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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Travel
Rachel Dixon

Tackling the wild Rhône on a bikerafting adventure in France

Paddling on a blow-up craft down a French river, with alfresco diners on the shore
‘In the past few years, packrafting has taken off in France.’ Photograph: Secret River

Travelling on two wheels is terrific: you cover more ground than on foot, but go slowly enough to take it all in. I’ve had a great time on cycle rides from London to Amsterdam, and Bordeaux to Bilbao. But, dare I say it, after a while cycling can get a bit … samey. Proper long-distance cyclists will no doubt disagree, but I find that my neck starts to ache, my padded shorts aren’t cushioned enough, and sooner or later I’d quite like to stop pedalling and do something else.

Enter bikerafting. On a recent trip to the Savoie Mont Blanc region of the French Alps, a group of us set off from the Shana hotel in Chanaz, a picturesque canalside village, by bike.

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