2024 LCC Alpine Paddling Holiday
Day 10 Monday morning 29th July: Gyronde
With an early morning start, we headed up the valley for the first of three paddles today. We parked at the campsite on the Gyronde for an early morning paddle back to the campsite. The river was running fast and cold but the floods earlier in the year had changed the channel in several places and if anything had moved a lot of boulders making a clearer channel.
After a km or so we entered the gorge. There was a layer of mist above the cool water as the sun had not yet reached the valley floor. We paddled as one group in the fast grade 3+ water making a few eddies that we found. After another km we came across the broken weir which was shot in the middle heading slightly left to miss the large boulders below.
After the gorge section, we headed into the town of L’Argentière-la-Bessée. Here the Gyronde joins the Durance and flows down to the campsite. Just upstream of the campsite the hydroelectric runoff rejoins the main river doubling its flow. We had an enjoyable paddle down through the slalom course.
