Ubaye, Les Thuiles - La Fresquière
Kayak spot · France
Whitewater: a river with rapids
Is it worth the trip?
44Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Tue 3: Wind 1 kn gusting 8, Air 6 °C, River levels: no free forecast gives them, so check a gauge before you go
Tue 3 · 49 out of 100
- Wind
- 1 kn
- Gusts
- 8kn
- Air
- 6°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Wed 4 · 20 out of 100
- Wind
- 7 kn
- Gusts
- 37kn
- Air
- 1°C
- Rain
- 9.2 mm
Thu 5 · 45 out of 100
- Wind
- 5 kn
- Gusts
- 23kn
- Air
- 3°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Fri 6 · 32 out of 100
- Wind
- 2 kn
- Gusts
- 22kn
- Air
- 2°C
- Rain
- 3 mm
Sat 7 · 47 out of 100
- Wind
- 1 kn
- Gusts
- 7kn
- Air
- 4°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Sun 8 · 47 out of 100
- Wind
- 1 kn
- Gusts
- 9kn
- Air
- 4°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Mon 9 · 47 out of 100
- Wind
- 1 kn
- Gusts
- 14kn
- Air
- 4°C
- Rain
- 1.2 mm
Tap a day for wind, gusts, air and rain. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Mon 250, fair
- Tue 349, fair
- Wed 420, poor
- Thu 545, fair
- Fri 632, poor
- Sat 747, fair
- Sun 847, fair
- Mon 947, fair
- Tue 1038, poor
- Wed 1149, fair
The spot in three facts
- Grade IIIits hardest rapid IV
- Moving waterthe water
- Best Jun–Aug7 good days in 7
Full forecast
every day, every number
| Day | Score | Wind | Gusts | Air | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 50, fair | 4 kn | 24kn | 6°C | 0 mm |
| Tue 3Nov | 49, fair | 1 kn | 8kn | 6°C | 0 mm |
| Wed 4Nov | 20, poor | 7 kn | 37kn | 1°C | 9.2 mm |
| Thu 5Nov | 45, fair | 5 kn | 23kn | 3°C | 0 mm |
| Fri 6Nov | 32, poor | 2 kn | 22kn | 2°C | 3 mm |
| Sat 7Nov | 47, fair | 1 kn | 7kn | 4°C | 0 mm |
| Sun 8Nov | 47, fair | 1 kn | 9kn | 4°C | 0 mm |
| Mon 9Nov | 47, fair | 1 kn | 14kn | 4°C | 1.2 mm |
| Tue 10Nov | 38, poor | 1 kn | 20kn | 5°C | 14.7 mm |
| Wed 11Nov | 49, fair | 1 kn | 21kn | 6°C | 4.5 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 Jun–Aug
Good kayaking days in a typical week, each month, for grade III 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
- Apr1of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May4of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
- Jun7of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Jun
- Jul7of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
- Aug7of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
- Sep6of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct4of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov0of 7: a trip from Tue 3 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
Ubaye, Les Thuiles - La Fresquière 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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About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Ubaye, Les Thuiles - La Fresquière
A river section on the Ubaye, from a put-in down to a take-out. Grade III, its hardest rapid IV, on the international scale. Suits grade III paddlers and up, by its grade. 2 paddling schools, clubs or hire within 10 km, the nearest 0.4 km away. For grade III paddlers the best months are usually June, July and August, with about 7 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Pra-Loup. Within 5 km we also list 1 kayak spot and 1 mountain bike area.
- River Ubaye
- Grade Grade III, its hardest rapid IV, on the international scale.
- Who it suits Suits grade III paddlers and up, by its grade.
- Access No source states the access rules: check locally.
- Schools, hire 2 paddling schools, clubs or hire within 10 km, the nearest 0.4 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$1,440–US$2,680 each
about US$1,440–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 2 November 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$497–US$1,030 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | about US$141–US$235 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$329–US$543 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$315–US$584 |
| Kayak hire | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$154–US$289 |
| Total | about US$1,440–US$2,680 |
Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: Pra-Loup
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 · 16 places to stay
about US$121/nightcountry average
About Pra-Loup 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 2 November 2026.
Getting there: about 17h 40m
About 17h 40m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → MXP, direct, then 4h 05m by road
Flights ORD → MXP 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 Pra-Loup · GetYourGuideKayak hire in Pra-Loup · GetYourGuide
River level
Gauge at L'Ubaye à Barcelonnette [Abattoir], 7 km upstream: 2.96 m³/s, low for November (updated 3 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
Rock'n Raft 0.4 km
Barcelo Raft 4.2 km
Rêves de Rivieres 19 km
La Petite Mer 20 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