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Packraft Gorges de Tines. River Le Giffre from Sixt Le Cheval to Samoens

Kayaking in an unlikely narrow gorge. A unique experience.

By Packrafting.cat

December 29^th, 2024

Original Spanish Post

Packraft en las Gorges de Tines. Río Le Giffre de Sixt Fer a cheval a Samoens:

https://blog.packrafting.cat/packraft-a-les-gorges-tines-rio-le-giffre-de-sixt-fer-a-cheval-a-samoens

Available also in french Packraft vers les Gorges de Tines. Rivière Le Giffre de Sixt Fer a cheval à Samoens.

Giffre River

The Giffre is a French river located in Haute-Savoie, in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region and is a tributary on the right of the Arve River, and therefore a sub-basin of the Rhône.

The Giffre is one of the largest rivers in France. The annual flow of the river's catchment area is 1,810 millimeters, an extremely high figure - about six times the French average - and is the result of abundant rainfall in the northern Pre-Alps, including the Giffre massif.

The river Giffre, one of the rivers in France with most flow.

Class: II-III and is a classic route used by white water rafting and kayaking companies. In terms of scenery, it is a 5-star section.

The main section is the Gorges des TINES, a must-see. It is advisable to consult the local companies before embarking to find out about the state of the Gorges or at least to do some scouting beforehand. It is possible to recognise the right bank along the path that descends from the road above the gorge.

Alternatively, you can take a long walk along the road on the right bank and re-embark at the exit of the gorge. At the end of the gorge, the gorge widens and then narrows. Before it narrows, a fairly fast III. On the left. Real risk on the right (against the prison mentioned in the comments).

After leaving the gorge, at the end of the straight, the river turns left with a beautiful rappel which turns a canoe raft like a pancake. Theoretically, according to Eaux vives comments, after the gravel pit, there is a small weir to be recognised at low water, but I think that due to the works that seemed to have been done recently, this pass has disappeared. From here, the river flows quickly and smoothly until it reaches the rapids at the entrance to the forest.

The rest of the journey to SAMOENS is relatively easy.

Summary:

Class: II-III, possible four at gorge entrance with high water levels.
Landscape: *****
Playboat: low, wave trains, on the extra stretch at the Morillon bridge there are some good waves.
Isolation: only in the Gorga de Tines, the road borders the other sections of the river.
Season: from May to July, with numerous wave trains.
Duration: 1h30, 2h.

Extracted from comments of Eaux vives, with the water level (see flow rates) that I did it, I did not see any problem, but it is important to do some scouting beforehand and to take into account:

In addition to the back dam in the second part of the gorges (downstream of the footbridge), in the first part of the Tines gorges (upstream of the footbridge) with very high water, a not very high threshold (0.5 m) can form at the level of a narrowing of the cliff, which can retain the water without the possibility of securing it. It should be noted that the entrance to the gorge was redeveloped earlier this year (14.06.2017).

Another comment:

Beware of the second rapid of the gorges in high water. The rapid becomes significantly more difficult (III+), and the counter-rip to the right at the end of the rapid is a real danger. Iron bars have been installed so that swimmers can hold on to the water, but it is still dangerous. Once in the gorge, no portage is possible. An escape route on the left bank just above the rapid is possible, but complicated (more than 50 m of almost vertical ascent, several ropes needed, rock falls, etc.).

Latest comments from 2024

Descent with 0.7 m at the station. Gorges des Tines as usual, great, the small threshold before is a bit annoying because of a tree whose leaves hide the line, the rest always easy. Easy landing just after the bridge of Thézières next to the football field. Allow 3 hours for exploration. The 2 thresholds are in three portals or in part, both to save equipment and because of the difficulty of positioning yourself quietly. The braided section is quite crowded, but it is fun to go through the labyrinth to find the exit without having to step on a log (it was easy).

The route is situated in a setting surrounded by majestic mountains in the Alps and close to the ski slopes of Samoens.

3D view of the route where you can see how we will be surrounded by high mountains.

First section Sixt Fer a Cheval

BOARDING IN THE SIXT CARAVAN AREA

Boarding can be done at the Sixt Fer a Cheval Caravan Area. We can spend the night here with the vans (Park4Night for a fee), and from the car park you can access the river.

The first 1.6 kilometers run through the village of Sixt Fer a Cheval where we cross only 4 bridges, with simple but thrilling rapids and good wave trains to warm up.

Just at kilometer 1.6 the Giffre des Fonts tributary joins us on the left bank, where the Gorgas de Tines begins.

Throughout this stretch and the Gorgas de Tines section, the river runs predominantly in an easterly direction.

Section through the village of Sixt Fer a Cheval.

In the aiguabarreig of the river Giffre and its tributary le Giffre des Fonts, right here is the only tricky section of this route. The rapid at the entrance to the Gorges.

Important: scout this rapid before starting by stopping at the Gorges de Tines car park. From here there are several ways to observe the Gorgas both from the two suspension bridges and especially by the path that is marked with an * near the entrance that allows us to see the entrance to the Gorgas.

