Rafting, kayak, hydrospeed, prices, booking, our base at Le Martinet... Here are the answers to the questions we get asked most often — with links to our detailed articles and general terms for further reading.
Activities & routes
Which activity to choose, for whom, on which route?
We help you picture it before you even get on the water.
A family is already a team. Rafting is the activity built for that: everyone in the same boat, parents and children together on the water, with a guide who tailors the route to your level. Open from age 8, it's the best first contact with the river — even for those who hesitate at the thought of the rapids.
Children from age 11–12 can also opt for kayak or hydrospeed — more physical, more personal sensations, but always practised in a group under the guide's watchful eye.
There's no box to tick. The Ubaye naturally offers a variety of sections — from accessible to very technical — and it's the guide who chooses the route for the day based on the water level and the group's profile. They assess it during a phone call, on arrival, then adapt their lines on the water.
In summer, moderate flows make the rapids more readable: ideal for a first time. In spring, the high-volume Ubaye opens up more demanding sections for crews looking for thrills. There's always the right option — but we're the ones who find it for you, not a box to tick on a form.
6 people maximum per raft, guide included (up to 7 with children). This is the standard configuration on the Ubaye — a small but tight-knit crew.
When you book in small numbers (1, 2 or 3 people), we complete the crew with other participants. The team spirit forms naturally — that's one of the charms of rafting: you arrive as strangers, you leave as a crew.
If you want a raft just for yourselves, this is possible as a private session — see below.
You book an activity for a 3-hour slot. The guide chooses the route based on the conditions of the day — flow, weather — and your group's profile. That's what a serious whitewater operator does: you don't have to choose between a "beginner" box and an "advanced" box.
On the Ubaye, the classic Martinet–Lauzet run is 9 km long — one of the most generous stretches in the valley. Other sections are available depending on the season. The guide will tell you about them on arrival.
The water level doesn't degrade the quality — it changes the colour of the experience.
In spring (April–June), the meltwater is cool and the flow is high. Navigation is more demanding, groups are smaller. For those seeking commitment, this is a window not to be missed.
In summer, the flow eases: the rapids are more manageable, the currents more readable — the ideal profile for families and first-timers.
In autumn (September–October), the Ubaye experiences its Indian summer and regains its colours. Fewer people, same sensations. It's often the guides' favourite time to take groups down the river.
In all cases, the guide chooses the section best suited to that day's group. The river is always navigated — never endured.
That's a big debate. And a genuine question — because the answer depends on what you want to experience together.
In a double kayak, you're both at the controls (one steers at the back, the other powers at the front). It's a coordination experience — magnificent when it works, revealing in any case. In a single kayak, each person is their own captain — weight centred, best glide, the lines you trace alone. Side by side, but each with their own river.
In a raft, you share the boat with the group and the guide. Less communication to manage between you, more spectacle and collective adrenaline.
And if you really want to test your bond — or your independent courage —, hydrospeed (body-boarding down rapids) is every person for themselves, in the best sense of the term.
Practical & logistics
How does it work in practice?
Duration, meeting point, equipment, weather... The answers before you leave.
Whitewater is an excellent antidote to teenage boredom. The guide knows exactly what to do — and the teen always ends up leaving their phone at the locker room without being asked.
If the stay spans several days and there's an appetite for combining activities, we can build a Paddle Camp — two guided activities in the day (morning + afternoon), with a meal at the base. It's the ideal full-day formula for a teen who wants to do everything.
For supervised youth groups (holiday camps, sports courses, school groups), we have a dedicated offer with daily or weekly formulas, adapted to ACM protocols.
Allow 3 hours in total — not just on the water.
The navigation itself lasts between 1h and 2h depending on the route and flow. Around that: welcome at the base, equipment fitting, departure shuttle, safety briefing, and return after landing. That's what makes our service valuable — not just the navigation.
Three departure times: 9:00 am, 1:00 pm or 4:00 pm. Be there on time — the river doesn't wait!
Our base is right at the heart of the most well-known route. The meeting point is 14 km downstream from Barcelonnette, about 20 minutes by road — in the village of Le Martinet, in Méolans-Revel.
The base is positioned almost at the start of the classic Martinet–Lauzet run ("Meuleu", as locals call it). No need to travel to reach the launch point: you arrive, gear up, and off you go.
You arrive at the Martinet base, where we welcome you with a complimentary hot drink. After settling the activity payment, you gear up, then briefing at the water's edge: presentation of the route agreed with your guide, positioning in the boat, paddling and steering techniques, river reading and safety rules.
If the group is progressing and the motivation is there, at the end of the session the guide may suggest booking a slot on a more challenging route — with them, who already know you.
Return by shuttle, unloading, debrief — and often, a desire to do it again!
Very little. Under the wetsuit: a swimsuit or underwear — avoid cotton, which holds the cold. Shorts are not recommended.
For rafting and kayak, closed-toe shoes are mandatory — trainers, water shoes, anything that holds the foot well. For hydrospeed, booties are provided.
If you wear prescription glasses, bring a retention strap — the first few minutes in a rapid can be quite a ride.
