Camille tells us about her first downriver trip with the new Itiwit packraft. "She tells us about an unforgettable moment". An account that will make you want to head to the water!
A few weeks ago, Camille went with some friends to take the downriver trip from Nive to the Basque Country with her Itiwit packraft.
We took the opportunity to as her some questions to find out more about her experience...
"Woo hoo, packrafts are the best!!!! time passes too quickly on the water, I had the impression of being in a completely different place when heading upstream compared to the trip downstream, your perspective of the water changes completely. There are many different rhythms, from the punchiest rapids to the calmest areas, we watched the birds and put our hands in the water"
"Before leaving, I wondered how we were going to fit everything into our backpacks and we had to try several set-ups, but in the end it worked out. And I thought that the downriver trip would go by really fast compared to the ascent, which can easily take two to three hours, but in the end it took almost the same amount of time each way, so we definitely had time to enjoy it!"
"Getting into the water. It seemed completely implausible to go from having a large hiking backpack to a kayak on the water without having your things around your legs in the boat. You feel free."
"The best advice is not to launch yourself into rapids if you don’t feel able or if you can't see the end of the rapids. That’s the best way to put yourself off packrafting and never come pack. And it’s easy to walk around with the packraft on your shoulders."
"1/ Not finding markers to know where to come out to find your starting point
2/ Forgetting to put your things in the zip compartment before inflating
3/Not attaching you water bottle with a carabiner and losing it at the first rapids
4/ Packing your bag very quickly due to your excitement and having lots of things spilling out of your backpack"
"Packrafts are great as they offer many opportunities and make you want to take on many different adventures in new places, on foot or by bike. But you should always know where you’re going, check the weather carefully, and speak to local guides to be sure that you don’t put yourself in danger and so that it remains enjoyable!"
Camille -