• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
MENUMENU
  • Home
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Join us on

Ultimate France

A Thrill-Seekers Guide

MENUMENU
  • Bike
    • Mountain Biking South France
      • Auron-Saint Etienne
      • Le Dévoluy
      • Diois
      • Isola 2000
      • La Moulière
      • Les Orres
      • Montgenèvre
      • Orcières
      • Pra Loup
      • Queyras
      • Riviera Borderlands
      • Roubion
      • Serre Chevalier
      • Sospel
      • Ubaye Valley
      • Valberg
      • Val d'Allos
      • Vars
      • Verdon
    • Mountain Biking French Alps
      • Portes du Soleil
        • Avoriaz
        • Châtel
        • Les Gets
        • Morzine
      • Alpe d'Huez
      • Chamonix
        • Tour du Mont Blanc
      • Courchevel
      • Les Arcs
      • La Clusaz
      • Les Deux Alpes
      • Méribel
      • Sainte-Foy
      • Tignes
      • Val d’Isère
      • Valloire
    • Mountain Biking French Pyrenees
      • Cauterets
      • Luchon
      • Saint Lary
      • Mountain Biking Basque Country
      • Mountain Biking Northern Italy
      • Finale Ligure
    • Cycling Holidays
      • Mountain Bike Hire
      • Cycle Shops & Repairs
      • Airport Transfers
      • Campervan Hire
      • Road Cycling
      • French Alps
      • South of France
      • Cycling Holidays
    • Bike Directory

      • Finale Ligure Freeride - MTB Uplifts & Guiding
      • Whiterides - Private Airport Transfers to the Espace Killy, Paradiski and 3 Valleys
      • France Bike Trips - Mountain Bike & Road Cycling Tours
      • Natureo Surf Camp - Seignosse
      • RIDE ON NOLI - MTB Uplifts & Guiding
      • Bike Alp - MTB Holidays in the Southern French Alps
  • Surf
    • South West France
      • Anglet
      • Arcachon-La Salie
      • Biarritz
      • Bidart
      • Biscarrosse
      • Capbreton
      • Guéthary
      • Hendaye
      • Hossegor
      • Lacanau
      • Messanges
      • Mimizan Plage
      • Moliets Plage
      • Saint-Jean-de-Luz
      • Seignosse
      • Vieux Boucau
    • Brittany
    • Surf Holidays
      • Surf Camps
      • Campsites
      • Surf Shuttles
      • Campervan Rental
      • Basque Country Beaches
      • Surf Webcams
      • Hossegor
    • Surf Events
      • Quiksilver Pro France
      • World Surfing Games
  • Kite
    • Kitesurf Spot Guide
      • Almanarre, Hyères
      • Beauduc, Camargue
      • Cap d’Agde
      • Carro
      • Espiguette, Camargue
      • La Ciotat
      • Lac de Serre-Ponçon
      • Le Jaï-Etang de Berre
      • Leucate-La Franqui
      • Saint-Laurent-du-Var
      • Sète-Etang de Thau
    • Kitesurfing Holidays
      • Campervan Rental
      • Campsites
        • Almanarre
        • Leucate
      • Kitesurf Schools
        • Almanarre
        • Cannes
        • Hyères
        • Leucate
        • Montpellier
        • Sète
  • Snow
    • Resort Guides
      • Les 3 Vallées
        • Courchevel
        • La Tania
        • Les Menuires
        • Méribel
        • Val Thorens
      • Alpe d'Huez
      • Arêches-Beaufort
      • Avoriaz
      • Bourg-Saint-Maurice
      • Chamonix
      • Châtel
      • Isola 2000
      • La Clusaz
    • Resort Guides cont.
      • La Grave
      • La Plagne
      • La Rosière
      • Les 2 Alpes
      • Les Arcs
      • Les Gets
      • Les Houches
      • Megève
      • Morzine
      • Sainte-Foy
      • Serre Chevalier
      • Tignes
      • Val d’Isère
    • Backcountry
      • Off-Piste Skiing
        • Tignes
        • Val d'Isère
        • Les 3 Vallées
        • Vallée Blanche
      • Ski Touring
        • Les 3 Vallées
      • Heli-Skiing & Boarding
      • Extreme Steep Skiing
      • Snowshoeing
        • French Alps
    • Ski Holidays
      • Airport Transfers
      • Chalet Accommodation
      • Ski & Snowboard Lessons
        • 100% Snowboard
      • Ski & Snowboard Holidays
      • Ski & Snowboard Rental
      • Off-Piste Guiding
      • Last Minute Deals
    • Webcams
      • Alpe d'Huez
      • Val d'Isère
  • Adventure
    • Canyoning
      • South of France
        • Gorges du Verdon
      • French Alps
        • Vercors
      • Canyoning Guides
      • Aqua Trekking Guides
    • Hiking
      • South of France
        • Gorges du Verdon
      • French Alps
        • Tour des Ecrins
        • Tour du Mont Blanc
        • Mont Blanc Ascent
      • Hiking Guides
    • Paragliding
      • South of France
        • Saint-André-les-Alpes
      • French Alps
      • Paragliding Schools
      • Tandem Flights
    • Rafting
      • The Ubaye
      • The Verdon
      • Rafting Companies
      • Tandem Kayaking
    • Rock Climbing
      • Gorges du Verdon
      • Climbing Guides
      • Mountaineering
      • Mont Blanc
      • Mountaineering Guides
    • Via Ferrata
      • South of France
      • French Alps
      • Via Ferrata Guides
  • Active Holidays
    • South of France
      • Aix-en-Provence
      • Ardèche
      • Avignon
      • Briançon
      • Cannes
      • Cévennes NP
      • Dordogne
      • Ecrins NP
      • Gorges du Tarn
      • Gorges du Verdon
      • The Luberon
      • Massif de l'Esterel
      • Mercantour NP
      • Mont Ventoux
      • Nice
      • Ubaye Valley
    • French Alps
      • Bourg-Saint-Maurice
      • Chamonix
      • The Vercors
      • Mountain Bike Parks
      • Ski Resorts
      • Last Minute Ski Deals
      • Ski & Snowboard Lessons
      • Airport Transfers
      • Chalet Accommodation
      • Webcams
    • Atlantic Coast
      • Arcachon
      • Biarritz
      • Biscarrosse
      • Bordeaux
      • Capbreton
      • Cap Ferret
      • Hossegor
      • Île d'Oléron
      • Île de Ré
      • Lacanau
      • La Rochelle
      • Royan
      • Saint-Jean-de-Luz
    • Featured Accommodation

