpine feet, with relatively big volume but friendly features. The slalom site at Argentiere (2/3) is an excellent resource. There are rodeo spots at Rabioux and Embrun and there is a more difficult section just below Briancon (4).

The Guil is a personal favourite, with classic sections like Chateau Queras and Guardian Angel (4+) mixing nicely with some accessible rapids like Triple Step (4) (picture on right) and the ‘S’ above it (5). The middle section provides some powerful and fun class 3-4.

A slightly longer drive will bring you to the Ubaye valley, where the race-course serves up some classy grade 3-4 boating, before the walls steepen and the Ubaye Gorge begins (4-6).

Closer to Briancon itself, the Guisane and Claret provide some lower volume but challenging roller-coaster runs, as do the Gyr, Onde and Gyronde.

A move of camp to Bourg-St-Maurice is required to take advantage of the Isere river. The run is a class 2-3 classic and many beginner groups spend their entire trip here. Also accessible from an Isere camp is the Dora-Baltea gorge - an Italian run with some bigger volume action.

There are tonnes more rivers to choose from in the region – consult the guidebook for more detailed descriptions.

Can you go on your own?
I tried to pasta-solo it at Rabioux a few years back with no vehicle and very little money. I had hoped that my boat and dopey smile would get me hooked up with all the chill boaters and I would be paddling new runs every day. I was wrong. Most folk visit France with groups of friends and are not that willing to hook up with strangers. If you can find no-one else to head out with, you can make it work…but at least bring your own vehicle, and be prepared to wait around.

Off-river activities
There is a mass of outdoor action to be had in the Southern Alps – everything from windsurfing on Lac du Serre Poncon to Via-Ferrata on the cliffs around Briancon. There are several mountain bike specialists who will do rentals and the ski lifts stay open all summer for some down-hilling access. Paragliding, hiking, alpine climbing, sport climbing… the region has it all.

Weather:
You can enjoy sunny weather 300 days a year in Briancon, according to the local tourist office. However, do prepare for some rain and keep in mind that it does get cool in the evenings.
Since the rivers are mostly glacier fed, a shorty cag is generally only an option for particularly nice days. Most people find themselves in board shorts and dry cags, unless they are regular swimmers, in which case some neoprene shorts come in handy.

Budget:
Your ferry or flight booking can be anything from 60 euro to 1,200 euro. Petrol is France is more expensive than Ireland, but comparable to Britain. Shopping in a Supermarche is usually better value than at home, especially for alcohol. Drinking in pubs is still expensive. A pizza in a restaurant usually costs less than 10 euro. A night at a campsite is usually between 5 and 10 euro per person. Wild camping is possible, but very difficult.


Some general advice:
For many, the trip to France is that once in a lifetime chance to experience alpine whitewater for the first time. The excitement of those first descents will not be easily forgotten. It is important to keep in mind however, that there are some key differences between a run in the Alps and a day on the Annamoe.

The days are longer, the water is faster and the rivers pack more punch than at home. Some runs have mandatory portages in the form of barrages or un-runable rapids, and care needs to be taken at all times. Consider doing some training in Ireland before you leave. The ICU level 4 award and the Rescue and Safety Course (RSR) are well worth completing.

Make sure to build up your fitness gradually as early burn-out is common for Alpine first timers. Even some flat water sessions at home will help build stamina and flexibility for the intensity of your Alpine trip.

If your roll is questionable, make major efforts to rectify that before travelling as boat retrieval in the fast river can take some time.
Seriously consider joining a trip with qualified guides. Tiglin have been running Alpine courses for years and are well versed at designing trips that will get the most from your paddling and your holiday.

Photography: James Van den Broek

More video clips from France and other destinations available on RIVERNOMAD film - click here

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