Mountain Adventure Holidays
Verdon Gorge
When I saw the Guardian Newspaper, image of Austrian daredevil, 24 year old, Mich Kemeter balancing precariously high above the Verdon Gorge I felt quite ill. Having peered from the top of these magnificient jagged cliffs into the depths I know just how stomach churning the experience can be, so what possessed Mich to tight-rope walk across the chasm without safety ropes defies belief.
I spent last Spring guiding a walking trip to, and through, the Verdon Gorge, which is know as the Grand Canyon of Europe. It is truly an amazing place - I had been prepared to be impressed and I was ! The Gorge is about 25 kilometres long and in places it is 700 metres deep. The turquoise-green waters gave the river its name, the Verdon, and aside from the jaw dropping depths of the Gorge itself, it's the colour of the water for which it is also famed.
The most impressive stretch of the Gorges du Verdon lies between the beautiful towns of Castellane and Moustiers-Sainte-Marie which are themselves well worth a visit. Without doubt the spring is the best time to walk in the area, the countryside feels fresh and clean, and the scorching heat of the summer is still to arrive. The wild flowers emerging in the Provencal landscape bring a burst of colour to the scene and can only add to the experience.
I am hoping to be heading back there this spring to guide our trip which is based in the area, and takes in the Gorge itself. I could never get too much of the stunning, wild, jagged beauty that is the Grand Canyon of Europe.This wonder of nature is a spectacular sight to behold.
http://www.tracks-and-trails.com/index.php/eng/Walking/Scheduled-Departures/Verdon-Gorge-Grand-Canyon-of-Europe
Lindsay