A few of us are off to the Verdon Gorge in South of France in August for 5 days and we are planning and doing a multi-day kayak and camping trip. If anyone has been before, and has any tips or ideas, then that would be much appreciated – all we have booked at the moment is flights, so once we get there, we’re pretty flexible re: plans. Might also throw in a bit of climbing if we get the chance.

Cheers! Hols.

Great place and stunning scenery. There’s a good campsite at Lac de St Croix nearby. The lake is man made and pretty epic as well, but it’s at least 13yrs since I was there last.

1995 I think?

If you do a spot of cliff jumping off the rocks as the gorge opens out into the reservoir and decide to jump off the highest accessible spot in a fit of youthful enthusiasm – try not overbalance backwards landing in the water in a sitting position with your arms outstretched beside you. You’ll bust all the blood vessels in your arse, legs and arms.

Spending the next week with a baboon’s backside and purple limbs, lying on your front and trying to forget the mother of all enemas makes for a poor holiday.

I swam across the Lake once and then realised the only way back to the car was to swim back again. I was shattered after that (I’m not a swimmer by any means).

Double post weirdness

Do the climbing if you get the chance. Lots of technically quite easy stuff in ‘memorable’ positions right at the top of the cliffs. Abseil in, climb out.

This one is French 6a – loads around at 5+ as well.

The gorge itself is dam released, I think Tues & Fri it releases but i’d be checking first.

You can blast down it in a day – not sure how feasible it is to do a multiday trip, last time I was down there there wasn’t much chance of getting a reliable release let alone 2 days consecutively.

start as early as you can as it gets intolerably hot in there
a liberal dose of splashing around might help cool you down