A few years ago we mapped out a walking route in the Haute Provence in Southern France from St. Andre-les-Alpes to the town of Riez. It looked like it would be an interesting route and would take us from the city of Nice on a narrow gauge railway to St. Andre and would include a walk through the spectacular Verdon River Gorge and a stopover in the pilgrimage destination of Moustiers-Stainte-Marie. I wrote a couple of newspaper articles detailing the day hiking the Gorge and another article on the destination of Moustiers. Following this posting I will give a more detailed daily account of our six day walk from St. Andre to Riez.
Hiking the Verdon River Gorge
By
Sam Frederick
There are several adventurous methods for exploring the Verdon River Gorge, the largest and most spectacular gorge system in Europe -- a 50 kilometre rift in the floor of Southern France-- often referred to as the French Grand Canyon: You can negotiate the Verdon River by rubber raft or kayak and contemplate the 700 meter cliffs towering above you; or you can don a wetsuit and a helmet and, using an adapted surfboard, swim your way downriver
If you want something even more imaginative, try canyoning (a combination of rappelling and white-water swimming); or try “flotting” a local sport, in which you float down river, feet first, with a specially designed inflatable backpack. Tour operators will provide you with whatever you need. Or, to see it all from above, try paragliding, or bungee jumping from the highest bungee jumping bridge in Europe.
For ourselves, we were using a more traditional method—our feet! We were hiking a section of the canyon, from Point Sublime to La Maline, 14 kilometres of narrow ledges, steep drop offs, tunnels, staircases, and overhangs, which would provide adventure enough for the four of us.
The Canyon du Verdon had its beginnings 200 million years ago, during the Mesozoic Era. During that time a foundation of limestone was laid down as all of Provence was covered by sea. Gradually, the land arose, sending water cascading over what would later become the Alps. Then, as the Alps formed, a great crack, or rift, was formed in the plateau, providing a bed for the Verdon River and creating the birth of a natural wonder.
Thus it was that 60 million years later we could sit above it all, eating crepes and admiring the view.
We had arrived at the little village of Rougon, with two objects in mind: To taste the famous crepes we had heard so much of and to contemplate the Gorge from high above. The next morning we would be descending into its depths.
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| Above the village of Rougon |
The first historical mention of Rougon is in the year 814, but its roots go back, possibly much longer. Today the village boasts a population of only 85. And yet, it was there at the Creperie Le Mur D’Abeilles, that we sunk our teeth into some of the finest crepes we had ever tasted. To classify their crepes as merely exquisite would be an understatement; and to imagine that these creations could come from this small unassuming stone building, clinging tenaciously to, seemingly, the edge of the world, defied logic. Sitting on the patio sipping our second café au lait, we knew that whatever the future held, we could die happy.
We had arrived in Rougon from the neighbouring village of Chasteuil, as part of a village to village walk we were doing across Southern France. With our appetites sated, we set out on the old Roman road once more and descended another three kilometres to Point Sublime, where we would be spending the night. There is only one 15 room hotel at Point Sublime and not much of anything else. If you plan on spending the night here you must have a reservation. The hotel itself has a cozy feel to it and a fine patio; a good place to pour over your maps while sipping wine or sharing a beer.
Point Sublime is a popular stop for tourists driving the Canyon Rim Route and one of many spectacular viewpoints overlooking the Gorge. After checking into our rooms, we ventured out and mingled with those stopping for the jaw dropping view and took in another preview of what lay before us. For most, looking would be enough to satisfy their senses, but not for us. For us it would have all the charm of gazing at a crepe and not tasting its delights. On the morrow we would taste. At dinner that night in the crowded hotel dinning room, we met other guests who also would be venturing into the canyon the next day. An Englishman from Manchester and a French couple we met would be busing out from the hotel in the morning and would be hiking back along the same section as us only in the opposite direction. We agreed to watch for each other on the trail and compare notes.
The trail that we would be following is known as the Sentier Martel and is named after the French speleologist, Edouard-Alfred Martel, who, along with his companions, made the first complete descent into the canyon, as recently as 1905. No road access until the 1920’s had left this a wild, untamed land. With ropes, cameras, and collapsible canoes it took them three and a half days.
Martel would later describe it: “The Grand Canyon of the Verdon is an incomparable marvel…without a second in Europe. In truth, the most American of all the canyons in the Old World, and I have not changed my mind after seeing the Grand Canyon of the Colorado.”
The next morning, with a packed lunch, courtesy of the hotel, we set off into the early morning fog and began the 180 meter descent to the canyon floor. The fog quickly broke and the vistas opened up before us, as a series of switchbacks drew us ever downward.
Point Sublime marks the beginning of the Grand Canyon section of the Verdon Gorge. It is the American Grand Canyon in miniature, compressed into a more compact, more manageable, size – 21 kilometres of towering limestone cliffs, up to 700 meters in height, made all the more impressive by its narrow width, from 6 meters to 100 meters wide at its base and 200 to 1500 meters wide at its rim. The emerald green Verdon River, tumultuous at times, threads its way westward though this maze of canyons, and canyons within canyons, until spilling into beautiful azure coloured Lac de Sainte-Croix.
