Valserine, Sous Niaizet - La Rivière
Kayak spot · France
Whitewater: a river with rapids
Is it worth the trip?
60Good out of 100 for your dates
Best on Mon 9: Wind 8 kn gusting 26, Air 13 °C, River levels: no free forecast gives them, so check a gauge before you go
Wed 4 · 56 out of 100
- Wind
- 4 kn
- Gusts
- 15kn
- Air
- 8°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Thu 5 · 62 out of 100
- Wind
- 1 kn
- Gusts
- 8kn
- Air
- 11°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Fri 6 · 52 out of 100
- Wind
- 1 kn
- Gusts
- 5kn
- Air
- 6°C
- Rain
- 3 mm
Sat 7 · 57 out of 100
- Wind
- 2 kn
- Gusts
- 9kn
- Air
- 9°C
- Rain
- 0.6 mm
Sun 8 · 57 out of 100
- Wind
- 4 kn
- Gusts
- 14kn
- Air
- 9°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Mon 9 · 65 out of 100
- Wind
- 8 kn
- Gusts
- 26kn
- Air
- 13°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Tue 10 · 62 out of 100
- Wind
- 4 kn
- Gusts
- 19kn
- Air
- 13°C
- Rain
- 3.9 mm
Tap a day for wind, gusts, air and rain. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Tue 351, fair
- Wed 456, fair
- Thu 562, good
- Fri 652, fair
- Sat 757, fair
- Sun 857, fair
- Mon 965, good
- Tue 1062, good
- Wed 1166, good
- Thu 1249, fair
The spot in three facts
- Grade IVits hardest rapid IV+
- Moving waterthe water
- Best Jun–Sep7 good days in 7
Full forecast
every day, every number
The score doesn't know the river level, weirs or your skill.
| Day | Score | Wind | Gusts | Air | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tue 3Nov | 51, fair | 3 kn | 11kn | 6°C | 0 mm |
| Wed 4Nov | 56, fair | 4 kn | 15kn | 8°C | 0 mm |
| Thu 5Nov | 62, good | 1 kn | 8kn | 11°C | 0 mm |
| Fri 6Nov | 52, fair | 1 kn | 5kn | 6°C | 3 mm |
| Sat 7Nov | 57, fair | 2 kn | 9kn | 9°C | 0.6 mm |
| Sun 8Nov | 57, fair | 4 kn | 14kn | 9°C | 0 mm |
| Mon 9Nov | 65, good | 8 kn | 26kn | 13°C | 0 mm |
| Tue 10Nov | 62, good | 4 kn | 19kn | 13°C | 3.9 mm |
| Wed 11Nov | 66, good | 4 kn | 17kn | 15°C | 1.5 mm |
| Thu 12Nov | 49, fair | 4 kn | 22kn | 10°C | 22.2 mm |
Wind and gusts are in knots, rain in mm. River levels: no free forecast gives them, so check a gauge before you go. 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–Sep
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
- Feb1of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar3of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr5of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May6of 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
- Sep7of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct5of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov1of 7: a trip from Wed 4 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
Valserine, Sous Niaizet - La Rivière on Google Maps · Directions
Each place wears its best day on these dates: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says.
The map needs JavaScript. Every place on it is listed on this page, and each place's page links to Google Maps.
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
2 places
- Valserine, Niaizet - 300m plus bas 0.4 km away
- Valserine, Le Boulu - Niaizet 7.5 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Valserine, Sous Niaizet - La Rivière
A river section on the Valserine, from a put-in down to a take-out. Grade IV, its hardest rapid IV+, on the international scale. Suits expert paddlers only, by its grade. None within 10 km, the nearest 13 km away. For expert paddlers the best months are usually June, July, August and September, with about 7 good days in 7; in January and December, about 0. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Lelex. Within 5 km we also list 2 kayak spots.
- River Valserine
- Grade Grade IV, its hardest rapid IV+, 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 None within 10 km, the nearest 13 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$1,320–US$2,490 each
about US$1,320–US$2,490 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, taxi, 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 GVA, estimated from distance and season, changing at CDG, full-service airlines, with a hold bag | about US$490–US$1,010 |
| Taxi | airport and back, shared | about US$34–US$60 |
| 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$1,320–US$2,490 |
Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: Lelex
Ad Links marked Ad may pay us if you book. You pay the same, and they never change a score. How we earn
4 min by car · 9 places to stay
about US$121/nightcountry average
About Lelex 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 15m
About 17h 15m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → GVA, changing at Charles de Gaulle International Airport (CDG), then 35 min by road
Flights ORD → GVA 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 Lelex · GetYourGuideKayak hire in Lelex · GetYourGuide
River level
River levels: no free forecast gives them, so check a gauge before you go.
Paddling schools, clubs and hire nearby
Opikanoa 15 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.