Holidays in Ariège

Spending your holidays in Ariège means choosing the authentic and the wild. Ariège is still not very well known, even if more and more people are managing to place it on the map today. In the heart of the Pyrenees, 1 hour south of Toulouse, 1 hour from the principality of Andorra, the department offers, in a word, a change of scenery for the traveler.

Nature et sauvage : prendre le temps de vivre!

Ariège is vast and rich in landscapes. For that alone, it's worth spending your vacation there. Part of the territory is registered in the Pyrénées Ariégeoises Regional Natural Park. We're going to focus on this part of the department. It's a real breath of fresh air and greenery as well as majestic and wild mountains. Here, time has stopped, the geological strata put you back in your place and you feel small. It's these mountains covered in dense forest and with bare peaks that make the charm of the Vicdessos valley.

Que faire pendant ses vacances en Ariège ?

Ariège is a region full of history but also activities. Water, air, fire, there is something for everyone. Welcome to the paradise of nature sports, for beginners and experienced athletes alike.

Hiking

For lovers of nature and freedom, you are in the right place. There are so many hiking trails in the Vicdessos Valley that we have stopped trying to count them. You have two mythical Ariège summits within reach: the Pic du Montcalm at an altitude of 3077 meters and the Pic des Trois Seigneurs at an altitude of 2199 meters. In other words, you can hike all summer in the valley without doing the same hike twice. Guaranteed! You will find many places along the way to take a dip or install a barbecue grill.

Paragliding

Why not take advantage of your holidays in Ariège to try one of the many activities offered in the Vicdessos valley? Try something new, you have the choice. Kymaya Parapente offers you paragliding baptisms facing the mountains of Ariège. You fly to the magnificent site of Port de Lers. This is a paragliding school that we know well at Spéléo Canyon Ariège. The founders Franck and Hélio were part of the first aerial reconnaissance expeditions in the Himalayas before drones were invented. The entire team is made up of solid professionals who have proven themselves. They also offer autonomy training to "fly on your own" as well as accompanied trips to go flying in superb sites around the world.

Paragliding

Canyoning

At Spéléo Canyon Ariège, we invite you to discover several facets of canyoning. We are of course talking about initiation with canyons like Marc or l’Artigue but above all autonomy. For us, the most important thing is that you are the actors of your descent. We don't take you for a walk in the canyons, you are the one who goes on an adventure to take full advantage of the experience and surpass yourself. We have seen it over the years, people come back because we offer you to progress through our different canyons. It is possible to start with half-day beginners to finish with the largest canyon in Ariège; the canyon d’Estat. For canyoning enthusiasts, we also offer autonomy training, not to mention that there are training courses at higher levels to perfect the art of canyoning.

Canyoning

Caving

Try caving to cool off. It is an activity that is rich in lessons for adults and children alike. In Ariège, we are lucky to have many quite different caves. It is therefore possible to do introduction with the family, for example in the Siech cave to start gently horizontally. You can discover a slightly more sporty activity thanks to the Vicdessos underground canyon and its few meters of rope wells. For those initiated to abseiling, the George chasm is more adventurous and committed. A beautiful descent that can go up to -700 meters and which also includes a beautiful ascent!

Caving

Rafting

Rafting and hydrospeed are activities that require a beautiful, slightly choppy river. That's why we're sending you to the Oxygen Aventure base in Belvianes and Cavirac in the Aude. The scenery is worth the detour. In the superb Saint Georges gorges, you can try your hand at rafting or hydrospeed. Oxygen Aventure shares with us the desire to pass on their knowledge and passion to you. An activity masterfully supervised by Agathe who will also make this moment a great team effort on board.

Rafting

Where to stay during your holidays in Ariège?

To fully enjoy the Vicdessos Valley and all its activities that have been described above, you must not be too far away. However, you have to stay close to Tarascon sur Ariège to have access to shops, the market and traditional restaurants like Le Vieux Carré. Ariège is rich in heritage, you can visit the Prehistoric Park, the Foix Castle or the House of Wolves. Not to mention the Naux Cave and the possibility of making a round trip to Andorra. Which gives us a lot of parameters. We found the solution.

