Aqua hiking, kayaking, canyoning

Like a Desman in the water

Adresse du bénéficiaire

Éco-base nautique
26 rue de Couscouillet
65260 Villelongue
France

Sortie Comme un Desman dans l'eau, Tom Rafting © Pierre Meyer-AE Médias - Parc national des Pyrénées

Pyrénées National Park

Like a Desman in the water

Easy

Welcome to you, dear investigators! After receiving a few navigation and safety instructions, we're off on the water, by Raft, Mini-Raft, Canoe (hot dog) or Kayak (air boat). Today, we'll be following in the footsteps of a mysterious and little-known endemic insectivore: the Pyrenean Desman.

Along the way, our explorers for a day discover pictograms (previously drawn with chalk) along a six-stage route, from embarkation to disembarkation. They'll be on the lookout for signs of the Desman, as well as other aquatic and semi-aquatic animals. Perhaps you'll be lucky enough to spot an otter, a crayfish or a kingfisher.

As well as providing a wealth of information on the Pyrenean Desman, its habitat and way of life, the educational kit and the course as a whole help to raise awareness of the water cycle, the preservation of natural environments and the extraordinary richness of a river.

Once a sport, rafting is now a way of getting around. A quiet, environmentally-friendly way to observe nature and the river.

Personal equipment to bring: swimsuit, pair of tennis shoes (will get wet), water bottle, picnic, lanyard for eyeglass wearers

The eco-gesture, sun creams:

Rafting is an outdoor activity that takes place in a natural environment. Most common sunscreens are harmful to the river's flora and fauna, as well as the water on which we travel. Our wetsuits protect your entire body, with the exception of your arms and neckline. You'll also have a helmet on your head. We strongly suggest that you wear long-sleeved lycra if you're really sensitive to the sun. Our natural environment and our team thank you in advance!

Meeting time: 10:30 a.m. or full day, or 2:00 p.m. in the afternoon

Good to know: it's essential to know how to swim!

Prices

By reservation, except in July and August, on Thursday mornings only

Half-day participant: €55
Full-day participant: €85
Group of 6 people, per group: €270

Cash, cheques, vacation vouchers and local currency accepted.

À la rencontre de...

From his nautical eco-base, Tom Rafing offers white-water and calm-water activities on the Gave de Pau with the "Comme un Desman dans l'eau" and "Moonlight Rafting" outings.

We're in Villelongue in the Hautes-Pyrénées, next to the Pyrenees National Park on the banks of the Gave de Pau. I arrived here in 2007. When I discovered the valley, I loved the wilderness. At the time, I was alone, but now there are 6 of us working here.

We mainly run inflatable boats on the Gave de Pau, from the biggest eight-person rafts to the smallest single-seater inflatable kayaks. What I really like about this activity is the diversity of practices, which means we can go rafting for the sensations, but at the same time, it can be a moment of sharing. It can be a calm approach, with no engine. If you row very gently, you can approach certain animal species without making any noise, which is pretty cool!

The "Desman" outing is something we've set up with the Comité départemental de canoë-kayak and the Parc national des Pyrénées.
We have a very interesting educational kit at our disposal. There are several themes around the desman, including its habitat, how it moves, how it feeds... We make several stops along the way down the Gave.
The Desman is the entry point. The great thing is that afterwards we talk about everything that surrounds us, the riparian forest, the ecosystem, and so on.
It's true that it's difficult to see the Desman! On the other hand, we're going to find out whether it's on the bank where we are right now, whether we can find what it eats under the stones, whether the quality of the water is going to be favourable or unfavourable to the Desman, whether this or that human activity around the river is going to be good or bad for the Desman?
The Desman is the central point that will enable us to tackle all these issues.

I've always believed that paddlesports and those who practice them with respect can play a part in spreading positive messages about the environment, particularly among young people. The advantage of white-water activities is that, as well as being fun, they take place in the heart of an environment that is as unique as it is vulnerable.

We share the values of the Esprit parc nationalbrand . Firstly, the base we've just built is local, with dry toilets, rainwater recovery for cleaning wetsuits and equipment, and local wood used in its construction. Secondly, we preserve the environment in which we practice. We don't want to be just rafters on a river. Every year we clean up the river. Every day, if we come across garbage or the like, we pick it up, and we're also river wardens for the French canoeing federation. We're the Federation's eyes and ears.

Thanks to Esprit parc national, we've benefited from a visual showcase and also from the brand's network, which is really interesting. This has enabled us to develop projects that today take us in the same direction, whether it's Tom Rafting or the National Park.