The 26th International Ardeche Canoe/Kayak Marathon takes place on Sat 13th Nov 2010.
Check this link to find out more about the Marathon.
Ltadventure will be entering a couple of boats in the marathon. If you are going, then let us know. We can also help sort out all the outfitting and logistics for your trip. Get in touch to find out more about the services we can offer.
You may have noticed that we are updating our website at the moment. So a couple of pages might be unavailable while the new design is rolled out. We hope the new site will better convey what we do. If you have comments or suggestions, or if you notice bug, then let us know!
Trip to the Tarn April 2010
When my husband announced that we would be going paddling for 3 days with a group of his friends from the UK (we live in the South of France), I hesitantly agreed. It’s not that I dislike paddling, or his friends for that matter ‘au contraire’, it is the bivying and camping that concerns me the most. Whilst the odd night or two in a hammok or tent down here in July is bearable, indeed sometimes enjoyable, I wasn’t overly keen on the idea of 3 nights, in the Tarn at Easter. I really need not have worried.
Despite living in France for 5 years I had barely even heard of the river Tarn, let alone visited it; and was quite surprised to learn that it is only a 2 hour drive from the bottom of the Ardéche, where we live.
The others had been in the Tarn for about 10 days already, and were based in a fantastic stone building (with more in common with a castle than a Gîte), 500m from the access point onto the river, in the stunning village of St Chély du Tarn. No need for tents, as we had spacious bedrooms, bathrooms, a kitchen and an open fire.
We arrived on the Sunday night, so after a civilised breakfast on the Monday, it was time to get on the river. Day one for us, consisted of a 14km paddle from St Chély du Tarn, down to just above a rapid called Pas de Soucy. As we were already at the river, the shuttle simply involved dropping a 7-seater vehicle and boat trailer at the egress point, and a lift back up.
The access point in St Chély really is quite something to behold. It is immediately below the huge, arched, stone bridge that crosses the river Tarn, and just up-stream of the waterfall that flows from the village out into the river. After this very picturesque beginning, the river just gets prettier and prettier. It looks quite similar to the Ardéche gorge in many respects, not least because it is a limestone gorge, but is also very different. It feels fundamentally wilder than the Ardéche, with its thick coniferous forrests, griffon and black vultures. Yes, I did say vultures.
The 14 km flew by in a blur of beautiful stone villages, friendly class 1 / 2 rapids and wildlife (including 2 donkeys). There was also a weir to be shot about 4km above the egress point. I’m really not a fan of weirs, especially ones without canoe shutes but this was fine. It was easiest river left, but is probably worth a look before running.
After getting off the river, we drove a further km or so down the Gorge to take a look at the famous ‘Pas de Soucy’ rapid. This is essentially the site of a huge rock fall into the river, creating a very impressive rapid to look at, and almost certain death for anyone attempting to paddle it. As ‘Pas de Soucy’ literally translates as ‘no worries’, I can only assume that this is a French attempt at irony. It is definitely worth going to look at, if only to play the ‘I-can-see-the-line-through game’, but to me it looks just like death-by-syphon.
That evening, we ate out in the little restaurant in St Chély. Foie gras, Porc medallion in mustard sauce, cheese and pud. All for about 25€ each. Definitely my sort of paddling trip!
Day 2 we paddled down from Montbrun to St Chély. I found this section to be even prettier than the previous day, if that is possible. Again it was about a 14 km section with lots of friendly rapids, a few of them reasonably big and bouncy. Just before lunch we stopped to explore a cave on river left, that had a stream running out of it. After a bit of a climb up into it (and a fair amount of pushing and pulling by Blue, Reg and Steve – thanks boys), it opened up into a chamber with a sump. We got pretty wet, but the weather was warm and it was well worth it.
Immediately below the cave was the second very low submersible bridge of the day. The first we had to portage; the second we just about all scraped under, but it’s worth checking first as you really wouldn’t want to get wedged.
Lunch was definitely a highlight of the day for me (the location, not the food). We stopped on a beach just across the river and below the village of Castelbouc, with it’s ruined church perched higher up the side of the gorge. Absolutely beautiful.