"Bien Être Miglos"

Avec "Bien Être Miglos", vous avez le lieu pour passer vos vacances en Ariège tranquille. Avec sa situation centrale, les gîtes et chambres de "Bien Être Miglos" vous permettent tout d’abord de faire toutes les activités de la vallée de Vicdessos et d’aller visiter les différents sites d’Ariège. Tania vous accueille chaleureusement! Vous avez le choix entre appartement indépendant ou chambre avec des parties communes, et un grand jardin commun pour s'y retrouver autour d'un barbecue et d'un apéro! Tania vous propose aussi des soins bien être et massage! Le pti plus des vacances!! La structure se trouve dans un petit village de montagne entouré de verdure. En bref s’il y a bien un endroit qu’on recommande pour que vous passiez de bonnes vacances, c’est à "Bien Être Miglos".

In short, to have a good holiday in Ariège, you have to manage to do a mix of all that. A bit of barbecue, a bit of activities, a bit of hiking and above all take your time. Holidays are made to relax and enjoy so don't hesitate any longer and come and see us.

“Five-stars Outdoor Occitanie” is our network of professionals in outdoor activities and independent accommodation providers, committed to offering high-quality services to our customers.

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Nos engagements sont basés sur cinq axes principaux

✔ your safety,
✔ your pleasure,
✔ respect for the environment,
✔ sharing our passions,
✔ human exchange.

What are our commitments to our customers?

✔ Offer a professional and personalized customer relationship throughout the purchasing process (request for information, web visibility, online and on-site booking, invoicing, etc.),
✔ Welcome our customers in a personalized and friendly way, in small groups, and while respecting health distances,
✔ Offer services adapted to each of you thanks to high-quality educational services, motivated by the sharing of our passions,
✔ Provide our customers with the best individual material and equipment, clean, in good condition and in compliance with current regulations,
✔ Initiate an environmental management approach in our structures in order to actively participate in the ecological transition,
✔ Be attentive to the impact of the activity on the natural environment by making respect for local flora and fauna our priority,
✔ Take into account the principles of sustainable development in our practices in agreement with other users sharing our territories (local residents, farmers, fishermen, hunters, and other sporting colleagues, etc.)
✔ Share our knowledge of our natural and cultural heritage, promote local producers, our quality "Five Stars" partners, and select the best tourist addresses for you.

Because it can sometimes seem difficult to choose the offer that best meets your expectations, we have chosen to offer you the best and to be here: FOR YOU!

Why come canyoning with us this summer?

Why canyoning with us?

At Spéléo Canyon Ariège, you are welcomed in our canyoning center around a coffee to get to know each other. We take the time to introduce ourselves, get to know each other and explain the program for the day. We provide you with the equipment from A to Z, starting with canyoning shoes, the complete neoprene suit, the harness and the helmet. With us, you are above all a trainee, big or small, we train you in canyoning descent techniques. This is why you will have a complete briefing at the entrance to the canyon to be able to move safely along the course. We have been teaching each person according to their level and their desire to learn for several years now. You will benefit from the unique know-how of instructors who are also international canyoning trainers! With family, friends or for a bachelor party, we always adapt to our audience. After having enjoyed the outing, we meet at the center to have a drink and talk with you about the day.

What is canyoning?

First of all, canyoning is an outdoor activity in the mountains. Lovers of nature and wide open spaces will be able to enjoy themselves and take in the view. The idea is to descend into a gorge or canyon. To do this, you go up to the start of the canyon, this is the approach walk. The duration of a canyon varies depending on its size and its approach walk. It varies in the Vicdessos valley between fifteen minutes for the Marc canyon and two and a half hours for Estat canyon. Once you reach the beginning of the canyon, you will descend using several techniques. The first and essential one is to walk in the water, on the rocks. Then, depending on the obstacles you encounter, you will be able to jump into a "pot" of deep water. If jumping is not possible, you may be able to slide down a slide or descend on a rope by rappelling. Of course, no jump is mandatory for us. When you arrive in the water, you will swim to reach the next obstacle. The obstacles are often waterfalls of varying sizes.

Why is canyoning good for you?

Canyoning is a mix of several activities, between walking, swimming and rope, you use all your muscles without even realizing it. You spend yourself with a smile and that's good for hanging out at the beach afterwards. Your brain is busy analyzing an environment it doesn't know. Suddenly, it no longer thinks about the effort it is making or the work that remains to be done at home. Everyday worries fly away in a waterfall of fresh water. Faced with more or less difficult obstacles, everyone faces their fears and challenges. Surpassing oneself is at the heart of the activity. It's still super cool to turn around to see that you have gone down that rappel or jumped that waterfall, it's not every morning that you do that, it makes you smile and it works the zygomatic muscles, one more muscle that works!

