“Into the Valley of the Verdon rode the 500…
Theirs not to question why,
Theirs but to gather material for a blog entr-y…”
Now as gorges go, this is the big one. A previous entry described it from above ( in fact from the D23 Route des Crêtes shown on the following map). This time we were going the tougher pedestrian route shown in red … The Blanc-Martel path.
It’s somewhere between 12 and 17km long, depending who you believe, but that doesn’t really prepare you for it. I mean, look at that map – other than the entry and exit climbs down into / up out of the gorge, it just follows the river – so it must be pretty flat, right ?
HAH !!! That’s what they WANT you to think. Alternative facts lie in wait for the unwary traveller. With pointy teeth, uneven surfaces, deceptive bends, and a fanatical rejection of any horizontal option.
We had pre-booked tickets on a shuttle bus which dropped us at the start point ( La Maline ) for a 10:00 kickoff.
Finally made it up to the Point Sublime bus stop after about 6hrs30 – and in desperate need of an Orangina. Some stunning scenery, but not as many views of the water as we’d expected – and it was tough going .
Slept well, mind you.
I might give that one a miss, then, if that’s OK with you?
Would you reconsider if I told you there were bits where you had to hang on to a bar secured to the cliff wall while you shimmied round exciting overhangs ?
No :))
Though I seem to remember walking on something similar in a cave above fast flowing water in Turkey. Relying on poles hammered into rock faces is not something I’m entirely comfortable with, to be honest!
Orangina! Surely something more substantial after that walk
Surely your dramatic account is oVERDONe?
I wish I had said that, Oscar 👏