Skip to content

2025 LCC Alpine Paddling Holiday Day 8 Saturday: Upper Durance by Dom

  • by
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

2025 LCC Alpine Paddling Holiday Day 8 Saturday: Upper Durance by Dom

In the afternoon, we loaded up and headed up the valley towards Briancon and put in at the third layby opposite the helicopter landing pad. The river was still high from the day’s sunshine and glacier melt further up the valley. We paddled as two largeish groups and headed down, breaking in and out. We journeyed past a couple of rafts and soon found the playwave. Nikki tried out Stuart’s Medium firecracker and immediately fell in love with its auto surfability. It could soon be a new addition to her fleet!

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
Nikki tried out Stuart’s Medium firecracker and immediately fell in love with its auto surfability.

Jacki and I had to lead down the hardest grade 3 section, picking our route and finding the eddies. Lower down, we had to count the number of eddies we made in a 150m section of the river. Rocks had seemingly been placed left and right and are one of nature’s natural slaloms.

We headed on down past the campsite and soon found the Danger – Barrage 300m sign. We took out below the tunnel around the side of Prelles Dam and with Johns training the day before, walked the kayaks up on a throw rope. We had become and well oiled machine.

The rest of this post has been hidden and is only visible to logged in members. Click here or tap the login tab on the main menu or enquire about membership.