Experience a memorable bachelorette or bachelor party!

We make your bachelorette or bachelor party memorable!

This tradition has remained because it gives one more opportunity to experience special moments with friends.
Unique, surprising and always festive, this day remains engraved in the minds of the future bride and groom and his friends.

We organize this day with you in advance so that it resembles you as much as possible by choosing the canyon best suited to the group!

Nous vous proposons la formule spéciale EVG/ EVJF en canyoning :

"Le Marc Gourmand: pique nique brunch les pieds dans l'eau!"

Share a friendly adventure and an unforgettable event with the future bride/groom!

Your bachelorette or bachelor party with a unique service with us

From surprise to surprise, the descent of the canyon offers you frank laughs in an unusual and new place, surpassing yourself creating a strong cohesion in the group, adrenaline, challenge, fun…

We make sure to individualize our supervision as much as possible. Thus there will be one instructor for every eight participants and therefore more if necessary, to ensure a smooth and safe process throughout the descent, for maximum pleasure! Teaching quality is a major and essential asset for us.

Le canyoning : une activité qui réunit tout le monde!

C’est aussi l’occasion pour vous d’apprendre les bases du canyoning par un briefing complet de l’instructeur dès l’accueil ! Vous serez accueillis autour d'un café et d'un jus de fruits afin de vous expliquer le déroulement de la sortie, depuis l’équipement individuel complet jusqu’aux subtilités de la descente en rappel et du travail d’équipe !

Et pour que votre expérience soit la plus confortable, nos équipements sont neufs et de qualité ! Vous aurez des chaussures pro de canyoning pour encore plus de sécurité, et ça, ça fait toute la différence et c’est chez nous !

Et en bonus, des photos tout au long de la descente

Pour immortaliser cette journée unique, l'instructeur prendra des photos du groupe et de chaque membre grâce à son appareil photo étanche qui réalise de jolies photos! Elles vous seront envoyées par mail grâce à un lien.

Don't wait any longer to book YOUR day by challenging your friends to live a unique experience for a unique day, because you are the center of our attention!

Information and Reservation

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.

Contactez les.

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!

Marc's Canyon

Marc's canyon, the initiation par excellence

The Marc canyon is a beautiful classic of Ariège to revise your aquatic skills.

At the foot of the hamlet of Marc, the waters of the Montcalm descending into the Vicdessos valley have carved a beautiful gorge in the beech forest. In a forest atmosphere full of plays of light and shadow, a beautiful aquatic adventure awaits you.

This is a descent that can be done in half a day, it is the perfect introductory canyon: a very short approach walk (less than 15 min), beautiful obstacles that follow one after the other but without any major difficulty.

On the program: discovery, briefing and autonomy!

To begin this adventure you will have a complete technical briefing, with demonstration and training in rope techniques to allow you to be autonomous. At Spéléo Canyon Ariège, you will not be welcomed as "customers" but as "trainees", and it is you who will descend independently and be an actor in your adventure.

At the beginning we will walk a little in the river to warm up our joints and gradually immerse ourselves in the aquatic world.

Small slides will allow us to complete this immersion

A first balm will allow us to make a first small optional jump.

Then we will arrive at the 19 m waterfall, the highest obstacle on the course. Several options will be possible: a water zip line or a beautiful abseil on a spider's wire.

Marc's canyon, rhythmic and magnificent

The progression will always be very rhythmic with a succession of two waterfalls, where we will abseil or jump.

After a slide we will arrive in a more contemplative part of the canyon where we will walk on foot in the water. This part of the canyon will remind pirate lovers of Treasure Island.

At the hamlet of Marc a beautiful finale awaits us with jumps and slides.

The pot of the end

At the end of this adventure we will share a closing drink together in the garden of our canyon center. A moment of conviviality to exchange and talk about future aquatic projects.

Marc's canyon is an introductory canyon that can be done from the age of 12. There are no physical or technical prerequisites. We will support you as best we can so that you have a great descent while encouraging your independence. Jumps are not mandatory.

Information and Reservation

Destination Lozere

Fancy a breath of fresh air? Come and get some fresh air in Lozère!