      • Seignosse Surf Villa
      • Christiania Hotel - Valloire
      • Camping International Giens, Campsite - Almanarre
      • Camping Huttopia Gorges du Verdon
      • Chalet du Mont d'Arbois - Megeve
      • Camping La Ferme de Castellane
      • Camping Huttopia Lanmary - Dordogne
  • Events
    • Mountain Biking
      • Raid VTT
      • Terres Noires Enduro
      • CRANKWORX – Les Gets
      • Megavalanche
      • Pass'Portes du Soleil
      • MTB Instructor Course
      • Roc d'Azur
    • Outdoor Sports
      • Spadtribu - Ubaye Valley
      • Natural Games
    • Skiing & Boarding
      • La Grave Off-Piste Adventure
      • Snow & Rock Backcountry Skiing
      • Val d'Isère Photo Comp
  • Gear
    • Waterproof Cycling Jackets
    • Expedition Duffel Bags
    • Backpacks under 30l
    • Mountain Bike Helmets
    • Snowboard Boots
    • Snowboard Helmets
    • Base Layers
    • Waterproof Jackets
    • Shimano CM-1000
    • Lapierre X-Control
    • Soft Roof Racks
    • Wetsuit Buying Guide – Everything you need to know to choose the right wetsuit
  • Magazine
You are here: Home / Canyoning France / Canyoning in the French Alps

Canyoning in the French Alps

Canyoning is a bucket full of French Alps adventures all rolled into one – slip down natural water-slides, leap into crystal clear pools, abseil down waterfalls and zipline across ravines!

Canyoning in the French Alps

The best Canyoning Descents in the French Alps

Canyoning is a great way to explore some of the French Alps’ most inaccessible yet beautiful landscapes. A canyon with its gushing waterfalls, natural swimming pools and boulders for clambering over is like a huge natural water park. If you enjoy jumping into water, scrambling up rocks and exploring in the great outdoors, you’re going to love canyoning.

Canyoning is the perfect group activity and there are canyons in the French Alps suitable for all levels of ability. Accompanied by your guide you’ll tackle a descent that suits the expectations of your group. If it’s your first time, you may want to go for an easier randonée aquatique, or if you’re a bit of a thrill-seeker and you’re confident in the water, you’ll want to tackle a steeper canyon with bigger jumps, abseils and slides. As a rule, if you can swim and you’re over 8 years old, you can go canyoning.

Gear wise, your canyoning guide will provide you with a full length wetsuit, a harness and a helmet. You should bring swimmers to wear under your wetsuit and some old trainers that still have a bit of grip and you don’t mind getting soaking wet.

Where to go Canyoning in the French Alps


Book a French Alps Canyoning Trip

Our canyoning partners in the French Alps employ experienced guides who are all certified with a Canyoning Brevet d’Etat so you can have fun and stay safe. If you decide to go it alone, it’s a good idea to check in with local guides on the current conditions, or try to recce the start or end of a canyon to make an assessment about water levels and whether the route is doable. Having said that, it’s best to go with a qualified guide, you’ll be safer and you’ll have a lot more fun!