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| Entering the Gorge |
As we followed the trail along the canyon floor, we encountered our first staircase and ladder that led to the first of three tunnels we would be encountering. A flashlight is required to navigate the tunnel sections. There are a total of seven tunnels through the Grand Canyon section, part of an ambitious scheme one hundred years ago to dam the Verdon. The work was interrupted by World War II and thankfully abandoned afterwards.
An opening cut in the wall of one of the tunnels leads to an interesting side trip. By descending a vertiginous ladder (not recommended with those with a fear of heights), adventurous travellers can discover the Baume aux Pigeons, a large cavern, measuring 60 meters high and 110 meters wide, its large yawning mouth seeming to swallow the Verdon River.
Once past the tunnels, the trail continued to cling to the side of the limestone cliffs, as it sometimes descended to the river and then climbed back up to mid-wall in roller coaster fashion. In some places the trail has been literally cut into the cliff face. At the precarious points fixed ropes aided our journey.
Along the way we met other wayfarers going in the opposite direction and eventually were delighted to see the Englishman and the French couple from the night before. We exchanged greetings and after the brief encounter wished each other a “bon voyage”.
A beach on the canyon floor provided a breathtaking backdrop for lunch and a respite from the rigors of the trail. The cooling waters of the Verdon proved too much temptation for one of us, who stripped down and tested its icy waters. Afterwards, lolling in the warmth of the sun, the four of us shared a bottle of wine and toasted the journey thus far.
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| Cooling off in the Verdon River Gorge |
All too soon it was time to leave and continue weaving our way along the canyon walls once more. At one point a steep bluff is reached by ascending a series of six ladders, encompassing 252 steps, only to be followed by a steep descent on the other side.
Eventually, we could see our destination for the day: Chalet de la Maline, a refuge operated by the French Alpine Club. From here we would be able to get a bus to take us to the village of La Palud and our hotel for the night. The refuge twinkled high above us teasing us with its illusionary closeness, but all the while remaining tantalizingly out of reach. We were at the mercy of the trail, however, as it switchbacked its way up the cliff face, meandering around prominent bluffs, ascending ever so slowly.
Clouds had rolled in by now and large drops of rain smacked us and thunder rolled around the sky, as nature let us know who was really in control here. We donned our gore-tex jackets as the deluge hit. It took us another 30 minutes to reach the refuge.
Once inside we changed into warm clothes and consumed various liquids to replenish our drained and depleted bodies. The entire hike, including lunch, had taken us 8 hours. That evening we ate an elegant dinner at our hotel in La Palud and toasted our accomplishments and our continuing journey. Had we really done it all and seen it all in a single day? Apparently not. In the words of Edouard-Alfred Martel, “It would take at least twenty trips through the canyon to dare claim to have seen it!”
IF YOU GO
The closest airport is Nice, a 2 hour drive from the village of La Palud. To reach La Palud from Nice, head north on N85 until you reach the town of Castellane. From there follow D952 and watch for signs for Gorges du Verdon, Point Sublime, and La Palud.
The Sentier Martel Trail is one of several trails through the Grand Canyon of the Verdon. There are many different trails on both the north and south sides of the canyon. Popular starting points are at both Point Sublime and La Maline on the south side, and at Hotel du Grand Canyon on the north.
WHEN TO GO
Summers can be brutally hot, turning the Gorge into an oven. Spring and fall provide the mildest temperatures.
WHERE TO STAY
Point Sublime has little to recommend itself other than the view and the hotel.
Three kilometres above the hotel is the tiny village of Rougon with the highly recommended Creperie, which also has a ten room B&B.
LA Palud is a favourite of both hikers and climbers. The Gorge has 933 climbing routes and is only a five minute drive away. La Palud has everything you would expect from a tiny French village: a bakery, a bar, fine restaurants, groceries, and plenty of accommodation, including campgrounds. It even has a climbing shop. This would make a fine base from which to further explore the canyon.
HOTELS
Point Sublime:
L'auberge du Point Sublime
La Palud:
Hotel des Gorges du Verdon
Le Provence
Le Perroquet
CREPES
Creperie Le Muir d’Abeilles in Rougon
© 2005 Sam Frederick
Originally Published in the Vancouver Province July 2005
We were following the route known as the Sentier Martel. The route weaves it's way along the canyon walls, following ledges, sometimes descending to the canyon floor and up again, climbing ladders, and passing through three of seven tunnels to add to the adventure. These tunnels were originally excavated, as part of a project to dam up the Verdon River, but the work was interrupted by World War II and then abandoned.
At the end of the route was a last series of ladders and stairs from the
floor of the canyon to La Maline and this was where the skies opened
and the rain came down in a deluge. We arrived at the climbers hut at
the top where we slaked our thirst with fresh squeezed orange juice, and
either beer or wine.
