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Durance, Gorge de Prelles (Prelles - L'Argentière)
Kayak spot · France
Whitewater: a river with rapids
Is it worth the trip?
51Fair out of 100 for your dates
Best on Fri 6: Wind 1 kn gusting 9, Air 7 °C, River levels: no free forecast gives them, so check a gauge before you go
Mon 2 · 52 out of 100
- Wind
- 2 kn
- Gusts
- 11kn
- Air
- 6°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Tue 3 · 50 out of 100
- Wind
- 1 kn
- Gusts
- 8kn
- Air
- 6°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Wed 4 · 43 out of 100
- Wind
- 3 kn
- Gusts
- 14kn
- Air
- 2°C
- Rain
- 0.1 mm
Thu 5 · 50 out of 100
- Wind
- 2 kn
- Gusts
- 10kn
- Air
- 5°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Fri 6 · 54 out of 100
- Wind
- 1 kn
- Gusts
- 9kn
- Air
- 7°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Sat 7 · 53 out of 100
- Wind
- 3 kn
- Gusts
- 13kn
- Air
- 7°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Sun 8 · 42 out of 100
- Wind
- 1 kn
- Gusts
- 9kn
- Air
- 3°C
- Rain
- 6.9 mm
Tap a day for wind, gusts, air and rain. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Sun 153, fair
- Mon 252, fair
- Tue 350, fair
- Wed 443, poor
- Thu 550, fair
- Fri 654, fair
- Sat 753, fair
- Sun 842, poor
- Mon 959, fair
- Tue 1036, poor
The spot in three facts
- Grade IVits hardest rapid V
- Moving waterthe water
- Best Jul–Aug7 good days in 7
Full forecast
every day, every number
| Day | Score | Wind | Gusts | Air | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 1Nov | 53, fair | 4 kn | 16kn | 7°C | 0 mm |
| Mon 2Nov | 52, fair | 2 kn | 11kn | 6°C | 0 mm |
| Tue 3Nov | 50, fair | 1 kn | 8kn | 6°C | 0 mm |
| Wed 4Nov | 43, poor | 3 kn | 14kn | 2°C | 0.1 mm |
| Thu 5Nov | 50, fair | 2 kn | 10kn | 5°C | 0 mm |
| Fri 6Nov | 54, fair | 1 kn | 9kn | 7°C | 0 mm |
| Sat 7Nov | 53, fair | 3 kn | 13kn | 7°C | 0 mm |
| Sun 8Nov | 42, poor | 1 kn | 9kn | 3°C | 6.9 mm |
| Mon 9Nov | 59, fair | 4 kn | 16kn | 10°C | 0 mm |
| Tue 10Nov | 36, poor | 1 kn | 12kn | 7°C | 21.6 mm |
Wind and gusts are in knots, rain in mm. The river's level is under In the water. 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
- Jun6of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Jun
- Jul7of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
- Aug7of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
- Sep5of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct2of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov0of 7: a trip from Mon 2 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
Durance, Gorge de Prelles (Prelles - L'Argentière) 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
5 places
- Durance, Briançon - Prelles (Pont du Villaret) 5.6 km away
- La Durance 6.2 km away
- La Guisane 6.4 km away
- Upper Durance Briancon Gorge 8.3 km away
- Durance, Malafosse (La Vachette - Le Fontenil) 10.1 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Durance, Gorge de Prelles (Prelles - L'Argentière)
A river section on the Durance, from a put-in down to a take-out. Grade IV, its hardest rapid V, on the international scale. Suits expert paddlers only, by its grade. 4 paddling schools, clubs or hire within 10 km, the nearest 4.9 km away. For expert paddlers the best months are usually July and August, with about 7 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Briançon. Within 5 km we also list 2 kayak spots and 1 climbing area.
- River Durance
- Grade Grade IV, its hardest rapid 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 4 paddling schools, clubs or hire within 10 km, the nearest 4.9 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$1,430–US$2,680 each
about US$1,430–US$2,680 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 30 October 2026.
How we worked it out
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return ORD to MXP, estimated from distance and season, 1 airline on the route, with a hold bag | about US$496–US$1,030 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | about US$141–US$234 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$328–US$543 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$315–US$583 |
| Kayak hire | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$154–US$288 |
| Total | about US$1,430–US$2,680 |
Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: Briançon
12 min by car · 42 places to stay
about US$121/nightcountry average
About Briançon its beds, food and every spot near it
About US$121 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 30 October 2026.
Getting there: about 17h 05m
About 17h 05m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → MXP, direct, then 3h 30m by road
Flights ORD → MXP on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.
On the water
Kayak trips and courses in Briançon · GetYourGuideKayak hire in Briançon · GetYourGuide
River level
River level at La Durance à l'Argentière-la-Bessée: its gauge has sent no reading in the last day, so check it before you go.
Bands are this gauge's own record: under its usual low, running, high, and in flood on its few highest days a year. Not a runnable range for the section: check before you go. River flow in France: Hub'Eau (hubeau.eaufrance.fr), data from the hydrometric services (SCHAPI, DREAL), Licence Ouverte 2.0. Credits
Paddling schools, clubs and hire nearby
Kayak 4.9 km
Eaurigine Rafting 6.3 km
Slalom Course Argentiere-la-Bessee 7.9 km
Rafting Expérience 11 km
Rafting Experience 11 km
The nearest named schools, clubs and kayak or canoe hire within 25 km, in a straight line. Listings, not a recommendation. Schools, clubs and hire: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Credits