Canoe Descent and Bivouac on the Allier

We meet at the campsite in Châtel de Neuvre from 6:00 PM.

After a quick introduction and a tour of the site, we will go over the equipment we’ll be using during the trip. Together, we will set up the tipi for the first time before starting to prepare dinner. This will be a great moment to get to know each other and learn more about the Allier River and its unique ecosystem.

After breakfast and packing up the camp, we will depart directly from the campsite. We will embark in the heart of the Val d’Allier Nature Reserve, considered the second-largest ornithological site in France. This is the perfect opportunity to get hands-on with canoeing while enjoying the meanders of the Allier River and observing as many species as possible in their natural habitat. This section of the river, particularly representative of the river dynamics typical of the last wild river in Western Europe, will give us the chance to discuss its preservation issues.

After a lunch break by the water, we will continue for a few more hours to exit the nature reserve and find a suitable spot for setting up camp: setting up the tipi, gathering wood, and preparing the meal. Once done, we’ll enjoy the surroundings, with some swimming, fishing, and a drink by the water while your guide prepares a delicious meal.

After breakfast, we will pack up the camp, load the boats, and set off on our now favorite river. The first few kilometers still bear the marks of human presence before we leave civilization behind and quickly immerse ourselves in nature by following the meanders of the last wild river in Western Europe.

We will observe many birds on and along the water. After covering about twenty kilometers, it will be time to set up camp: building the tipi, finding wood, and preparing the meal. Once done, we’ll enjoy the environment, with swimming, fishing, and a drink by the water while your guide prepares the delicious meal.

Once the camp is packed up, we’ll get back into the canoes and continue down the Allier River. As the day progresses, the meanders grow longer, and the birds become even more present. We’ll stop to observe beaver tracks, their lodges, and from the water, we’ll see more and more bee-eater and stork nests.

The lunch break will be by the river, followed by some swimming if time allows. We’ll continue until we find a suitable spot for our second night by the water, about 40 kilometers from the starting point. In the evening, we’ll set up camp again, enjoy the view, and share a convivial moment before heading back to sleep under the tipi.

On the final day, once the camp is packed and the boats are loaded, we will embark on a 15-kilometer journey to reach Apremont-sur-Allier, one of France’s most beautiful villages. The river will have changed significantly, becoming wider, and we will observe the differences in fauna between the beginning and the end of the journey.

Depending on the time of departure and the group’s desires, we can enjoy lunch either in Apremont or by the water. Afterward, we’ll have a drink at the riverside brewery, a short visit of the village, before heading back to Moulins with all our equipment.