Chärstelebach, Talstation - Dorf Hinter-Bristen
Kayak spot · Switzerland
Whitewater: a river with rapids
Is it worth the trip?
45Fair out of 100 for your dates
Best on Fri 6: Wind 6 kn gusting 33, Air 5 °C, River levels: no free forecast gives them, so check a gauge before you go
Wed 4 · 34 out of 100
- Wind
- 5 kn
- Gusts
- 30kn
- Air
- 2°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Thu 5 · 34 out of 100
- Wind
- 4 kn
- Gusts
- 27kn
- Air
- 3°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Fri 6 · 49 out of 100
- Wind
- 6 kn
- Gusts
- 33kn
- Air
- 5°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Sat 7 · 46 out of 100
- Wind
- 1 kn
- Gusts
- 11kn
- Air
- 4°C
- Rain
- 0.3 mm
Sun 8 · 48 out of 100
- Wind
- 1 kn
- Gusts
- 17kn
- Air
- 5°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Mon 9 · 46 out of 100
- Wind
- 5 kn
- Gusts
- 25kn
- Air
- 4°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Tue 10 · 44 out of 100
- Wind
- 2 kn
- Gusts
- 12kn
- Air
- 3°C
- Rain
- 3.6 mm
Tap a day for wind, gusts, air and rain. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Tue 344, poor
- Wed 434, poor
- Thu 534, poor
- Fri 649, fair
- Sat 746, fair
- Sun 848, fair
- Mon 946, fair
- Tue 1044, poor
- Wed 1145, fair
- Thu 1235, poor
The spot in three facts
- Grade Vat its hardest
- Moving waterthe water
- Best Jul–Aug6 good days in 7
Full forecast
every day, every number
| Day | Score | Wind | Gusts | Air | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tue 3Nov | 44, poor | 1 kn | 8kn | 3°C | 0 mm |
| Wed 4Nov | 34, poor | 5 kn | 30kn | 2°C | 0 mm |
| Thu 5Nov | 34, poor | 4 kn | 27kn | 3°C | 0 mm |
| Fri 6Nov | 49, fair | 6 kn | 33kn | 5°C | 0 mm |
| Sat 7Nov | 46, fair | 1 kn | 11kn | 4°C | 0.3 mm |
| Sun 8Nov | 48, fair | 1 kn | 17kn | 5°C | 0 mm |
| Mon 9Nov | 46, fair | 5 kn | 25kn | 4°C | 0 mm |
| Tue 10Nov | 44, poor | 2 kn | 12kn | 3°C | 3.6 mm |
| Wed 11Nov | 45, fair | 4 kn | 27kn | 3°C | 1.5 mm |
| Thu 12Nov | 35, poor | 6 kn | 29kn | 3°C | 1.8 mm |
Wind and gusts are in knots, rain in mm. River levels: no free forecast gives them, so check a gauge before you go. More
Forecast updated . It refreshes every three hours. Forecast data: ECMWF, DWD, Météo-France and NOAA, served by Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0). Changed by us. Generated using E.U. Copernicus Marine Service Information.
Best time to go
best Jul–Aug
Good kayaking days in a typical week, each month, for expert paddlers, from 2016 on (ERA5 history scored the same way).
- Jan0of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb0of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar0of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr0of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May2of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
- Jun5of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Jun
- Jul6of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
- Aug6of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
- Sep4of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct1of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov0of 7: a trip from Wed 4 Nov
- Dec0of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Dec
Tap a month to see this spot for a trip then.
Typical weather, not a forecast, and not the river's level: a month that is often good to be outside may still be low water.
Map
put-in, take-out, its town
Chärstelebach, Talstation - Dorf Hinter-Bristen on Google Maps · Directions
Each place wears its best day on these dates: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says.
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One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
More kayaking near here
3 places
- Reuss, Amsteg - Autobahnrastplatz 2.9 km away
- Reuss, Amsteg Autobahnrastplatz - Erstfeld 3.5 km away
- Reuss, Meitschligen - Amsteg 5.4 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Chärstelebach, Talstation - Dorf Hinter-Bristen
A river section on the Chärstelebach, from a put-in down to a take-out. Grade IV to V, on the international scale. Suits expert paddlers only, by its grade. None within 10 km, the nearest 33 km away. For expert paddlers the best months are usually July and August, with about 6 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Gurtnellen. Within 5 km we also list 2 kayak spots.
- River Chärstelebach
- Grade Grade IV to V, on the international scale.
- Who it suits Suits expert paddlers only, by its grade.
- Access No source states the access rules: check locally.
- Schools, hire None within 10 km, the nearest 33 km away.
Spots and rivers: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Whitewater sections © Rivermap (rivermap.org), Riverzone and Jonathan Riddell, ODbL.
The score is the conditions only: the journey, the price and the partners never change it (how we score, how we earn).
Rough cost (estimate): about US$1,850–US$3,420 each
about US$1,850–US$3,420 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, hire car, stay, food, kayak hire.
Our estimate from typical public prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book (where they come from). Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 2 November 2026.
How we worked it out
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return ORD to ZRH, estimated from distance and season, 2 airlines on the route, with a hold bag | about US$490–US$1,020 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | about US$188–US$315 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$463–US$765 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$450–US$832 |
| Kayak hire | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$262–US$483 |
| Total | about US$1,850–US$3,420 |
Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: Gurtnellen
Ad Links marked Ad may pay us if you book. You pay the same, and they never change a score. How we earn
13 min by car · 3 places to stay
about US$174/nightcountry average
About Gurtnellen its beds, food and every spot near it
About US$174 a night is our estimate of the country's average 2-star double room that month: not each town's price, and not a quote. Drives are estimates. Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 2 November 2026.
Getting there: about 15h 10m
About 15h 10m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → ZRH, direct, then 1h 40m by road
Flights ORD → ZRH on your dates · AviasalesAdeSIM for your phone · Search on AiraloAd
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.
On the water
Kayak trips and courses in Gurtnellen · GetYourGuideKayak hire in Gurtnellen · GetYourGuide
River level
River levels: no free forecast gives them, so check a gauge before you go.
Paddling schools, clubs and hire nearby
No paddling school, club or hire mapped within 25 km.
Schools, clubs and hire: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Credits