To spend a unique moment in the heart of nature, in the heart of the Ariège Pyrenees Natural Park, where you can surpass yourself while being accompanied by professionals, it's happening with us!

So, what are you waiting for to go canyoning with us this summer?

New Zealand Canyoning Festival

A canyoning festival in New Zealand

In February, the NZ (New Zealand) Canyoning Festival took place in this beautiful country at the end of the world. The event was organized by the NZ Canyoning Association. Places are limited but not expensive, $80 to register online. It's best to book in advance. The concept is simple: get together to go canyoning together and talk about our shared passion. The festival took place over three days.

The day before the festival, rescue drills were held supervised by LandSAR NZ, the official search and rescue service in New Zealand, in partnership with the NZ Canyoning Association and the Christchurch Alpine Cliff Rescue team. On the first day, workshops were held. One of these was called; Walking Like a Ninja. The workshops perfected the skills of moving from rock to rock, adding a ninja touch to the move. Then everyone met at the canyon base, at the Oxford Cultural Centre, Canterbury, for a meal. It was an opportunity to meet up with people from the canyoning community who were in New Zealand, as well as others who had come specially from overseas. For me, it was an opportunity to meet up with familiar faces, some well-known at Spéléo Canyon Ariège (SCA), and to meet new ones.

carte nouvelle zelande dessin — L'île du Sud de la Nouvelle Zélande

The first night, over a buffet of build-your-own burgers, I met Adrien Paris, who now lives in New Zealand and with whom wehad been canyoning a while earlier, as well as Gus Schiavon. Both were canyoning photographers at SCA and they were the ones who trained me. It's been a while since we've been together and it was a pleasure to see them again! George Yates was also there, a former intern of Rodolphe at SCA. He now owns his company in Scotland, The Canyoning Company, with whom he offers sports trips in Ariège. I had the pleasure of meeting him on several occasions. Other former trainees and acquaintances of Rod were there, I was able to meet Andrew Humphrey, Usa Colorado, Toine Hountenbos, Abel Tasman NZ and Mike Barnett,Hawaii, Usa.

The canyoning world is not that big, the activity is still young, especially in New Zealand, we find each other easily and that was the goal of this first evening; to meet up for a beer with a burger while laughing hard. The next day, we went canyoning, we had to decide where. It was difficult but we managed to agree on Curtis Creek, in Arthur's Pass. On the V4A2III side, with an hour and twenty minutes of ascent for three hours and twenty minutes of descent, it seemed appropriate to us to do a pleasant and sporty canyoning outing together.

Arthur's Pass Nouvelle Zélande — Arthur's Pass

We met up in front of the famous Sheffield Pie early in the morning. Well, early in the morning, there were two who managed not to find the meeting place and who arrived like flowers half an hour late. Our team was composed of Adrien, Gus, George, Mike, Camille the only Kiwi of the expedition, Pitt an Australian who works in a canyon company in Queenstown, Laura the only French of the expedition and me. The road to reach Arthur's Pass is superb, it lasts almost two hours, especially with an old Toyota van. When we arrived there we dropped off the second car at the exit of the canyon and we started the approach walk under a beautiful sun in the Ottira valley. Grey clouds clung to the distant peaks of the valley.

ottira vallée nouvelle zélande canyoning — The Ottira Valley

We found ourselves in front of a large scree slope that was quite steep. During the climb, the gray clouds gathered and a light rain surprised us in our swimsuits. We arrived too high compared to the entrance of the canyon and we had to go back down a little.

pierrier canyoning nouvelle zélande — Climbing the scree slope

We got kitted out in the rain before starting the descent through the New Zealand bush, an experience in itself. We didn't really know where the entrance to the canyon was but we had to go down. We finally got there and the descent could begin, the rain had passed, we could enjoy the adventure.

bush bash down curtis creek nouvelle zélande canyoning — "Bush bash down" as the kiwis say

Rappel cascade canyoning nouvelle zélande curtis creek — The first waterfalls of Curtis Creek, in a plant-filled atmosphere at the end of the world

The beginning of the canyon consisted of some pretty wet waterfalls, George went ahead with Pitt like rockets, equipping the obstacles. I took pictures. We went down quite a few rappels, before finding ourselves facing the big sixty.