The idea of this stay is to discover Lozère and more specifically its canyons and a cave. A mystical and wild territory, made up of high plateaus cut by deep gorges, the notion of wild space takes on its full meaning here.

This internship takes place in the Cévennes National Park, home to a mosaic of landscapes: moors, gorges, terraces, greenhouses… With a unique built heritage: cobblestones, bridges, slate houses, clède… Many legends were born here, such as the Beast of Gévaudan or that of the Camisards.

In its descent towards the Mediterranean Sea, the Massif Central has created some very beautiful canyons.

The Roujanel

Japanese print atmosphere, translucent blue water basins where beech leaves levitate, the schist sculpted and polished by the water lit by the sun which filters through the beech grove.

In this canyon there are no major obstacles, but swimming and jumping in a dreamlike landscape.

The Rieutort

The southernmost canyon of our adventure. An immersion in nature along the water, we will go from the beech forest to the pine forest, crossing surprising and varied geologies.

A complete program with jumps, beautiful abseils and slides. A very pretty finale in the middle of cedars and granite blocks.

The Borne

Here it is Canada, in the middle of fir trees and granite towers, the terminal has dug beautiful emerald green pools. A beautiful atmosphere where we sometimes imagine ourselves as Davy Crockett, sometimes as a pirate.

This canyon is punctuated by numerous jumps and walks. Here the waters are fresh and invigorating.

The Chassezac

An unusual and mythical canyon, to descend into the gorge we will take old calades (stone paths) among the chestnut trees.

The descent of the Chassezac is punctuated by a diversity of obstacles: slides, mailboxes, abseiling under waterfalls, opposing passages, jumps and flushing water... It takes around 6 hours to complete the entire course.

The Chassezac is an open but deep canyon, from the bottom of the gorge to the plateau there is a 300 m drop.

Above the canyon we will be watched over by the fortified village of La Garde de Guérin, a former stronghold of the Chevaliers Pariers.

For caving

We will go to the Champclos cave. We will go down to the foot of the Cévennes to explore the Ardèche limestone. Champclos is a very beautiful cavity which allows a varied route with meanders, wells, small underground rivers and above all very beautiful rooms, including the Mont Blanc room.

Take advantage of the experience of Spéléo Canyon Ariège instructors to enjoy this unique stay in the wild and deep Lozère. Seize the opportunity to get away from it all to face new canyons and new obstacles. For more information, contact us:

Learn more

Canyoning Initiation Course

The "Canyoneur Initiation" training day, under the educational label: "Universal Canyoning Academy", is an example of what sets us apart from other canyoning providers.

Canyoning is a trendy activity, accessible to all and which combines physical activity and sensations. How to choose the instructor or the organizing structure among the dozens who offer the "same thing" in the mountain valleys where you are going to spend your holidays?!

At Spéléo Canyon Ariège, we offer you a wide choice of canyoning activities supervised in the best safety conditions and with all the comfort possible. Our goal is to be very different from our competitors!

Imagine, you choose to come to Ariège this summer, you are alone or with your friends and you want to do an unusual canyoning outing. For this, it goes without saying that you need to be a small group of 6 to 8 people maximum so that everyone feels taken into consideration. The instructor will thus be able to give you his advice in an individualized manner. Then you must be well equipped, with almost new equipment and of course your size!

The day's schedule

Our "Canyoneur Initiation" day consists of gradually taking you into the canyon. After a welcome over coffee to get to know each other, we will discover the day's program. Together we will prepare the necessary equipment. The morning will take place at a school cliff, an easily accessible location 30 minutes by vehicle from our center. We will teach you the basics to progress on a rope, namely: how to rope, move on a handrail and of course abseil! Being dry, in a pleasant place and taking your time makes it much easier to learn canyoning! We will have a little time to climb and put into practice our various learnings.

A picnic break to regain some energy and off we go for the canyon! Having trained in the morning and knowing all the rope techniques will greatly facilitate your descent into the canyon. You will only have the pleasure of enjoying the atmosphere and the landscapes!

The aquatic part remains to be discovered!

We will see which swimming stroke is best suited to canyoning, we will learn to jump but of course, jumps are never obligatory!

