Too hot? Enjoy your vacation in Savoie to try rafting, a refreshing activity that is accessible and ideal for introducing you to whitewater sports!
La Plagne answers all your questions about rafting on the Isère a little further down this page, under the list of activity providers.
Most rafting providers welcome children from the age of 8. There are even "baby raft" initiations for children starting from 6 years old! The only conditions: knowing how to swim and putting your head underwater.
Depending on the routes (and thus the degree of physical strength needed to handle the paddle and withstand the jolts of the boat in the rapids of the Isère), you will be directed towards white-water excursions suitable for children from 10 / 12 years old, and teenagers from 16 years old.
Yes, rafting on the Isère is accessible to beginners! It is, in fact, the ideal activity to get started with white-water sports before trying hydrospeed or canyoning. Ask the activity provider for advice when booking your rafting trip: they will be able to recommend the route that best suits your level (complete beginner, intermediate, very sporty, with children...).
Fresh water, fast... The descent in rafting on the Isère requires being properly equipped to protect yourself from the elements! The activity provider will supply you with a wetsuit, a jacket, and neoprene booties (the same type of wetsuit used in surfing or diving, for example), as well as a helmet and a life jacket.
On your side, you will need to bring a swimsuit to wear under the wetsuit as well as a towel to dry off after the session. And of course, something to change into after the activity (but normally you will have arrived wearing clothes!).
Do you wear prescription glasses? It's not incompatible with a rafting trip (after all, you're supposed to stay on board the craft...). You just risk having your vision a bit blurred by the splashes. Still, remember to bring a cord with you, or you might feel them slip and take the big plunge into the rapids of the Isère!
Let's reassure the worried: no, you won't find yourself alone in your craft. Rafting is done in groups, accompanied by a qualified guide who is an expert in the discipline and the Isère (usually 9 people per raft).
Once equipped with your wetsuit, your helmet, and your life jacket, your guide will explain how to get settled in the boat, how to handle your paddle, how to navigate in calm areas and in rapids, how to react if someone accidentally falls from the inflatable boat...
Is everyone ready? Let's go for a refreshing descent of a few kilometers (or much more depending on the chosen route)! Before returning to the starting point, usually by minibus.
No panic! First of all, because you are perfectly equipped: helmet to protect your head, full suit to fight against the cold, life jacket to stay on the surface of the water, even in the turbulent rapids.
Secondly, because you know how to swim. Maybe not as well as Laure Manaudou or Léon Marchand, but well enough to have signed up for this rafting trip (how do we know this? Because knowing how to swim is THE essential condition to be able to board the inflatable rafting rafts!).
Thirdly, because you are not alone on board! A qualified guide, an expert in the rapids of the Isère and accustomed to facing all situations, will accompany you throughout the rafting descent on the Isère. He will come to the rescue and help you get back on the inflatable boat if you accidentally take a dive!
Most of the time, you will have up to 9 people on board your raft: 8 budding adventurers and 1 qualified guide specializing in white-water sports.
There is no need to gather 8 people to book your rafting trip: the activity provider will take care of grouping white-water excursion enthusiasts for you. A refreshing way to get to know other vacationers or locals in the area!
The duration of your white-water excursion depends on the circuit you choose. For example, a baby raft session (for children from 6 years old) lasts no more than 35 minutes. Expect about 1 hour and 15 minutes for a family discovery session. And even 2 hours and 30 minutes for the full descent of the Isère from Bourg-Saint-Maurice to Centron! Want more? Some rafting providers offer you the chance to spend the day on the water by combining the descent of the Isère with two sections of the Doron de Bozel.
Please note, these durations do not include all the preparation time. Allow an additional 1 to 1.5 hours beyond the time spent on the water to estimate the total duration of the activity.
Rafting and canyoning are both white-water sports that are practiced with a wetsuit and a helmet. The comparison ends there!
In rafting, you move in a group aboard an inflatable boat, paddle in hand. A perfect introduction to white-water sports!
Canyoning, is practiced on foot in more or less narrow gorges carved by the water of a river. Throughout your journey, you may find yourself walking in the water, but also jumping into a deep water hole from a ledge, sliding down natural slides shaped in the rock, etc.
