Pyrenees trip

On May 8th to 12th I went to the Pyrenees to paddle there with some buddies from Paris, Jura region and some locals also.
The season in the Cévennes was quite dry and we were all waiting for coming in the Pyrenees and paddle their jewels!!!

We paddled the Core river (yeah Core river sounds weird in english) in the Salat valley.
Was a nice run, really bonny, super steep all along and all that in a beautiful valley!!!
A long time I was waiting for this river!! :-D

Water levels in Salat valley were getting low so we headed to the Hautes-Pyrenees region to paddle in the Cauteret and Gavarnie valleys!!

First day in the lower gorge of the Cauteret river, full smile!!!!

Cauteret is an awesome river, it's wonderful, great boating, and we can paddle all the sections on 3 days!!!

Mat Coldebella in the "800" on the upper Cauteret river.

Mat Coldebella in the waterfall at the end of the 800 on Cauteret river.

Max Mitaut at home in the waterfall of the 800.

The next day we were on the "Cauteret classic", a sick section full on!!


And the 1st rapid of that section is nothing else than "La Raillère", a massive 15m high slide with a beautiful pool at the end!!


Bastien Dantin at home in "La Raillière"

Mat Coldebella filming "La Raillère".

Myself in the right line (the one who kick your back...) in La Raillère.

Mat Coldebella in the rapid next to La Raillère, straight in the Cauteret Classic!!


Eric Deguil, Stefun Pion and Mat Coldebella in the longest and hardest rapid the Cauteret Classic.


Me in the last drop of THE rapid in the Cauteret Classic.

Eric Deguil, Stefun Pion and Mat Coldebella in the Cauteret classic.

Group photo in Cauteret village.

Once we finished to paddle in Cauteret valley we did went in Gavarnie valley for a day.
Gavarnie is one of my favourite run, nothing really hard in it, it's just wonderfull, cristal water (cold also) all that in the most beautiful valley of the Pyrenees!!! Love it!!


photo by Mat Coldebella
Myself enjoying my way to the put in the Gavarnie river, in the background the famous corrie of Gavarnie!!! LOVE IT!!


Mat Coldebella on his way to the put in.


The 1st rapid of the descent, a tricky waterfall!! hehe :-D

I spent a night in Pau and the next day we went to Laruns to compet at the Pyrenees Buddies Race 2011.
...The next in the next post...