An intense solo daytrip of no less than 38 km, composed of a 17 km class II whitewater descent of the western fork of the Ourthe river (Ourthe Occidentale), 4 km of flatwater paddling on the Nisramont reservoir and a 17 km return hike across snowy plateaus. The day is murky and cold with a high steadily hovering around -2°C and a dusting of snow in the river valley.
After more than 10 days of river closure due to a water flow exceeding the allowed maximum, I am most likely the first to descend the river after its reopening. I fortunately do not encounter any obstacles and can make good progress thanks to a good current.
I manage to complete the entire trip in 7 hours and 45 minutes, which yields an average speed of almost 5 km/h. Quite impressive if I may say so, taking into account time lost due to transitioning from packrafting to hiking mode and short breaks to get something to eat and drink.
(Amberloup: 5.5 m3/s; Ortho: 17.5 m3/s)
Report > Belgium 2023: Ardennes
Filip H.A. Claeys 