Warm Water, Vin Rouge and easy Rivers

Peter Knowles
Join “Fluffy” and the legendary Pete Knowles for a light-hearted talk about paddling the family friendly rivers of the Massif Central.  Pete Knowles is better known as an international expedition kayaker, however here he talks about some happy times paddling with friends and researching the warm and friendly rivers of the Central Massif in the South of France.  

Pete explains - “Fluffy is a stuffed yellow toy duck which was given to me and I thought the perfect marketing tool to illustrate the friendly nature of these rivers.  ‘Fluffy’ is supposed to like sunshine, warm rivers, ice cream, and the thrill of bouncing down easy rapids so of course he loves the rivers of the Massif Central!“

Many paddlers have heard of the famous Gorges de l’Ardèche, but don’t realise that there are several other nicer and much less crowded rivers with assured water levels in the summer months - nearly 800km of rivers class 1-3.  I am always amazed that more paddlers haven’t heard of rivers like the Allier which is a perfect jewel.

Friends often ask me where to take the family paddling for a summer holiday and my answer is always – the Massif Central.  I also think that this is a great area for club kayakers who are looking for easier and friendlier rivers than the French Alps.  Come along to my talk, meet ‘Fluffy,’ and I will tell you why!