Knowing your teammates a little better will help create a great atmosphere of sharing and fun during the canyon and your outing will be all the more exceptional!

And why not a 4 or 5 day introductory course?

After this crazy day of fun, we will return to the center to share the best moments of the day over a beer.

We will also offer you a summary booklet of all the techniques that we will have seen together during the activity.

It is possible to complete this day with other classic, but technical outings, which we offer in the summer. You can organize a 2, 3 or 5-day course and benefit from a decreasing rate and personalized educational monitoring.

This is how we are very different from our other colleagues, our priority is your well-being and our goal is for you to be an actor in your exit thanks to all the learning that we will have seen together.

Becoming a canyon crew member

With my friend Nico, we have gone on several mountain activities trips for our early summer holidays.

It is our special time away from our family duties to share adventure and freedom with each other.

After having tried out different nature sports, we became a little more interested in canyoning which combines a lot of techniques in an aquatic and vertical world.

This year, we are motivated to do more than just follow our instructor, we want to "get our hands dirty!"

I saw that there were courses to learn the first techniques in order to become a “canyon team member”.

A short training course to discover canyoning which takes place over two days. It also includes an E-learning course to prepare for the course.

Nico is excited by the idea, and we decide to register several months in advance to make sure there are still places available for both of us. We rush to study the online courses to prepare ourselves well.

What is a canyoning crew member?

The training program is intense and rich in learning! The mornings are devoted to theory, all aspects of canyoning are covered (general knowledge, organization of an outing) and in the afternoons we put into practice on cliffs and canyons.

A canyoning team member is a person who assists the leader of the outing to a certain extent (an instructor, a friend who is already independent, etc.).

This team member must therefore be able to descend, ascend a rope, hang on correctly, know the knots, understand the instructions given by his leader and many other things!

Nico points out to me that in addition to all the knowledge that we will acquire, the course is a good way to meet people. It is offered for small groups of 6 people who have done a few canyons in order to remain on a human scale.

Come on, be patient! Just a few more months of waiting and let's the adventure begin!

Bachelor and bachelorette party in the canyon!

This tradition has remained because it provides one more opportunity to experience special moments with friends. Unique, surprising and always festive, this day remains etched in the minds of the future bride and groom and his/her friends.

We organize this day in advance with you so that it resembles you as much as possible by choosing the canyon most suited to the group and it's free for the bride or groom! (Offer until June 26)

Your bachelorette or bachelor party with a unique service with us

And as a bonus, our professional photographer specializing in canyoning

And since we like to bring you the best, you have the possibility to book our professional photographer who will follow the group throughout the descent to immortalize the most beautiful, funniest, craziest moments. Arthur will make your experience even more memorable by capturing the most beautiful images of your day! And no need to wait to see them! The photos will be projected on a screen once you return to our center. So you can immerse yourself together in these highlights around the special bride and groom drink that will be offered to you to close this beautiful day!

Don't wait any longer to book YOUR day by challenging your friends to live a unique experience for a unique day, because you are the center of our attention!

Chamjesk Adventure

The Chamjesk Adventure, a 3-day advanced canyoning course

A “Chamjesk Adventure”? Ok, but what does “Chamjesk” mean?

10 years ago, the Himalayan Canyon Team led by Rod Sturm, opened the way by descending for the first time "the biggest canyon in the world" at the foot of the Annapurnas (Nepal). The opening of this legendary canyon, named Chamje Khola (V7.A7.Ex), required the 11 participants more than 2 years of preparation, and the development of specific vertical progression techniques in "explo" mode, then 2 days of approach for 3 days of descent (2300m of vertical drop) to achieve this feat.

Today, the team of Speleo Canyon Ariege, led by Rod since 2004, after more than a year of reflection, prospecting and development of equipment is finally ready to welcome its trainees to give them a similar experience, adapted to their level.

Why such a professional approach? Why make the leap from an “associative and voluntary” adventure to the design of a commercial “product”?

Nowadays, the time for environmental waste is over, we all know that. And making an audience dream of adventure when they will have less and less chance of experiencing their own seems illusory and unfair. For the leader of Himalayan Canyon Team, only "Grey & light" expeditions and projects are still viable...

