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Durance, Malafosse (La Vachette - Le Fontenil)
Kayak spot · France
Whitewater: a river with rapids
Is it worth the trip?
Not for grade III paddlers. Suits expert paddlers only, by its grade.
The spot in two facts
- Grade Vat its hardest
- Moving waterthe water
Full forecast
every day, every number
Not for grade III paddlers. Suits expert paddlers only, by its grade. See it for expert paddlers.
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.
Map
put-in, take-out, its town
Durance, Malafosse (La Vachette - Le Fontenil) 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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Live webcam
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Live webcam
At Montgenevre, 4 km away
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More kayaking near here
5 places
- Upper Durance Briancon Gorge 1.8 km away
- La Guisane 3.9 km away
- La Durance 4 km away
- Durance, Briançon - Prelles (Pont du Villaret) 4.6 km away
- Durance, Gorge de Prelles (Prelles - L'Argentière) 10.1 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Durance, Malafosse (La Vachette - Le Fontenil)
A river section on the Durance, from a put-in down to a take-out. Grade V, on the international scale. Suits expert paddlers only, by its grade. 3 paddling schools, clubs or hire within 10 km, the nearest 3.9 km away. The town to stay in is Briançon. Within 5 km we also list 1 ski resort, 5 kayak spots, 1 climbing area and 1 mountain bike area.
- River Durance
- Grade Grade 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 3 paddling schools, clubs or hire within 10 km, the nearest 3.9 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
5 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
Gauge at La Durance à Val-des-Prés [Les Alberts], 1 km upstream: 1.98 m³/s, low for November (updated 2 h ago). Running.
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
Eaurigine Rafting 3.9 km
Kayak 5.2 km
Rafting Experience 10 km
Rafting Expérience 10 km
Slalom Course Argentiere-la-Bessee 17 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