The Guisane: Jewel of the Briançonnais
In the heart of the Hautes-Alpes in Serre Chevalier, a crystalline ribbon of water flows from the Col du Lautaret, covering nearly 28 kilometers until it meets the Durance near Briançon. The Guisane, fed by the majestic glaciers of the Combeynot massif, has forged a reputation for excellence among whitewater sports enthusiasts. Its tumultuous waters offer an extraordinary playground where Class 2 to 4 rapids follow one another, blending technical challenges with contemplation of breathtaking Alpine panoramas.
This river, a true natural artery crossing the Serre Chevalier valley, invites total immersion in a world where each turn, each tumultuous passage tells a unique story. From family-accessible routes to sections that challenge the most experienced, the Guisane offers a tailored adventure where technique, courage and wonder meet.
The Evolution of a Sport: From Colorado to the French Alps
The history of modern rafting begins in the 1950s on the wild waters of Colorado, before crossing the Atlantic to settle in France in the 1980s. The Guisane, with its ideal profile alternating calm passages and more challenging sections, quickly became a flagship destination for this booming discipline.
The river naturally divides into two distinct sections:
- Upper Guisane (Class 2-3): a Discovery route accessible to beginners and families
- Lower Guisane (Class 4): a Sport route reserved for the boldest
The rapids that punctuate these routes bear evocative names, sometimes inspired by their configuration, sometimes by local anecdotes or the challenges they represent. These emblematic passages now make the reputation of the Hautes-Alpes and Serre Chevalier Valley in the rafting world.
Portraits of Emblematic Rapids in the Serre Chevalier valley
Guibertes Rapids: A Gentle Initiation
Location: Upper Guisane, between Le Casset and Saint-Chaffrey
Classification: Class 3
This rapid probably takes its name from the neighboring hamlet, a historic place where shepherds and muleteers once crossed the river. An essential point of the Classic Rafting route (10 km from Monetier to St Chaffrey), Guibertes constitutes a perfect introduction to whitewater navigation techniques.
What makes this a memorable passage? A perfect balance between moderate waves and winding currents, offering a first dose of adrenaline without intimidating novices. The spectacular environment, with turquoise water contrasting with the peaks of the Écrins National Park, transforms each descent into a striking visual experience.
A local legend tells that a muleteer, in the 19th century, lost his cargo of cheeses in these turbulent waters, giving birth to the ephemeral expression « floating tommes » to describe the characteristic undulations of this passage.
Crocodiles Rapids: The Legend
Location: Upper Guisane, between Guibertes village and Villeneuve
Classification: Class 2
On the Upper Guisane Children’s Rafting Route, this moderate-difficulty rapid hides behind its apparent tranquility one of the most delightfully whimsical legends of the valley. Its unusual name, which makes adults smile and children’s eyes widen, originates from a local tale as improbable as it is endearing.
The legend tells that on a scorching August day, when a traveling circus was stopping in the valley, the keepers would have placed the crocodile cage by the Guisane’s edge to cool the reptiles. Under circumstances never clarified, the cage door would have mysteriously opened, allowing one of the saurians to escape and dive into the turquoise waters. Since this hypothetical event, the crocodile would have taken up residence precisely in this bend, finding in the rapid’s configuration an ideal habitat and opportunely… an occasional food source in the form of clumsy rafters who fell into the water!
What transforms this simple Class 2 rapid into a memorable moment isn’t so much its technical difficulty as the magical atmosphere created by the guides. As they approach the bend, they suddenly lower their voices to « confidentially » share this story with their crew, anxiously scanning the water’s surface for any « suspicious movements. » The children, torn between delicious thrill and disbelief, cling to their paddles while searching for the mythical resident.
The enchantment reaches its peak when the guide suddenly points to a submerged shape (usually a rock with an evocative form) exclaiming: « There! Do you see its tail disappearing? » Cries of excitement then erupt, mixed with laughs from complicit parents. This moment of pure shared imagination often constitutes one of the dearest memories brought back by families.
Entry Rapids: The Dynamic Guardian
Location: Lower Guisane, after Carles bridge, near St Chaffrey
Classification: Class 4
This emblematic rapid constitutes the true gateway to the challenges of the Lower Guisane. Its fascinating feature? A colossal rock block of several tons that dominates its first section and, remarkably, occasionally moves during powerful spring floods. This geological mobility transforms the rapid’s physiognomy from season to season, forcing even the most experienced guides to constantly rediscover new optimal trajectories. This unique characteristic makes each annual descent a renewed experience, never identical to the previous one.
The rapid’s final sequence presents a striking contrast with its initial part: a lightning-fast straight line where technique and precision become essential. The crafts fly at high speed through an aquatic corridor where every centimeter counts, brushing past obstacles and counter-currents in a precise choreography requiring perfect crew coordination.
The first real test of the Raft Sport XL route (10 km from Villeneuve to Briançon), this passage immediately demands total cohesion after the relatively mild warm-up on the Upper Guisane. The atmosphere becomes instantly electrified under the guides’ encouragement, mentally preparing rafters for the increasing challenges awaiting them downstream.
The Labyrinth: Puzzles and Acrobatics
This rapid admirably lives up to its name: a true aquatic maze where rocks and currents form a moving puzzle that each team must solve. Nestled in a more enclosed sector where dense forest borders the banks, the Labyrinth perfectly embodies the wild character of the Lower Guisane.
