Verdon, France - Climbing in the Grand Canyon

If the mountaineering trilogy is composed of the Eiger, the Grandes Jorasses and the Matterhorn, the climbing equivalent is the Verdon, Ceuse and Buoux. In certain respects these “mythical three” were the birthplace of sports climbing during the 1980's and '90's, each different, yet each one with three fundamental characteristics: a breathtaking natural setting, incredible limestone, and hundreds of top quality routes.

The steep walls of the Gorges du Verdon witnessed the entire evolution of this sport: from long trad routes opened from below in the '70's, up to the introduction and systematic use of bolts in the 1980's and ‘90’s. Single pitch routes became the norm, as did top roping, invented here they say, and bolting from above. For obvious reasons. And the Verdon remains unique perhaps also because of this: that to reach the routes, you need to abseil down into a truly impressive drop.

A frightening drop, above routes that have made their way into the history books; classics such as Pichenibule, Ctuluh, Gwendal, Debiloff Proffondicum, l’Ange en decomposition, Surveiller et Punir, Papy on sight, Les Specialistes… the list is endless. As is the list of main activists: Jaques Perrier, Jean Marc Troussier, the Remy brothers, Jean Baptist Tribout, Patrick Edlinger… all attracted to this incredible limestone which, for its quality, has become world reference point.

Nicholas Hobley, PlanetMountain

From its source in the French Alps (2572 m high, not far from the lake 'Lac d'Allos') to its estuary in the river Durance (south of Manosque) the Verdon covers a distance of 170 km, but the most spectacular part of the river (the actual gorge) is about 40 km long and lies between Castellane and the lake of Ste Croix. Impressive, sharp cliffs and vertiginous drops, with the famous Falaise d'Escalès as an absolute climax: an 800 m high perpendicular mountainside where mountaineers from the whole world come and tempt fate.

Les Gorges du Verdon or "Verdon Gorge" in English has derived its name from the Verdon River, which was named after the colour of the water: vert meaning green in French. It is located from the north in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence district and stretches to the south district of Var in south-eastern France. Europe has already deemed it to be one of the most beautiful, breath-taking places on the continent.

As well, it is Europe's deepest gorge. One of the reasons for it being considered a natural place of beauty is because of the turquoise-green colour of the river at the bottom of the gorge. The sediments in the water from eroded limestone as well as small plants allowed for the water to turn an interesting green. This is Gorges du Verdon's most distinguishing characteristics, one that captures many tourists in visiting, hiking, climbing, or kyaking across the clear, reflected water. At the end of the Verdon River, the water flows into the lake of Sainte-Croix-du-Verdon, or Lac de Sainte-Croix.

Creation: During the Triassic period, the French region of Provence subsided and was covered by the sea, leaving thick layers of various limestone deposits. Several million years later, with the arrival of the Jurassic period, the area was covered by a warm shallow sea, which allowed the growth of various Corals. The Cretaceous period saw what is now Basse Provence being raised and the sea reaching the current location of the Alps, which were themselves erected during the tertiary era. As a result of the large-scale geological activity, many of the Jurassic limestone deposits fractured, forming relief with valleys and other such features. The origins of the Verdon Gorge can be traced to this era.

The dawn of the Quaternary period had large-scale glaciation, transforming water pockets and lakes into unstoppable rivers of ice, which remodeled the topography, scouring and striating the landscape. At the end of this activity, erosion by rivers continued, forming the Gorge as it is today. The Verdon’s riverbed was scoured for a second time of the accumulated coral and limestone sediments, by a water delivery rate nearing 2000 to 3000 cubic metres per second.