There were 2 weirs on this section to be dealt with. The first, a rather nasty semi-circular weir, was a definite portage river right. The second, at the village of Saint Enimie, had 3 options. There is a canoe shute river left, but due to strainers and fallen trees was arguably more hazardous than the weir itself. There was the weir (have I mentioned that I don’t like weirs), and there was a very short, easy portage river left between the shute and the weir. 2 canoes took the shute, 1 ran the weir and 2 portaged, and noone fell in. Directly after the weir on river right is an ideal spot to pull over, and go and buy hideously overpriced yet very yummy ice creams from the cafés in the village.
After the ice cream break, it was just a quick 4 km back to St Chély. It was lovely being able to get off the river and walk 500m back to the Gîte for showers and beers.
On our final day, we paddled the upper section; 18km from Pont du Tarn to Montbrun. Whilst marginly less scenic than the previous 2 days, what this section lacked in scenery, it made up for in rapids. Right from the start the rapids were bigger (although still sympathetic) and maintained reasonable class 2 with one debatable 3? two-thirds of the way down. The final 5km or so was fairly flat, so would probably be a bit of a slog in a kayak. Although the weather turned for the worse and got a bit cold and windy, my husband and I both agreed that this was our favorite section so far.
So, in summary, a great class 2 river in a stunning gorge. Particularly suited to open boats, but in our group we had 15 and 16ft prospectors, a 12ft ottowa as well as a really short prelude and a spud. Something for everyone really. It is also worth mentioning that in 3 days on the river, the only other people we saw were 3 fishermen. Apparently the river gets much busier in the summer, as you would expect, and the river trickles away to next to nothing, so early season is the time to go. The entire area seems to be almost exclusively Gîtes, so finding accomodation should not be a problem. We stayed in a Gîte called ‘le Pigeonnier’ in the village St Chély du Tarn, although if you are searching for it online (www.gites-de-france.com) it is listed as being in Saint Enimie (the nearest town).
If you don’t want to lug boats all the way down, there is a plethora of boat hire companies up and down the gorge who will rent you sit-on-tops and organise your transport. If you prefer proper open boats and kit, try Tony (my husband) and Chris at LTAdventure (www.ltadventure.com). The nearest airport is Montpellier (about 2 hours away by car), and you can get excelent deals on flights with ryanair.
I must say a huge thank you to Mark and Heather for organising the trip and inviting us, and especially to Heather for organising the Gîte. We had a great time, and are trying to sort out a return trip in the near future.
Caroline Pape
In this video, Blue runs through how to outfit an open canoe with rescue loops, painters, kneeling thwart and buoyancy blocks.
I paddled the Greta in the Lakes today with Richy P. Yesterday the water level was below the mark on the bridge which indicates you can paddle it. It rained all night and when we checked the level in the morning, it was about a foot above the mark. WOOHOO!
Excuse me for the vagueness, but I can’t remember where we put in. I guess Richy P, or other wise folk could decipher from this photo of Richy.
It was a full on 2 hour paddle. Every rapid more technical with bigger waves.
It started as a leisurely sunday outing at the bridge where we put in.
This only lasted a few minutes! The river just seemed to build. Every eddy meant valuable bailing time. I was properly swamped a couple of times and managed to hold out till bailing. Only just!
I would go so far as to say this was the most fun and challenging river I have ever paddled. Similar to the Allier in many ways. Every turn a technical rapid, one after another. No respite. Mentally and physically challenging.
Needless to say, it was a great day. And the bust Werner was worth every penny 
P.S. I stopped taking photos when it got hard. I had enough to worry about!
Maddy Roberts, part time HR consultant, full time dare devil, thought that spending a long weekend with friends in the Ardeche would be just what she needed. ltadventure, was right up her street. Little did she know just what was in store for her. Read all about it here and check out the video.
Maddy had never sat in a kayak before the afternoon at pont d’arc. She had no idea, just what lay ahead. A quick introduction to the basics, saw Maddy paddling around on flat water happy as Larry in no time at all. She didn’t know who larry was, but he was happy and that gave Maddy all the confidence she needed.
