From France's 2000 miles of coastline to the tip of its Mont Blanc, Europe's highest peak (15,767'), the pursuit of fun drives French adventurers to continually push the limits of their sporting pursuits, furthering their international reputation that basically makes "French" synonymous with "hardcore," and, in some cases, "sick." (Both sky-surfing, for example, and true "extreme" skiing--where a fall means death--originated in France.)
Over the past four years, fun-seekers from across Europe have flocked to the Rhone-Alps region of France to partake in canyoning, a new sport most accurately described as "The Ultimate Romp."
Canyoning involves romping through gorges and canyons, clad in a wetsuit, climbing harness, and soft-soled shoes. A typical 10 minutes of canyoning could include clambering across wide, flat rocks, then swimming across a 20-foot-wide pool and scrambling uphill to reach the 25-foot cliff plunge into deep water that your guide points out. ("Keep your arms tight next to your body," he advises.)
Canyoning originated about 10 years ago, and took off commercially over the past four years, our dark-haired guide Yves Moquet tells us. Spain is acknowledged as the birthplace of the sport, but France's Gorges of Vecors and Ardeche River canyons here in the Rhone-Alps, and Gorges of Verdun, near Provence to the south, offer some of the continent's finest canyoning terrain. This region is home to 30% of Europe's commercial canyoning, followed by the Southern Alps and Pyrenees.
In the U.S., there's unconfirmed rumors of canyoning outfitters looking to set up shop in southern Utah, near Zion or Bryce Canyon. Washington, Oregon, Virginia, North Carolina, and Idaho also offer ideal canyoning terrain, and that's just the start.
Yves chose the Gorges Du Chassezac to introduce our group of freeloader American journalists to canyoning. Not far from the Swiss border, we're treated to a view of la Garde Guerin, a 12th-century castle, as we pull on the wetsuits and grind on baguettes, sausage, soft cheese, and grapes prior to hiking into the gorge. Not far from here lies the Chauvet - Pont-d'Arc cave, which contains the oldest paintings and engravings ever found, dating back 30,000 years to the handiwork of Cro-Magnon man.
Head-first, feet-first, jumping, sliding, and rappelling, our group of seven, aged 26 to 50, hoots and cheers like kids as we clamber from obstacle to obstacle, much to the amusement of Yves. "It's like a blend of rafting, hiking, and climbing, with some cliff jumping and swimming thrown in, it's awesome!" bubbles Jenny, a 34-year-old skier and paraglider from Colorado.
Six hours after our parking lot lunch, we'd completed just half the route, a scant two kilometers (less than a mile and a half). Sure, we stopped to play on some cliff jumps, and lingered in the sun occasionally, and dorked around for lots of pictures, but in the end, our team of so-called "adventure journalists" had completed just half the route. And we felt pretty whipped. (Blamed it on jet-lag.) The more challenging route with the 250-foot rappel through the gushing waterfall? Hopefully next time.
DETAILS:
Most Americans have never heard of canyoning, but look for the sport to explode here any day. Good clean fun, as challenging as you want it to be, and the whole family can play. Experienced climbers--grab a wetsuit and start exploring those canyons and gorges, you'll be an outfitter in no time.
Until then, try to include canyoning on your next trip to France. Explo, Yves' outfitter, has been in business for four years, offering canyoning, river guiding, spelunking, climbing, and rappelling. The French canyoning season runs from April through September/October. Minimum age is 14 for a full-day; younger kids can handle a half-day. Price: 300 French Francs/person (about $50) per day includes equipment and guide. Get your hotel to pack you a lunch. Explo can also handle whole itineraries, from hotel reservations to guided town tours, including half cultural, half adventure itineraries. Tel. (33) 04-75-39-37-27 Fax (33) 04-75-39-39-00. |
