An indicative scale, not a label
The international whitewater scale runs from I (easy) to VI (at the limit of what can be run). The public trips open in Belgium use only the first three grades. The grade is not an official status: Walloon regulations only talk about permitted stretches, hours and flow thresholds. If in doubt, choose the lower grade.
| Grade | On the water | Level required | Rivers |
|---|---|---|---|
| I | Steady current, meanders, few and visible obstacles | No experience | Semois, Viroin |
| II | Simple rapids, regular waves, small weirs | Comfortable in water, a grade I trip first is advised | Lesse, Ourthe, Amblève (Coo – Cheneux) |
| III | Powerful rapids, irregular waves, narrow passages | Good control of manoeuvres in current | Amblève (Coo – Coo), Salm, winter rivers |
Grade I: moving forward and turning
If you can steer the kayak in a straight line and stop it, grade I is for you. You only need to be comfortable in water, follow the briefing and keep your life jacket on for the whole trip. The Semois is the benchmark, with routes of 7 to 17 km. The trap is underestimating it: hitting a branch or a sudden movement is enough to capsize, and a low flow can close the river.
Grade II: choosing your line
Here the river comes alive. The passages stay wide and visible from afar, but you need to hold the main current and anticipate bends. You also need to be able to swim and know the right reaction if you capsize: on your back, feet pointing downstream. The Lesse down to Dinant and the Amblève from Coo to Cheneux are the classics. The briefing is fuller than in grade I: listen to it, as it describes the passages to tackle.
The trap changes in nature: the Lesse is very busy in summer, and capsizes at weirs are more common than real difficulties.
Grade III: whitewater, little room for error
Ferry glides across the current, eddies behind a rock, braces in stoppers: a mistake costs you a swim of several dozen metres. A helmet is strongly recommended and provided on the demanding stretches of the Amblève. Outside summer, bring a neoprene wetsuit: immersion in water below 10 °C is exhausting very quickly. Never paddle alone.
The winter rivers (Salm downstream of Vielsalm, Warche, Sûre, Aisne, Our, Houille, Lhomme, western Ourthe) are open only from 1 October to 15 March. In high water they can exceed grade III: they are for independent paddlers, usually guided by a club.
River flow shifts the grade
After heavy rain, the Semois speeds up and can come close to grade II. Conversely, a very low Lesse scrapes over stones but loses power in its rapids. On the Amblève, a rising flow makes the stoppers more powerful. Check the navigable flow on the day itself: if the river is high, lower your ambitions by one grade.
Qualifications, to progress or to lead
Hiring a kayak requires no qualification on grade I. If you want to progress in a club, there are three reference points:
- the French federation’s Pagaies Couleurs, from white to black; the green paddle corresponds to independent navigation in a group;
- the Euro Paddle Pass, recognised in several countries; its level 2 validates a 2-hour trip on calm water;
- the ADEPS instructor qualifications in French-speaking Belgium; the initiator instructor leads recreational whitewater up to grade 3 and must hold the green paddle.
A realistic progression
- A first grade I descent, for example Alle – Vresse, to learn the basics: holding the paddle, turning, stopping.
- One or two longer grade I routes, until steering becomes automatic.
- Grade II, on the Lesse or the Amblève, with the hire company’s briefing.
- Only then, grade III, with a club and a solid whitewater capsize drill.
The basic techniques are described in the paddling technique guide. To match skill level to scenery, see which river to choose.