After she had got to grips with what she was doing, she wanted more! She had the thirst for it. The river was flowing at 25 cubic metres per second and that was enough to wet her whistle. She wanted the moving water. She knew that was where the fun would be.
Her first run was down a side shoot of Charlemagne. Facing up stream, she needed to break out into the flow, turn to face down stream and then, enjoy the ride! She did just that and her confidence went through the roof! Brilliant! Time to step it up a notch!
To get to the perfect position for the main event, a white water swim was needed. She blitzed it! No worries! Bring it on!
Once she had recived her brief, she looked out at the might river in front of her and gave it her all. She was gripped! All was going fine, she paddled her way down the moving water, dodging rocks as she went and the lined up for the drop!
She could see the waves below, the other kayakers moved to the side, maybe not in orr, but they moved to side. She gave it all she could and went for the drop and through the waves.
She had done it! 45 mins earlier, she had never been in a Kayak and there she was, paddling grade 2 rapids! She felt great, like she could do anything! It was a good trip and a great holiday.
Maddy is coming out to see us again next summer. This time shes bringing more people to take on the mighty, mighty Ardeche river!
Early September saw the ltadventure team off on another adventure. The location…….. The Allier!
In the Massif Central, South of France, you will find a little gem of a river, known simple as, the Allier. The Allier is a river with a big reputation that Chris had been longing to do for some time. He had always missed out on trips to the Allier for some reason. The river has 3 sections worth checking out and definately a whole week if you want to do the lot.
Dark granite outcrops create the back drop to this stunning gorge. The rock is very dark in colour and has been known to catch people out over the years. It hides just below the surface and just as you are paddling down, you glance up to admire the view and BANG! You’ve hit a rock, capsised and are now wet and struggling to find your sense of humour. Those around you however are having the time of their lifes. They did’t get caught out and are watching the carnage unfold. Smiling, ready to jump in and help if its needed, but smiling non the less.
The team arrived very late at night next to the put in and pitched their tents. A ging gang gooly, a box of wine and loads of excitment for the coming days followed. Allthough it had been just a few hours from Blue and Yak’s houses, Chris’s journey down there had started a few days earlier when he made the drive down to the Ardechewith his canoe strapped to the top of his car. It had been more than eventful with a breakdown that threatened to stop the trip, but by one way or another, they had all made it to the get on. The section they were paddling was the Nouveau Monde to Pont d’ Alleyras section. 42 rapids in 18Km. Although possable in a day, much more fun over two.
So two days it was, with a bivy at the side of the river half way down. They were carrying quite a bit of kit, as any idiot can be uncomfortable, and Chris had inherited Yak’s gear as he was paddling a kayak. “Its all about the Bivy” Is a phrase that has become used more and more over the year. It certainly is true. A time to share stories around a fire and enjoy good company under the stars.
The team were blessed with great water levels and outstanding bright, hot sunshine. For anyone paddling the Allier, you should refer to Meteo France for water levels. If the water level is above 0.6, then it is runnable. Day one on this trip, it was running at 0.65. Day 2 it was about 0.75. Excellent levels with testing rapids.
All in all a great paddle trip. Check out the video.
Through this post I’m going to be exploring the link between learning and adventure. To do that, I think it’s important to look at both the key words in detail. So what do they mean?
The Oxford English dictionary describes learning as
Knowledge or skills acquired through study or by being taught.
Adventure is described in the Cambridge dictionary as.
An unusual, exciting and possibly dangerous activity such as a journey or experience, or the excitement produced by such an activity.
Ok, great, so far off to a good start. I’m going to focus on adventure for the time being and see where that takes us. Let’
s take apart the dictionary definition then.
Unusual. Something that is not usual. Straight away this throws up problems. What is usual for one person is not for another. It is usual for a rock climbing instructor, to go climbing, to abseil, to tie knots. However a young person from an inner city environment, who has never left their own post code, would find climbing, abseiling and tying knots a very different proposition.
Exciting. We have the same problem again. What one person finds exciting another could find completely dull. A student, who has just finished uni, wants to get into alpine mountaineering, heads off to Chamonix for a few weeks, hires himself a guide and they both set off to tackle Mont blanc. What is the biggest exciting, experience of the student’s life, is just another trudge up the same old route for the guide.
