We were waiting for the rain for a while now, for few months actually, then Mother Nature gave us a lot southern wind which bring the rain on the Ardèche and Cévennes region.
Well, all options of kayaking places were offered to us, just have to choose!!
On Nov. 4th I drove to Aubenas to paddle the Ardèche river between Aubenas and Voguë which is called the "mini Zambezy river" in France.
There i met Stefun Pion, Raph Thiebaut and some other kayaking buddies to enjoy this bigwater section.
It's freaking sick to paddle big waters, but this section is obviously to short!!
Stefun Pion in one of the 1st rapids.
Me surfing in one of the 1st rapids.
The next dayI joined my brother Gautier and we went to the Middle Tarn.
We drove by Sainte Enimie the true heart of the Gorges of the Tarn to visit the grand parents.
Sainte Enimie, flooded Tarn river.
Sainte Enimie, flooded Tarn river.
The Tarn was at 5m80 at the water gauge, just to say you was pushing hard down there!!
Enough hard to make me swim, and what a swim in the 1st rapid of the gorge of Cocures on the middle Tarn.
I was having a look on my brother Gautier who didn't paddle for more than a year, too much to not stay focused on the diagonale of the rapid and biiiim!!
I hit a massive hole and after a fight I pulled on my sprayskirt!!
Then a good mission to find back my kayak... Hopefully I got it back few kilometers downstream stucked in the trees.
Thanks to my brother Gautier for his help!!
Next day, Casper Van Kalmthout and Tim Uneken arrived from Holland.
We went to the Upper Lot the morning and the Middle Tarn the afternoon.
Ready to paddle the Cévennes area, Casper, Tim and I.
Tim and Casper, Upper Lot
Casper in the gorge of the Upper Lot.
Tim in the gorge of the Upper Lot.
Me in the gorge of the Upper Lot.
Casper dropping in the dam of La Vernède, put in of the Middle Tarn.
Tim, on the same dam.
Casper loving Cévennes area and its rivers!!
Me at La Vernède, Middle Tarn.
Casper in the gorge of the middle Tarn, welcome to California.
Myself, Middle Tarn, this is where I swam few day before this run, but there was 2m50 of water more than this photo
My brother Gautier, followed us with his camera and make us a sweet video:
Paddle On The Lower Tarn from Gautier Grollemund on Vimeo.
A good dinner at the house with local food in Sainte Enimie after a sweet first day in the Cévennes area.
The next day we went at the Sources of the Tarn river..
Tim et Casper at the Sources of the Tarn river.
The shuttle to the put in of the Sources of the Tarn river.
Tim et Casper, Cévennes style.
The "Pont du Tarn", put in of the Sources of the Tarn river.
The 1st kilometer of Sources of the Tarn river is totaly flat, but so beautiful!!
The 1est portage of the section after few rapids!!
Casper Van Kalmthout in "la langue de bœuf"rapid.
Tim Uneken
After a good day kayaking, nothing better than a Aligot-Saucisse!!!
Casper.
Tourist shot of the Gorges of the Tarn.
The next day, we drove to the Dourbie river where Romain Chabrol joined us, no images because of the rain, sorry.
For the last day of the Dutchies in the Cévennes area, we paddled the upper upper Tarn river, a quick run to let Casper and Tim drive back home.
Was a pleasure to have you here and guide on my home runs guys!!
After a quick night in Rodez, I drove to the Dourbie for another trip with the friends from the Pyrenees.
We started the weekend with a high water Upper Dourbie, so good!!
The next day, we went to Pont De Montvert to paddle the upper upper and upper Tarn river which was also pretty fat!!
Another good day on the river riding life!!
Nico playing accordéon and drinking tea at the take out of the Upper Tarn!!
The 3rd and last day of this long weekend with the Pyreneans, we went to the Dourbie river to paddle the 2 gorges with a perfect water level and under a massive sun!!
The sunny Dourbie valley.
The 1st "unrunnable rapid" of the Dourbie.
Fabrice "Fafa" Poueyto.
Myself in the "unrunnable rapid".
Flo Duval.
Me in the "Bain Douche".
Fabrice Poueyto.
Flo Duval
Me scouting the last big rapid.
On the way back to the civilization.
Photos of the Dourbie river by Bastien Dantin.
It was 2 freaking awesome weeks of kayaking in the Cévennes area, great atmosphere on the water, the smile all day long, perfect water levels, pretty rivers, and many other good things.
Well, paddle in the Cévennes area it's always good even more with the friends!! ;-)
Many thanks to all of you for those great descents!!
Seeya
Un grand merci à tous pour ces belle navig'!!
