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Upper Durance Briancon Gorge
Kayak spot · France
Whitewater: a river with rapids
Is it worth the trip?
Not for new paddlers. Suits grade III paddlers and up, by its grade.
The spot in three facts
- Grade IIIits hardest rapid IV
- Moving waterthe water
- 2.4 kmthe section
Full forecast
every day, every number
Not for new paddlers. Suits grade III paddlers and up, by its grade. See it for grade III 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
Upper Durance Briancon Gorge 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, 6 km away
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More kayaking near here
5 places
- Durance, Malafosse (La Vachette - Le Fontenil) 1.8 km away
- La Durance 2.2 km away
- La Guisane 2.2 km away
- Durance, Briançon - Prelles (Pont du Villaret) 2.8 km away
- Durance, Gorge de Prelles (Prelles - L'Argentière) 8.3 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Upper Durance Briancon Gorge
A river section, from a put-in down to a take-out. Grade III, its hardest rapid IV, on the international scale. It runs 2.4 km along the river. Suits grade III paddlers and up, by its grade. 5 paddling schools, clubs or hire within 10 km, the nearest 2.2 km away. The town to stay in is Briançon. Within 5 km we also list 5 kayak spots and 1 climbing area.
- Grade Grade III, its hardest rapid IV, on the international scale.
- Length 2.4 km along the river.
- Who it suits Suits grade III paddlers and up, by its grade.
- Access No source states the access rules: check locally.
- Schools, hire 5 paddling schools, clubs or hire within 10 km, the nearest 2.2 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
2 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 Briançon [aval] - aval - Station partenaire EDF, 1 km downstream: 8.03 m³/s, normal 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
Eaurigine Rafting 2.2 km
Kayak 3.4 km
Rafting Expérience 9.5 km
Rafting Experience 9.5 km
Slalom Course Argentiere-la-Bessee 16 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