Rod with the team of Speleo Canyon Ariege decided to limit long trips and distant expeditions to refocus on the natural potential near their canyoning training center in Niaux, Ariège.

Thus, a mini-expedition in “Chamjesk” mode for an audience close to the Pyrenees seems much more coherent in order to allow initiated canyoners to live their dream of adventure, to share an experience with one of the pillars of the development and opening of international canyoning.

How can we share these extraordinary adventures with mountain activity lovers without going to the ends of the earth?

Rod and his team have imagined and developed a 3-day "combo" in the heart of the Ariège Pyrenees based on the model of the opening of Chamje Khola, aimed at amateur canyoners of all levels, in order to introduce them to the confidential world of canyon exploration through a unique program in the world. A great sporting challenge, respecting the environment, including two bivouacs, and reinforced by a specific educational program. This canyon improvement course will allow participants to train, perfect their canyoning autonomy techniques, strengthen their safety in practice, and finally, learn more and more... And it is certain that Arthur's photos will be circulating on the web for a long time to make more than one dream!

So what is the goal of this “Chamjesk Adventure”?

Linking three of the most beautiful and largest canyons in Ariège (Subra + Estat intégrale + Artigue), totaling more than 1000 meters of descent, and requiring two bivouacs, trained and supervised by Rod himself assisted by his essential photographer, Arthur Serres..

In order to descend safely, Rod, who alone will be able to supervise this advanced canyoning course, will teach trainees new exclusive techniques for descending large canyons and numerous tips to help them improve their autonomy in the activity.

The internship program will therefore include the preparation of this mini-expedition and training in the basics of information collection allowing the smooth running of such a challenge. A private screening of the 52mn HD film by Chamje Khola for a better understanding of the issues and to sharpen everyone's motivation.

Thus, prepared and trained, the small team of 6 trainees maximum will be ready for theaventure et l’exploration.

The activity will begin on the first day with the descent of the Canyon de Subra (V3.A2.III), including training in autonomous and team progression techniques and training in de-equipment techniques. Participants will be introduced to the specificities of the expedition (safety, reading, communication, efficiency, speed, equipment, etc.). Then in the evening, a comfortable bivouac at the foot of the canyon will allow you to recharge your batteries.

The next day, after a long approach walk of almost 3 hours, the highlight of the show will take place. The descent of the Canyon d’Estat intégrale (V4.A3.IV) which has never been descended with “clients” because it is a long descent of more than 700m of elevation gain, requiring technique and endurance. Improvement in the techniques of progression in autonomy and in a team will therefore be essential in order to progress quickly and safely. All this is completed by training in the techniques of de-equipment and optimization of the “expedition mode” (safety and mutual assistance of pairs, efficiency and speed, “light technique” and equipment, etc.). In the evening, at the exit of the canyon, the 5-star Chamjesk bivouac will take place: unforgettable!!!

Then on the third day, after a short transition walk, the descent of the Canyon de l’Artigue (V3.A3.III), much more aquatic than the two previous canyons, will allow a complete wash of the whole team. The Artigue is a classic in Ariège, and in order to bring something new to the participants already familiar with this superb canyon, the objective will be to progress independently and as a team with the assistance of Rod. Training in aquatic progression techniques (reading and analyzing obstacles, helping pairs and making decisions, anticipation, jumps, fun and safety, etc.) will allow team members to descend this canyon almost alone – And for those who want more, the (optional) link-up with the little Marc canyon (V3.A3.II) will be the icing on the cake!

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?

Our first canyoning experience

Our discovery of canyoning

With a group of friends, we decided this year to get together to practice an outdoor activity in the heart of the Ariège mountains.

So much choice! That being said, we had heard about canyoning, a trendy, adventurous and very "natural" practice that we know absolutely nothing about.

Our curiosity and need to be together, in the middle of nature, pushed us to do some advanced research on the internet. We found a definition: "canyoning consists of progressing in the bed of a watercourse winding through gorges interspersed with waterfalls. The descent techniques practiced are walking, swimming, jumping and sliding and abseiling on ropes".