Possibly dangerous activity. Now there has been a lot written over the years about risk! The balance, relationship and management of the actual risk combined with that of the risk that is perceived. High ropes courses have been going up all over forestry commission land, throughout the Uk, over the last five years. The attraction of these is the adrenalin or “buzz” factor. It is the feeling we get from the perceived risk that gives us that “buzz”. People are just let loose, high up in the tree tops, with nothing but rope bridges, cargo nets and zip wires to move around. If that were true the risk would be high. The risk is managed, participants receive a safety brief, prior to being let loose! They are clipped in to wire cables as soon as they leave the floor and remain clipped in until they complete the set routes or courses! There are regular safety checks carried out on all fixed equipment, procedures for replacing personal protective equipment (PPE) are in place and staff trained and assessed before delivering safety briefs. In short the actual risk is low, but the perceived risk is high! That’s what makes it feel adventurous.
Journey. Scott, Cook, Fiennes, Whymper, Columbus, Macarther, Oates, Livingston, Hillary. All people who braved the un-known, planned and executed various expeditions into the unknown. There is no denying that these people will always be remembered as adventurers. Taking a journey into the unknown can be a daunting experience. It is easy to stay where we are, never leave, never experience new cultures, new sights, sounds, tastes and never meet new people. But why would one choose to do this? By taking part in new journeys, we expand our horizons, we have new experiences and above all, we learn more.
Experience. Every one of us has hundreds of experiences every single day. You could say that every day was an adventure, but that would sound far too cheesy! But not all that far fetched. What ever we do day by day, we are doing something, we are having an experience. But what are the benefits of those normal day by day experiences. What do we learn from doing the same thing over and over again? How to do it better, how to be more productive? Great! But is there not more going on in the world than that which we have already done. To experience new experiences is to progress, to develop and to expand our minds.
Its all relative! From looking at the definition in more detail like this we can realise that one mans adventure, is another mans walk home. Every one of us has a different starting point and therefore a different adventure threshold. This is what makes running an adventure course such a challenge. Finding a way to ensure that all participants have an equal level of adventure and challenge.
On to learning then. We have all been learning since the day we were born and we continue to learn until the day we die. We learn about ourselves, each other, our environment, our history and so much more. The internet is full of things that have been learnt and things that are being passed on!
So pulling the dictionary definition apart again we start with,
Knowledge. That which has been learnt. Or that which we are aware of. To have knowledge implies either that we have studied or that we are aware of a certain subject. So is it important to increase our knowledge? Absolutely! If we stopped doing this then what does that mean for the future? The acquisition of knowledge is what has got the human race to where it is today. If that is a good thing or not, is a whole different conversation.
Skills. Having a skill implies that we can do and activity or job to a good standard. Practicing a canoe stroke over and over again, gives us a good level of skill in a particular stroke. However, if we have been taught that canoe stroke incorrectly, we end up being very skilled in performing an ineffective stroke. So why do we need skills and what skills do we need? Do we need to know how to paddle a canoe as effectively as is possible? Do we need to climb the hardest climbs? No! But pushing ourselves to achieve those things, gives us both a great feeling of satisfaction and achievement!
Study. The word study probably conjures up all manner of images for every one us. But why and how we study is not just black and white. It’s certainly not just for exams, for tests and for academic reasons! It is to acquire knowledge, so that this can be passed on. For example an instructor who learns what plants can and can’t be eaten. This is not obvious and has to be researched (studied)! Once this study has taken place however, the instructor is then in a position to pass on this information, therefore increasing the knowledge of others.
Being taught. The chance to learn! But where do we learn best? How do we learn best? Inside? Outside? Everyone of us has a preferred way of learning, of being taught. But does being taught mean that learning has taken place? No! If that were the case, teachers would have it easy! If being taught is to achieve its out come of learning, then that teaching needs to be inspirational, life changing. It needs to be the most exciting thing going on!
Learning through adventure. Exciting teaching, knowledge acquisition, the building and development of useful skills. Combining a journey, with teaching, fun, learning, risk, reward and adventure is no easy task. But it is vital that we continue to find innovative ways to achieve this.