rappel canyoning nouvelle zélande cascade — Camille in the Curtis Creek rappels

Mike barnett canyoning nouvelle zélande cascade — Mike Barnett in a waterfall

adri Paris canyoning nouvelle zelande rappel — Adri Paris

In front of us the landscape opened up onto the large viaduct that crosses Arthur's Pass. The bottom of the river was sixty meters lower. The descent facing the majestic scenery is indescribable, we pass under a powerful waterfall, and we abseil down the large wall, telling ourselves that few people come this far. For a moment, nothing matters but this moment. The rest of the world has disappeared and we can be fully present in every gesture and every second. Everyone enjoyed this beautiful passage.

Cascade canyoneer nouvelle zélande canyoning — Pitt is first to set off down the sixty

george yates cascade soixante canyoning curtis creek nouvelle zélande — George Yates in the sixty meter with the viaduct in the background.

Soixante metre curtis creek canyoning nouvelle zélande — The sixty meter seen from below

We followed the river across to the viaduct. We walked along the road to the second car. The rain started again as we were changing. We headed towards Oxford, Gus was showing a film of an expedition he had been on, the screening was that evening. We shared a beer and laughed about our adventure in the rain in our swimsuits.

equipe canyoning festival new zealand — The team at the exit

It was a great adventure to find ourselves together on the other side of the world for this canyon. Between former SCA trainees, we were able to take full advantage of our skills acquired in France and discover some of the most beautiful canyons in the world! We were able to discuss the different projects that are being set up and we were able to meet around a common passion, for a moment of joy and sporting laughter. So if like us, you dream of getting off the beaten track, I invite you to contact Rodolphe and train with him.

For more New Zealand adventures, check out my personal blog!

Une journée canyoning à l'Artigue chez Spéléo Canyon Ariège

Made in Spéléo Canyon Ariège ; un jour au canyon de l'Artigue

On s'est retrouvés avec Thomas et ses enfants au centre de Spéléo Canyon Ariège. On buvait un café en discutant, John et Clyde étaient en retard. Thomas venait d'Allemagne, il était en vacances. John et Clyde sont arrivés, on s'est tous salués, John était d'origine anglaise et son fils Clyde l'accompagnait pour cette sortie. C'était sa première expérience en canyon. John était assez charpenté, avec une bonne cage thoracique, son fils était plutôt baraque lui aussi, Thomas était un peu plus petit mais bien costaud, ses enfants étaient ados, ils avaient l'air en forme. On avait une bonne équipe pour cette journée !

Rod expliquait le déroulement de la journée, un café à la main. On est allé s'équiper dans le centre, on a tout mit dans le camion et on s'est dirigés vers l'Artigue. On était un peu dans l'expectative, on ne savait pas comment allait être le niveau d'eau. On avait pris la météo, tout était bon, ça devrait le faire ! Après la bonne marche d'approche, on s'est installés face aux montagnes pour manger nos pique-nique. Le niveau de l'eau était parfait, des conditions idéales, on pouvait se détendre. John donnait à qui en voulait des morceaux de truite fumée, on regardait l'eau couler et les sommets au loin en mâchant nos sandwichs. On a quand même enfilé les combis et on est partis vers l'aventure.

Thomas et ses enfants étaient bien à l'aise dans le canyon. Un petit briefing sur la descente en rappel les a mis dans l'ambiance. John et Clyde s'amusent comme des petits fous dans les vasques d'eau, on avance. Le premier saut assez imposant passe tout seul, on se déplace comme des flèches, de cailloux en cailloux, de cascades en cascades. On attaque le grand toboggan, le saut, tout le monde a le sourire, les ados se régalent et les grands aussi. On est tous de grands enfants à jouer dans des marmites. La grande cascade de vingt mètre, on reprend un peu de sérieux. L’obstacle est d'envergure. L'eau fonce dans la marmite avec un bruit assourdissant, on passe à côté grâce à un grand rappel sec. Le canyon se finit, on reprend un petit sentier pour revenir à la voiture.

En remettant des vêtements secs, tout le monde rigolait. Quelle journée, on en prend plein les yeux ! De retour au centre, on a pris un verre en regardant les photos de cette belle sortie canyon. Tout le monde était heureux d'avoir pu participer à cette aventure. Pourquoi pas vous ?