If the Gorgas pass is not clear there are two portage options:

To avoid the whole gorge, disembark on the right bank and follow a path to the road and re-enter the downhill path leading to the second suspension bridge just after the Gorgas exit.
Or simply avoid the rapid at the entrance with a portage on the right bank, the previous rapid can also be ported on the left bank.

There is a car park (the same car park as the via ferrata) and from the footbridge you can see the Gorges. Go up the path to the Belvedere of the Gorges and visit the point with * near the entrance to see the rapids at the entrance to the canyon.

Canyon entrance rapids

In this video of the Ascap kayak club, you can see very well the rapid with a small slope before the entrance to the canyon and the rapid at the entrance to the canyon.

There are some very narrow sections, but it's a good run. Once past the first rapid there is only one other rapid, although beyond the little room to manoeuvre, with the right water levels you can do well.

The feeling of being surrounded by high walls and the combination of colours makes this a special place.

Otra zona interesante más allá del cañón de Tines en si.

Views of the suspension bridge from the bottom of the canyon.

What a view and what a feeling to be within these walls!

Gorges de Tines from the suspension bridge, an ideal place for a preliminary scouting.

When you see the second footbridge, at km 2.2, once you have passed it you will be outside the canyon, the valley widens on the right bank, but maintains steep walls on the left bank.

At kilometre 3.1 you will cross the bridge of le Perret, the route has only rapids and simple wave trains with no special complications. In this section the river changes its direction from east to northeast.

Towards the end at about kilometre 5 at a turn of the river to the left (East), and you will first meet the Nant d'Ant tributary on its left bank (with an impressive 80 metre waterfall which you can visit by following a path on this bank) and then the right bank tributary of Le Clevieux. You are now approaching the village of Samoens and will pass under the cable car of the Grand Massif Express ski slopes. At Kilometre 6.2 you will cross the bridge with the Samoens meter and 200 metres later you have on the right bank just before a relatively complicated pass access to the route de Morillon where there is a small parking area.

Caudales

There is a gauge located at the end of the route in Samoens, I did it with an approximate level of 45-50 centimetres which is a level close to the minimum (with Kayak, with packraft you can go faster). The ideal level is around 55 centimetres and the maximum is 75, where the entrance to the Gorga becomes more complicated.

Flow according to Rivermap on the day I did this route.

Gauge at Samoens marking approximately 45 cm.

Packraft le Guifre and Gorges de Tines - September 2022

Google my Map

Packraft Kayak en el río Giffre, Gorges de Tines

Via Ferrata Gorges Tines. Via Ferrata du Mont

Consult the Wikiloc route Via Ferrata du Mont

Cascade du Nant d'Ant

The Cascade du Nant d'Ant can be visited by car from the car park which you can see nearby on Google maps.

It is also possible to access by a relatively short path from the river.

https://www.decathlon-outdoor.com/fr-fr/explore/france/cascade-du-nant-d-ant-64dca63aafb90

Ski slopes of SAMOENS

In winter, Samoens is the access village to the ski slopes of Le Grand Massif.

OTHER SECTIONS OF THE RIVER GIFFRE

The river from Samoens onwards is navigable for a further 11.3km, with easy class II rapids.

You can also find on Rivermap the stretch just before the motorhome area, a 1km stretch from the Pasarelle de Giffrenant, marked as class IV, which we have not yet run. The difference in altitude of 30 metres in 1 km is a considerable difference in altitude on this section of the Giffre river.

Eaux Vives

The Eaux Vives website describes 4 sections of the Giffre river.

The section P2 Haute Giffres corresponds to the section explained in this post.

With little water, disembark at Samoens! Not worth the extra stretch.

De SAMOENS a MORILLON, el río está bloqueado por 5 presas. Hay que reconocer cada presa antes de entrar en ella. En el segundo azud, cuidado con la toma de agua del lago SAMOENS.

El último vertedero fue reconstruido en 2018. Atención a una parte de la anchura tacos cuadrados de hormigón colocados para permitir la subida de los peces. Un mirador se puede ver desde aquí.

En el puente MORILLON, ¡el paso es especialmente DIVERTIDO! Es un largo tobogán que termina en un rodillo. Para decirlo sin rodeos, ¡las balsas surfean la ola! Esta es la meta.

Se puede continuar hasta Taninges. El resto del recorrido es una gravera sin mucho interés (muchas ramas y árboles caídos en el río).

Nota: como parte del contrato del río, es posible que se retiren presas durante el invierno. Aunque ya hayas navegado por esta ruta, infórmate antes de embarcarte en tu primer descenso del año.

See you at the river!

The river is a living environment, changing and subject to permanent development. The publishers of the river sketches and the creators of this website cannot be held liable in any case of inaccuracy, omission or error in the river sketches. The topos editors and website creators disclaim all liability in case of any accident that may occur on the rivers described in this guide.