This activity seems to meet our expectations exactly, fun, sensations and discovering a new activity… but being a complete beginner, there is no way I am going to try this alone!

A few more searches easily lead us to find a list of professionals offering descents of different levels, difficult to choose... Finally we called on Spéléo Canyon Ariège, canyoning professionals who seem very serious, who detail the different routes very well on their website and who, moreover, offer a very reassuring personalized welcome. We chose with Rodolphe, the instructor, over the phone the course best suited to our level. Great, we're off on an adventure this weekend, and what's more, it'll just be the six of us, my friends and I, just between us!

It's time to leave Toulouse, excited but a little tense because it's a leap into the unknown for us. The short hour on the motorway relaxes us, we all reach the canyoning base in Niaux... we'll have a good look on site because we're already arriving...

After getting to know the instructor over a coffee, he presents us with the program and photos of the activity, Arthur his photographer, as well as the specific equipment for the descent. Une approche très rassurante autour d’un petit café, parfait.

Distribution du matériel spécifique, à savoir : un équipement pour se protéger du froid (combinaison néoprène intégrale et chaussettes, chaussures de canyoning, casque) et un équipement pour pouvoir franchir les cascades (harnais, cordes, mousquetons, descendeurs canyoning, longes etc...). Puis nous partons sur le site au village typique de Hourré, magnifique !

Après une très courte marche d’approche ombragée, nous nous équipons de tout cet attirail. Notre moniteur nous enseigne préalablement les techniques de progression : marcher dans l'eau sur des rochers plus ou moins glissants, nager, descendre en rappel des cascades, sauter dans des vasques, glisser sur des toboggans de roche et même communiquer entre nous par signes. Alors l'aventure commence ! Car il s'agit bien d'une aventure ! Le milieu naturel est inconnu, escarpé, surprenant… On pénètre alors dans une gorge taillée dans la roche et découvrons un monde minéral incroyablement coloré.

Le moniteur prend la tête de notre petit groupe, chacun avec un sac remplis de cordes… Puis après quelques minutes de marche, le bruit d'une première cascade se fait entendre...

The instructor approaches slowly, takes a small rope out of his bag and attaches it to anchors firmly sealed in the rock. He thus installs the access "handrail" which allows us to be at the edge of the waterfall in complete safety then the abseiling ropes. . Here we are at the top of a waterfall of about ten meters overlooking a large pot of clear and limpid water. The place is magnificent! Although this first waterfall is a little impressive, our preparation exercises at the beginning of the canyon help us to cope. Our instructor reassures us by reminding us that he is there to help us, to teach us how to do and secure our descent… We follow his instructions. He cheers us on happily, and we surprise ourselves by being able to rappel down for the first time by ourselves with such "ease", if you can say so! Hence the importance of going with an experienced person and being in a team so that we can help each other during the descent.

The photographer doesn’t miss a thing, he’s everywhere at once, once perched above us, another on his own rappel rope on the other side of the waterfall! Luckily he’s there to immortalize our exploits because we don’t have too many of our two hands!

Once at the bottom of the waterfall, freed from the rope, we emerge from this incredible shower created by the cascade of fresh water with a powerful feeling of success and surpassing ourselves! A first feat for all of us, who are all novices in rope techniques!

Rock and water, sun, freshness, and above all "fun"... Joy can be seen on our faces. Cliffs several meters high surround us and we are there, our feet in the water, contemplating this little paradise without any more pressure... A few trees at the top of the cliffs wave their shady branches, cutting off the light and contact with civilization. Our entire team is very excited to be able to discover this new wild playground which will still have many surprises in store for us. A succession of small waterfalls, slides and various progressions, up to this magnificent gigantic final "pot" where we will discover the pleasure of jumps from different heights... What a program!

Back to the Spéléo Canyon Ariège base where we proudly debrief with our instructor over a little fruit juice and some welcome snacks. And to finish in style, our photographer offers us a small private "showroom" to show us a selection of the most beautiful photos of our adventure!

Thank you to the whole team for sharing your passion, we will definitely be back.

Gaëtan et Marie 