Myself & Chris went on an Alpine mini adventure last week. It has been a while since either of us had been in a kayak & Chris had never paddled kayaks in the Alps so this promised to be an exciting trip.
We headed up there on Tuesday night driving through the mother of storms into Embrun. There are always food & drink options in Embrun & in short order we were fed, watered & enjoying relaxing on a terrace, French style. The Alps is well served with accomodation options but we were up for roughing it a little so our bed was on the lakeside carpark. If you are just staying for a night the local police are unlikely to bother you & there are public toilet facilities right there.
The following morning we headed up to the Lower Guile. This is a classic warm up for new alpine boaters & we had the good fortune to meet up with a group of ex St Andrews students so shuttles were all sorted out. We travelled in one vehicle & didn’t have a shuttle bike (as seems to be the norm). The hitch to the put on is a non starter & the walk a fair trot so - happy days.
The river went without incident – a few high supports to get the adrenaline pumping is all. The flow was good for the time of year. The storm the pevious night had cleared the air nicely & with a clear blue sky conditions were optimal. Temperatures were in the low 30′s. The river is mostly class 2 & typical of a mountain stream until the confluence with the Durance. Here the river widens considerably with wind & possibly navigation the only issues. The river narrows & deepens at the slalom site which provided the largest volume rapid of the day. A great way to end the section.
We egressed after the slalom course at St Clement & bumped into Stu Woodward guiding a client. Stu is a veteran of Alpine boating & it was a pleasure to watch him work for a wee while & shair a quick yarn over brews. He runs Alpine courses & other stuff, has done for longer than I care to remember.
We had an excellent meal in Guillestre at a little Michelin restaurant – we’d probably have ordered an expensive bottle of red if we’d known how good it was going to be, although the local pichet was very good. If I can remember the name of the restaurant I’ll add it to the post as it is definately worth a mention. Great food & service in an authentic setting, a real treat. The beef emince was spectacular.
After the meal we dropped back down to the kayak shop at St Clement to watch a WW safey session with Deb Pinnegar. There were lots of folks there, hardly surprising as the session was free as was the BBQ food & beer. Lots of folks running around the car park with throwbags. Needless to say Chris & I enjoyed watching with a free beer.
After the session we headed back to Guillestre for a few , more expensive, beers with the guys from the shop & friends. Bruno, a Swiss paddler, was up for some fun paddling & we organised a meet up the following day. Shuttles sorted once again, what luck!
We found ourselves completely captivated by Deb & her fathomless knowledge of all that is boating. She is one of the top paddlers in the world & an inspiration to all boaters, especially women. We crashed courtesy of Deb after the usual N beers - Deb you are legend, many thanks.
Our Last days paddling. We met up with Bruno & headed out to Briancon and the put on for the Upper Durance. The weather was fantastic once again & we kitted up with the bare minimum we could get away with. There is a finite point between cooking in your rubber gear in case you go for a dip or have to do some rescue stuff & wearing just enough to cope with the wet & not dehydrate.
The water levels were surprisingly good for the time of year due to the amount of snow this winter. This section of the Durance is narrower & more in keeping with the higher valley rivers of the area. It is predominantly class 2 with a reasonable 3 right at the end just before the road bridge.
The river passed without much fuss. Bruno turned out to be a competent paddler & he took the lead until the 3. Chris was paddling really well considering it was his second ever Alpine river & looked a lot more comfortable than the day before even though this 
river was more difficult. He seemed to be enjoying the speed & power of the water. I told him to approach the rapids as you would in an open boat & that seemed to do the trick.
All in all we were all having a great day with like people & beautiful weather. The scenery, as usual, was breathtaking.
The last rapid was trickier than I remembered as it was a little lower than I’d done it before. I dropped down first so that I could shoot a quick video. Apologies for the quality but I was sat in an eddy & had a brief rescue/video/rescue/video? moment. I decided on the video & it all worked out.
Check out the video on our facebook group Ltadventure or below.
All in all a fantastic trip. You know it’s been a good trip when the drive back home is full of talk of the next mission.