Its main attraction lies in its technical requirements and spectacular passages that push the art of rafting toward new dimensions. The narrowest passages require extraordinary maneuvers: the raft must sometimes navigate literally « on its edge » to squeeze between rocks. In these critical moments, guides precisely orchestrate the movement of team members to one side of the craft, creating a controlled imbalance that lifts one tube completely out of the water. This acrobatic technique, spectacular for observers and thrilling for participants, momentarily transforms the raft into a semi-aerial craft and allows passage through sections that would seem otherwise impossible.
The changing currents and natural obstacles require anticipating each turn, reading the river, and executing maneuvers with surgical precision. Waves form « rollers » that vigorously shake the craft, to the great delight of thrill-seekers.
The Wallet: The Tumultuous Confluence
Location: Lower Guisane, middle section
Classification: Class 4
The fascinating origin of this name comes from a unique hydrodynamic phenomenon: at the rapid’s exit, water streams converge and overlap exactly like the folds of a closing wallet, creating an aquatic pattern as recognizable as it is formidable. This hydraulic signature makes this passage famous among connoisseurs.
The course itself is a technical symphony in three movements. From a relatively calm straight line, the entry begins with a tight right turn that propels the craft between three imposing rock blocks. This is followed by a crucial threshold marking the beginning of a narrow corridor where speed accelerates brutally. Here precision becomes vital: the raft’s positioning must be impeccable to negotiate the final phase, the famous « wallet » movement proper.
This final section puts the crew to the test – shaken in all directions by relentless turbulence, each member must nevertheless maintain the discipline and concentration necessary to instantly execute maneuvers commanded by the guide. This contrast between physical chaos and technical rigor makes the Wallet one of the most intense and memorable moments of the Raft Sport XL route.
Montlhéry: The Endurance Trial
Location: Lower Guisane, approaching Briançon
Classification: Class 4
Its name, borrowed from a famous French automobile circuit, makes perfect sense in the relentless sequence it imposes. This rapid’s formidable feature: recovery time after the Wallet is practically non-existent, confronting already tested crews with a new challenge without respite. Guides, well aware of this difficulty, know this passage tests the physical and mental limits of each participant, but engagement is inevitable once in the current.
The sequence begins with a dynamic entry composed of a series of open turns negotiated at high speed, a mere prelude to the rapid’s true technical heart. This critical point presents as a tight right turn where precision becomes vital: maintaining a perfectly inside line constitutes the only viable option. Any deviation outward exposes the craft to an imposing threshold forming a powerful roller, capable of stopping progress dead and brutally overturning the raft.
Once this critical passage is cleared, the crew faces a succession of small water steps generating destabilizing lateral movements. The exit finally appears in a wide left curve leading between two massive rock blocks, offering a precious opportunity: a possible stopping point on the right. This strategic position allows guides to monitor incoming crafts and intervene quickly in case of difficulty, momentarily transforming crews into spectator-rescuers.
Montlhéry’s frantic pace, its cascading waves and technical turns give rafters the impression of participating in a true aquatic speed race. This sensation intensifies particularly during the May-June period, when glacier melt brings water levels to their peak, transforming each descent into a thrilling experience where every movement counts.
Fortville Rapids: The Final Apotheosis
Location: Lower Guisane, immediate proximity to Briançon
Classification: Class 4
This last significant rapid takes its name from the adjacent hamlet, once a strategic point of fortifications designed by Vauban. Its unique configuration makes it a memorable moment: a majestic succession of perfectly aligned wave trains in the river’s axis, creating a spectacular aquatic boulevard.
The sensory experience is total – the crew, literally drenched with water from all sides, feels a thrilling acceleration that invariably triggers euphoric cries. This moment of collective exhilaration is immortalized by photographers strategically positioned on the Fortville bridge overlooking the rapid. These photos, precious memories of the adventure, capture the exact moment when speed, joy, and splashes combine in a perfect image of rafting’s spirit.
After this final adrenaline surge, the river offers a striking contrast: a gradual return to calm over the last kilometer leading to Briançon. This calmer section allows crews to exchange their still-fresh impressions, savor their exploits, and contemplate the mountain landscape before reaching the disembarkation point in the Vauban city.
The Unique Essence of Guisane Rapids in Serre Chevalier
What fundamentally distinguishes the Guisane rapids is their extraordinary diversity. The progressive transition from the Upper Guisane (with Guibertes) to the Lower Guisane (Entry, Labyrinth, Wallet, Montlhéry, Pierre à Fautrelle, Fortville) allows everyone to find the level of challenge that suits them.
The exceptional environment amplifies the experience: framed by alpine forests and dominated by majestic peaks, the river offers total immersion in a preserved natural setting. Seasonal variations considerably transform the experience – the swollen waters of May-June multiply the intensity, while the summer period favors a more technical and contemplative approach.
Local professionals enrich each descent with their expertise and communicative passion. Playful stops, explanations about the river ecosystem, and shared anecdotes transform a simple sports activity into a true initiatory journey.
Heritage and Adrenaline: Guisane’s Living Legacy
The Guisane represents much more than a simple watercourse; it embodies the living soul of the Serre Chevalier valley. Once used for log floating and powering traditional mills, it has reinvented itself as a symbol of contemporary adventure.
The rapids that punctuate its course, sculpted by millennia of glacial erosion, bear names that reflect the local spirit – mixing humor (Wallet), geographical references (Fortville), and sporting challenges (Labyrinth). Since the boom of rafting in the 1980s, these passages have attracted enthusiasts from around the world, helping to make the Hautes-Alpes an essential destination for whitewater sports.
Events like the picturesque « Descent of the Memory Rafts » periodically celebrate the deep connection between the river and the region’s cultural identity, perpetuating a constantly evolving heritage.
