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Member#: 186 Location: Registered: 14-04-2003 Diary Entries: 418
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29th September 2014
Hiking - Walking: Gorges d’Oppedette. Wind Direction: Wind Stength: Surf / Sea State: Air Temperature: Sea Temperature: Weather: cloudy Max Speed: Distance Covered:
Monday 29th September – Hike ***** Gorges d’Oppedette. Cloudy
Woke up to thick low cloud but its still really warm. Did exercises then
after breakfast headed through Viens and got distracted about 3 miles down
the road by a sign to the Gorges d’Oppedette. We drove along the road
above the gorges , looked down at one of the viewing points and although we
thought they looked dramatic were not really going to stop until we got to
the Belvedere car park and read about a walk to the Aven de l’echelle.
We packed lunch and set off – well we can honestly say it was the most
hectic rock climbing scramble we have ever been on and we have been on
quite a few! We really couldn’t believe it was an authorised path! It
was sheer rock face with a few foot holes and hand rails to hold onto in
the most vertical places! It was brilliant fun and we loved it. When we
got down to the bottom of the gorge we followed the path along the river
bed (again not very much river) until we came to an enormous cave where the
path started going back up the other side with equally crazy rock climbing
skills required! We thought that Aven meant hole in the rock and were
proved right when a metal staircase appeared and brought you up so you
emerged through the middle of the hole:) There was an older couple sitting
at the top trying to decide which way to go having walked along the edge of
the gorge from the other car park. The woman looked absolutely terrified
as it was and they eventually went back the way they had come. We carried
on along the traverse l’echelle in the direction of Oppedette village,
hanging on to the handrail along the steep bits and trying not to step off
the narrow shale path that ran along the edge. There was no barrier and
nothing to stop you falling right off! We stopped for our lunch on an
outcrop overlooking the village before making the final descent to the end
of the Gorge then the steep climb up to Oppedette itself. It was a very
quaint village and completely deserted! Back to the van at the Belvedere,
about another 15 minutes walk. We had been out for 3 hours and walked over
5 miles. Had a cuppa and a rest then as a big white elephant camper had
pinched the spot we fancied for overnight, we drove down to the village to
fill the water containers at the fountain and then back to the start of the
Gorge to park in the hiking car park for the night. Played phase 10
outside. Brilliant day and only 10 miles round the roads in the van – we
are actually looking up at the spot we parked at last night, just across
the valley:)
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