340 Kilometres in an itiwit inflatable kayak

The answer was clearly to check out the new products from Decathlon. Personally, I found it reassuring that we could find all our equipment in this shop. Decathlon and I already had a long story together in sport. And I have always been pleasantly surprised by their innovations and the way disciplines become more accessible every time this company takes an interest in them.

The obvious choice was an Itiwit3 inflatable kayak, because the ease of transport would be very helpful in our adventure. I contacted Itiwit on Facebook for some advice. They put me in touch with Claude, who had already crossed France on an Itiwit inflatable SUP last summer, taking in the Rhône river on his trip. He was very helpful and gave me some tips on how to make a success of our adventure, while enjoying ourselves at the same time.

Here is the list of the equipment we took with us:~- one ITIWIT3  inflatable kayak / two two-piece collapsible paddles / one 2.6L double-action hand pump.~- two 50N+ buoyancy vests.~- two Quechua hiking bags, protected by rubble bags. (would we regret not taking real watertight bags with us?)~- wet weather clothes, plus one spare set.~- one Arpenaz two-man tent, which never let us down under any circumstances and two Forclaz 10° sleeping bags and one Quechua 120 inflatable mattress.~- two headlights, two backup lights, one very practical Quechua cookset, plus a few kitchen utensils.~- one large picnic rug for the evenings and some supplies: tinned food, rice, pasta and plenty of chocolate and biscuits.~- one large painter’s tarpaulin to protect everything against the rain.

We set  off from the Pasteur bridge in Lyon, which we chose completely at random. We crossed the weir near Pierre Bénite. Discovering the passages. We had obviously already reconnoitred. But the signs along the way were quite confusing. In some places there were lots of signs, but hardly any in others. This left us in doubt when getting back into the water. There were times when I would have preferred no signs at all. At least things are then quite clear.~A stop near Millery. A heavy storm during the night. The tarpaulin was just the trick. It was our only really wet episode. We got lucky. A day’s paddling. Progress is slow.

17 August : We pass through Vienne. The landscapes become more and more attractive. Crossing the weir at Ampuis. No more nice places to stopover from here on. Bivouac downstream of the weir near to a strange circuit for scale models. A friendly little snake. Waking up in the shade. The first comfort for every camper. A camp fire is essential.

18 August : Weir near Saint Pierre de Boeuf. We crossed the weirs in two steps. The equipment first, then the kayak. It takes time, but it works. We had thought about deflating the kayak every time. Not a good idea. Next time, we will remember to buy a transport trolley from Decathlon. It is designed for rigid kayaks, but I’m sure it can be used with inflatables too. This was our biggest mistake, and it cost us a lot of time. But we managed.~Crossing the Platière island reserve. A very beautiful place. Birds and beavers. It was the first time for me. I was delighted to actually see one at last. We ended up seeing quite a few. And we discovered a new word: Cecotrope. I’ll leave you to find out what it means.~Camp after the weir in the company of a goat. We kept a close eye on him, because he showed a keen interest in the boat.

23 August : Arrival at Pont Saint Esprit. A lot of water in the kayak. The rapids before Pont Saint Esprit were a bit more difficult than the others. But there was a nice beach just afterwards where we emptied the kayak. No weir.

24 August : We took a rest near Pont Saint Esprit. A lovely site to camp and plentiful supplies. We rest, read and sleep. I have a go at fishing. I was quite good when I was younger. But now, I have to admit that I’m hopeless.  That’s all about fishing...

25 August : Laudun-l'Ardoise weir. Camp by Montfaucon. Lots of little bird-watching huts, some of which have seen better days. A word about the birds. They are everywhere. Herons, grey birds, white birds, ducks, lots of cormorants and fish-eating birds. Our favourite is the metallic blue kingfisher.

26 August: A very windy awakening. We thought twice before setting off again. Rowing into the wind is really unpleasant, but we make progress nevertheless. The weir near Sorgues. Crossing Avignon. Taking on supplies. I had to look hard for a drinking fountain. Most unpleasant. The skipper gave me a tip. It’s a secret, so I can’t tell you about it. We break a fin by pushing the kayak onto a ramp too fast. The first damage, and it was our fault. Bivouac after Avignon, a full moon. A lovely spot between the old Rhône and the canal.

27 August: The weir near Comps. One of the most difficult and longest. A final word about the weirs. We often lost time looking for sites to get back into the water. Here again, some passages were signposted perfectly. Where, how many km, do we have to cross the river or not. And then, nothing at all. This resulted in a lot of wasted time.~We arrive in Beaucaire at night. We camp on the sand. A delight for the feet, but Lika didn’t like it.~