Happy Holidays from the Spéléo Canyon Ariège team

The entire Spéléo Canyon Ariège team wishes you a happy holiday season!

Photo credit: Adrien Paris

At the end of this year 2018, we would like to share with you a nice family moment, as we like to do. A big thank you to all those who made the 2018 season a great moment and a big thank you to all those who will make 2019 a superb year. We are proud and happy to be able to do what we enjoy the most with you; canyon!

We can never tell you enough but without you, nothing happens and we can only practice our art if people are ready to receive it.
Don't wait until the end of winter to join our training program or book your canyoning trip. It's all here!

We would like to take this opportunity to thank our partners; Oxygen Aventure, Kimaya Parapente, Trott'e Occitanie and send them all our best wishes for the coming year.

Have a great holiday, eat plenty to get through the winter and see spring coming, we'll be here in the good weather.

Ha, and if you're still looking for a good Christmas gift, we have a little idea:

Becoming independent in the Argensou canyon

The Argensou canyon and the journey towards autonomy

After a few outings in canyon, the idea came to follow a path in this field. To be able to progress, it was necessary to become autonomous. For this, Rodolphe offered training as an autonomous canyoner in June. Here I am embarking on the autonomous adventure.

I met my training colleagues, French. Together we followed the training course, between theory and technique and we had a good laugh, I must say. One fine day, we left with the equipment towards the Argensou canyon to put into practice what we had learned.

The weather wasn’t really with us, a little fine rain settled on our suits and it wasn’t that warm for a month of June. But we weren’t there to sunbathe, we wanted to become independent in canyoning. The Argensou canyon is a very easy canyon to begin canyoning when you are supervised, for us it was a challenge.

Everyone had a workshop to equip, we concentrated on knowing how to do it. The first time I found myself alone in front of the rope, it was something. What should I do again? And if I'm wrong... Concentrate, breathe, find the right solution.

Finally it worked, I set up a rope for the first time in rappel and I went down on it. I still had some doubts about the equipment. How could all this hold up? I was treated during a rope cutting exercise. I stayed a good twenty minutes above the void, a teammate had cut the rope following the procedure but something was wrong without putting me in danger. After that, I no longer doubted the equipment and for twenty minutes at the edge of the waterfall I had time to understand the fear of heights.

The training was very interesting, both in terms of canyoning and on a personal level, without forgetting the human side. We had spent a week together with colleagues, it was a good time for exchange and sharing. After this week we were autonomous in canyoning, we were certified by Universal Canyoning Academy and Rodolphe Sturm. It was the opportunity to move on to the next step.

If you are also tempted by the autonomous adventure, take a look at the training here: autonomous canyoner training

Getting started in the Artigue Canyon

How to start canyoning?

I started canyoning by chance, if chance exists. I met Rod in Ariège during a barbecue with friends. He was looking for people who spoke English to go on an outing to the Canyon de l’Artigue. He was giving a Assistant Instructor training course within the ICOpro structure. I was with two friends, we knew how to speak English but we knew nothing about canyoning and we had never heard of ICOpro. We said yes, and off we went.

The future Assistant Instructors welcomed us enthusiastically. They came from all over the world; a Scot, a Brazilian, a Frenchman, an American… They showed us the canyoner’s equipment and the activity. It was about going down a canyon using various techniques; we were going to go tobogganing, abseiling, jumping and walking. During the approach walk I remember feeling a mixture of curiosity, apprehension and well-being. We were moving around the mountain and that was already great. Rod showed us how to use the pirana to abseil down a rope. Well, we knew that, it was not bad. All that remained was to do it.

The international Assistant Instructors reassured us, we weren't too smart in this river nestled between the rocks. I was afraid of heights, or at least I thought I was, I didn't like the heights and the first jump was difficult, after that it was as funny as a kid jumping into the water. And then the rappel... The first rappel I didn't act proud, I wondered if the rope would hold, I didn't know what to do with my feet, a little drop of sweat ran down my forehead and it went very well.

So we spent a good part of the day, going down the Artigue canyon in joy and good humor speaking English. It was a treat to share this moment with my friends but also with these people who came from faraway lands. At the end of the canyon we turned around with our friends to say that we had gone down our first canyon. We all met at the Spéléo Canyon Ariège center to debrief the day. We received our ICOpro cards, we were family, we were initiated. And for me it was the beginning of the canyoning adventure.