Belgium 2019-11-03 - Packraft Dijle

Merely 2 weeks after our previous trip, Glen, Evert and I again find ourselves at the river Dijle. This time we plan to paddle the section upstream from the one we did last, i.e. the stretch from the language border to Korbeek-Dijle. The weather forecast does not look very promising, and we therefore take into account conditions as gloomy and wet as last time.

We put in at the hamlet of Florival, right on the language border, and are happy to see that the expected downpour is luckily not likely to start any time soon. The stretch from Florival to Korbeek-Dijle is reputed for its many obstacles, and we are almost immediately confronted with a number of fallen trees across the riverbed. Luckily, we find a passage and do not have to portage.

As we continue floating down the river, we meet many more obstacles, but always manage to get passed one way or another. Every now and then there is a bit of drizzle, but nothing that is overly bothersome. The section of the river we are paddling has evolved into prime beaver habitat in recent years, and we see plenty of beaver slides, beaver-bitten trees, and a couple of glimpses of live beavers.

At a certain moment we pass a meadow with a couple of cows that are staring straight at us and are mooing in a strange manner. It turns out that a young calf has slid down a beaver slide and got stuck in the frigid water. Evert and Glen immediately decide to take action, jump into the water (drysuit!) and manage to push / carry the calf back up the riverbank. The animal is utterly exhausted and is barely able to stand. After being reunited with the mother cow, it however slowly starts to regain strength. Clearly, if it weren’t for Evert and Glen’s good deed, the calf would have faced certain death.

The two most difficult obstructions are encountered right before the end of our 12 km trip. While rain intensifies, we have to get out of the boat twice to climb over trees and / or portage.

In conclusion: another fun and adventurous trip on a surprisingly wild stretch of meandering river, close to the cities of Leuven and Brussels.