Everything else is provided — and detailed in the next question.
All personal equipment is included in the price:
- Wetsuit (1 or 2 pieces)
- Neoprene booties
- Buoyancy aid
- Whitewater helmet
- Paddle or fins
The full list of what is included is set out in our T&Cs — article 3.1.
For river activities (rafting, kayak, hydrospeed): yes, as a rule. We're already in wetsuits, and the alpine river doesn't rise suddenly the way a canyon torrent might. We set off if conditions allow.
If temperatures are particularly low, we adapt the duration or the route. The goal isn't to drag it out — it's to make sure everyone comes out with a big smile.
Our cancellation conditions are detailed in the T&Cs — article 4.2.
Prices & booking
Private sessions, stag/hen parties, payment, partner agencies...
Straightforward answers to plan your stay without any nasty surprises.
Yes — that's the private session. A dedicated guide and boat, just for your group. Available for rafting, kayak and hydrospeed.
Price: 270 € for the crew (up to 6 people), regardless of group size. For 4 or 5 people, it's sometimes more comfortable.
For large groups of 12 or more, we'll provide a tailored quote.
Yes — and the river is perfect for it. A raft in a private session is already six people bonded around a shared adventure. Add a groom- or bride-to-be to the crew and the magic happens by itself.
Whitewater activities allow for surprises, challenges, or simply a memorable descent — depending on the atmosphere you want to create. The guide adapts to the group's dynamic.
For large groups or themed days, we also have a full private day formula combining several activities with a meal at the base.
We try to accept as many as possible:
- Cash
- Bank card (online only)
- French bank cheque
- SEPA bank transfer
- ANCV holiday cheques paper
- ANCV sport vouchers paper
- Pass Sud Montagne (PACA region)
- Gift vouchers Oueds & Rios
For supervised activities, payment is made in two stages: deposit on booking, balance on the day at the start of the session. Full details are in the T&Cs — article 3.2.
No — and that's a choice. We prefer you to have a direct relationship with someone from the team, by phone or by stopping by the base. Someone who knows the river inside out, who's been paddling it for years, and who can advise you based on your profile and what you're after.
An intermediary means less and less precise information at each link in the chain. Here, you get through to a guide — it's shorter and far more useful.
The base & its history
Water temperature, the best places to eat, why that unusual name...
Everything we don't tell you on the booking form.
The guide knows the best spots — it's a question we get asked often, and they answer it with particular care.
- Na !Déj' and its food truck at the entrance to Lauzet — snacks and daily specials, all top notch — take it from a (more or less) hungry rafter.
- A snack bar with a shaded terrace at the end of the Route du Four à Chaux.
There are also several restaurants in Barcelonnette (15 min), with options for all budgets. Ask your guide on arrival — they'll point you in the right direction depending on the time and your appetite.
The base is well placed for that. Our pine grove at the confluence of the Ubaye and the Grand Riou de la Blanche is a discreet resting spot — waterside, shade, crystal-clear pools that some guests slip into spontaneously.
For those who want to stay active without taking the whitewater head-on, Lauzet Lake is just a few minutes away — a calm stretch of water, ideal for Stand Up Paddle and leisurely swimming. The paddle activity at the lake is run by Oueds & Rios — supervised sessions or free board rental.
"About 200 metres that way!" — goes the in-house joke. More seriously: the Ubaye is relatively mild compared to other alpine torrents used for whitewater activities.
By way of comparison, some rivers like the Haute Isère above Bourg-Saint-Maurice flow down from the depths of glacial reservoirs at temperatures that make your teeth chatter. The Ubaye takes time to warm up in its long valley before reaching the base.
In high season (July–August), the wetsuit is comfortable — you'd almost want to take it off. In spring and early autumn, it's essential. Either way, it's provided.
SUP is also our thing — though it's better suited to calm, deep water. On the Ubaye, with its class III–IV rapids and rocky stretches, it's not really the right terrain to try SUP on a river.
That's why we've been offering SUP at Lauzet Lake since 2015 — started by Béa, and taken on by Tiffanie in 2025. 10 minutes downstream from the Martinet base — in a guided session or free board rental.
Because we were afraid of being too successful and overwhelmed if we'd called ourselves ABC Rafting.
More seriously: at the origin, the River Runners (Coureurs de Rivières) are two brothers who have been kayaking since the age of 12. Lionel Lafay set up the travelling operation as early as 1986 — running rivers: Morocco, Canada, the Alps. His brother Pierre joined as a guide on the Ubaye in 1990. In 1996, they established a permanent base together in the Ubaye, still under the name Coureurs de Rivières.
Oued is the Arabic word for river. Río is the Spanish word. Rivers have no nationality — they flow everywhere, and the people who love them recognise each other regardless of language. That's a little of the spirit of the base.
In 2011, Lionel sold off his Savoyard branch — Pierre continued, with Béa, and shortly after renamed the base Oueds & Rios. In 2025, Pierre handed over to Rémi, Joseph and Jorys.
"We bought this base partly for its name and what it conveys." Learn more →
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