This brochure is provided by Green River Canoes Ltd and gives some ideas for Expedition Canoe Trips as also described on the web-site at www.greenrivercanoes.com .

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Steven House

“ContentsExpedition Trips 4

Expedition: Loire 8

Expedition: L'Ognon 12

Expedition: Semois 14

Expedition: Dordogne 16

Expedition Trips

Even the main focus of Green River Canoes is to provide Inn-to-Inn Guided Canoeing trips every year we will propose to do a long expeditionary trip at the beginning of each season. If it proves popular then we could add another trip at the end of the season too.

The idea of these trips is to have a long continuous canoe down a single river.

The intention is that we will camp on these trips and where possible we will prefer wild-camping over camp-sites. This means we will have to cater for ourselves too and do own our cooking. This will not however, preclude us taking the odd night in a B&B if we want to, or indeed frequenting restaurants, cafes and bars whenever we find them!

On our usual trips we always have a support van. To help reduce costs on these expeditions  we will have to decide whether or not we want to have a support van to chase us down the river.

Unlike our Inn-to-Inn Trips these Expedition Trips are more co-operative. Green River Canoes will ensure that the canoe equipment is booked and ready for us, will guide us on the river and will have all the necessary details and maps for camping and supplies along the route. If a support minibus is required then Green River Canoes will supply this too, along with a driver.  Green River Canoes will ensure that we are transported from the

rendezvous point to the start of the canoeing and for returning everybody back to the rendezvous point from where we finish the canoeing. Green River Canoes will also provide the necessary safety equipment and water-proof tubs for storing stuff in the canoe.

The participants on the trip will be expected to provided their own camping equipment and will be required to set up themselves and help with all the necessary cooking and cleaning jobs etc. If portages are necessary then they will be expected to help with these too.

The cost for the trips will be calculated on the canoe-hire costs and the minibus rental costs (if used) plus the use of a guide. These will be the only charges required before departure. All other expenses will be calculated and shared 'on the road', such as camp-site fees, eating and drinking, shopping, fishing licenses etc and so forth.

It will be the responsibility of the guests to get themselves to the rendezvous point for the trip departure.

We at Green River Canoes will suggest a variety of itineraries for each season. Those that are interested will then be asked to reach a consensus on the following aspects of the trip:

a) which river

b) for how long, 1, 2 or 3 weeks

c) a start date

b) camping or not?

e) with or without a support van 

If you would like to do an Expedition trip with us then email, or use the form on the contacts page, and tell us about what you'd like to do. The intention is to reach a consensus by the new year of 2014 which will allow plenty of time for planning and for arranging the schedule of our more conventional trips.

Expedition: Loire

This is one the longest rivers in France and can be paddled for about 900 miles from near Le Puy to the Atlantic Ocean at Saint-Nazaire: a trek of several weeks duration

We have several options:

3/4 Days: Amboise to Montsoreau (80km - 50m) 

We canoed this section of the river for our own vacation in the summer of 2012 and wild-camped on the islands along the way. We also did 2 days wild-camping on a regular trip in 2016.

For such a famous river that flows through the heart of France it was surprisingly quiet. We practically had the river to ourselves. The river is broad and wide with many interesting islands to explore and a prufusion of bird life to enjoy. Trolling for fish off the back of a canoe could be rewarding too.

We'll never forget the picnics, with lovely local wines and the cool swims under the hot sun.

7/10 Days: Nevers to Amboise (260km - 155m)

This would be the classic Loire stretch with chateaux and wines.

15/21 Days: Roanne to Amboise (420km - 260m)

This includes the wilder upstream section of the Loire.

21/28 Days: Le Puy-en-Velay to Amboise (540km - 335m)

This is as high as you can go towards the source. The section runs through the Loire Gorge and has rapids as well as dams to contend with.

10/15 Days: Amboise to Saint-Nazaire

This stretch takes you down to the ocean beyond Nantes. The river is open and wide with many islands and beaches to camp on.

30/40 Days: Le Puy-en-Velay to Saint Nazaire - the whole thing

Canoe the whole thing from as high as possible to the sea.

When to go:

I would suggest pre-season in early May or at the height of summer in August.

I would suggest a 10 to 15 Day trip.

Do we want the minibus to follow us? If yes, then we don't have to carry everything on the boats, but then wild-camping is more difficult and we have to share the driving. If we don't then we have limited bail out possibilities and everything has to go on the water.

We will be hiring the canoes from an outfitter in Amboise, which is where we will meet. We will then drive, or be driven, upstream to our point of departure. If you drive you own vehicle down to Amboise then you will be able to leave it there, safely, during the trip. Unless we terminate our trip in Amboise the outfitters will rendezvous with us to pick us, and the canoes, up for a return to Amboise.

We will have to bring our camping equipment but the outfitter will supply us with water-proof tubs for storing our gear in the canoes. I'd recommend that we take some fishing gear too so that we can at least attempt to catch some trout!

Expedition: L'Ognon

This river flows out of the Vosges mountains in eastern France and joins the Saone river close to Dijon. The section we aim to paddle winds its way from close to Belfort to where it joins the

Saone at Pontailler-sur-Saône. The river meanders its way through open rolling country in a leisurely way.

The proposal for this trip is to paddle for 9 continuous days downstream from Villersexel to Pontailler-sur-Saône a distance of about 160km or 100 miles. 

I have never canoed this river but by all accounts it is an easy ride without rapids but with several small dams and weirs to get past. Most of these have a glissiere which is a chute for the canoe to slide down. I understand that there are official campsites all the way down the river. I have no idea what the situation is with wild-camping but from the map it looks like it has plenty of islands and should therefore have places for wild-camping aplenty. 

I think this river offers lots of interest. Certainly the regional cuisine and the wines will be of interest and I am curious to explore the area.

Expedition: Semois

This rivers meanders its way through the Belgium Ardennes close to the French border.

The river sits in a deep and wooded valley in an area with very few villages, towns or even roads.

The proposal is to do a 5 or 6 day canoe trek from Chiny down to Membre or Bohan, or perhaps slightly further over the French border to where the Semois joins the Meuse. The distance is about 160km or 100 miles.

I've canoed this river several times, but never wild-camped. It's a beautiful stream with great opportunities for fly-fishing for trout. I think it would make a great expedition. In the past I had to use two outfitters: first hiring canoes at Chiny and then leaving those at Bouillon and hiring others. There is a barrage at Bouillon anyway so you have to do a bit of a portage.

The river provides easy paddling with no rapids larger than riffles. This river would also make a great outing in the autumn as the leaves fall.

Expedition: Dordogne

The proposal is to canoe 5 or 6 days from Argentat down to Siorac-en-Perigord a distance of about 140km, or about 90 miles.

I've canoed the lower stretch between Cazoules and Siorac many many times and this river features on our main guided trips. The upper section from Argentat to Beaulieu (the first day) I've never paddled but have canoed from Beaulieu down to Cazoules. We

camped in camp-sites on our last trek and spent two nights in small hotels. There is plenty of room however on the islands and banks for wild-camping. Again the fishing is good so a rod or two would be useful.

It's a beautiful wide and easy river with only short sections of fast water. The higher sections have a couple of small rapids with a barrage at Beaulieu to pass (it has a glissiere). Another glissiere is at Carennac. Below this there are no other obstacles.

We would hire our canoes from Eric at Siorac and he would drive us up-river to our starting point and we would paddle back to his place. He has safe parking at his base.

I would suggest an early or late season trek: May or October. The river can be busy in the height of the season in August.