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Durance, Gorge de Prelles (Prelles - L'Argentière)
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 IVits hardest rapid V
- 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, 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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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. 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
Saved: this link opens the same trip
The link holds the trip itself: nothing about you is kept. Check the forecast again before you book.