Couleur Canyon - logo
Couleur Canyon - Canyoning, Rock Climbing & Via Ferrata in Verdon
31 Rue nationale, 04120 Castellane, France
+33 (0)6 08 14 93 91+33 (0)6 08 14 93 91
SEND EMAIL
VISIT WEBSITE
Raft Session - logo
Raft Session - Rafting & Canyoning in the Gorges du Verdon
12 rue Nationale, 04120 Castellane, France
+33 (0)6 20 12 92 01+33 (0)6 20 12 92 01
SEND EMAIL
VISIT WEBSITE
chamonix-sport-aventure.gif
Chamonix Sport Aventure - Skiing, Climbing, Canyoning, Paragliding
20 Chemin de la Jonction, Chamonix, France
+33 (0)6 45 89 28 52+33 (0)6 45 89 28 52
SEND EMAIL
VISIT WEBSITE
YETI Rafting - logo
Yéti Rafting - Rafting & Canyoning in the Gorges du Verdon
36 rue Nationale, 04120 Castellane, France
+33 (0)6 13 07 46 02+33 (0)6 13 07 46 02
SEND EMAIL
VISIT WEBSITE
Showing 4 results

This is box title
Haute Savoie Map

Haute-Savoie Canyoning

The high mountain terrain that makes Haute-Savoie a top destination for winter sports also makes it a canyoning hot spot. Spring meltwater fills rivers and carves out deep canyons perfect for exploration. If you’re new to the sport, check out the beautiful Canyon du Balme near magland, or if you’re an accomplished whitewater explorer don’t miss Le Canyon d’Angon near Annecy.

Canyoning in the Barberine Canyon near Chamonix

© Chamonix Sport Aventure

Canyoning La Barberine – Vallorcine, Chamonix

The Barberine canyon creates a natural border between France and Switzerland. An upper and lower section can either be done as a single trip or separately depending on the fitness of your group. The upper Barberine takes about 2.5 hours and is more technical with a succession of small waterfalls peppered with some excellent jumps. The lower section is a bit shorter and just pure fun. Enjoy lovely natural water slides and an 11 m jump. The Barberine is dam-released and the water level can rise suddenly – always check with local guides before attempting a descent.
Length: 1250 m Vertical drop: 500 m Descent time: 4 h 30 min
GPS coordinates: 46.062080, 6.936576


Canyoning in the Rots de Balme

© haute-savoie-tourisme.org

Canyoning Rots de Balme – Les Carroz

This is a super fun mid-length canyon near the Les Carroz d’Arâches mountain resort in Haute-Savoie. The canyon is in two parts, so you can choose to do the whole thing or just the top or bottom half. There’s 2 big waterfalls in the first half and a brilliant sequence of slides about halfway down the second half that kids (and adults) will love. Allow about two and a half hours for the full descent. The Balme is a safe canyon and there are exit points along its entire length.
Length: 1000 m Vertical drop: 180 m Descent time: 2 h 30 min
GPS coordinates: 46.047798, 6.614026


Canyoning Belle aux Bois, Megève

© Bureau des Guides de Megève

Canyoning La Belle aux Bois – Megève

La Belle aux Bois canyon is located right on the outskirts of the ski resort of Megève. It’s a fun yet straightforward canyon, and there’s a bit of everything including a series of waterfalls including a 30 m one, natural rock slides and some scrambling. Be aware of the strong current below the rock slide just before you get to the big 30 m waterfall. You can park right next to the start of the descent look for the Parking Canyon sign along Chemin du Maz.
Length: 1000 m Vertical drop: 80 m Descent time: 1 h 30 min
GPS coordinates: 45.847983, 6.632995


Cascades d'Arpenaz

© flickr | SUZY.M 83

Canyoning Cascades de l’Arpenaz – Sallanches

Arpenaz is a long and technical canyon for experts only. Over the course of the 2 km descent you’ll drop down 1000 m from a starting altitude of 1550 m. You’ll encounter a series of big waterfalls including a 145 m cascade for which you’ll need a 60 m rope. Throughout the 8 hour descent, there’s only 2 escape routes, albeit easy to spot. The first is after 2-3 hours and the second is 3-4 hours further again. That combined with the big abseils means you need to be fully committed to take on this canyon. The walk in is about 2 h 30 min on the Refuge de Véran trail.
Length: 2250 m Vertical drop: 1000 m Descent time: 8 h
GPS coordinates: 45.974574, 6.640627


Abseiling down a waterfall in Angon Canyon near Annecy

© Chamonix Sport Aventure

Canyoning Angon – Talloires, Annecy

Angon Canyon is located between Talloires and Angon in the Bornes-Aravis mountains on the east side of Lake Annecy. It’s a steep canyon and the descent involves a number of abseils including one at the very beginning when you drop down the 60 m Cascade d’Angon. Once you’re in there’s a succession of 15 to 20 m abseils mixed with jumps and slides, including a superb siphon slide nicknamed the letterbox. It’s best to keep your elbows in! And, what better way to end the descent than with a swim in Lake Annecy.
Length: 710 m Vertical drop: 250 m Descent time: 3 h 30 min
GPS coordinates: 45.833761, 6.228181


Canyoning Montmin near Annecy

© Bureau des Guides de Megève

Canyoning Montmin – Faverges, Annecy

Great for first-timers, Montmin Canyon is one of the most popular canyoning descents around Annecy. Located at the foot of the Col de la Forclaz just south of Lake Annecy, you can expect, natural rock slides, 10 m abseils and jumps of up to 5 m into crystal clear water. With an easy 5 minute walk in and the same at the other end, Montmin is a great introduction to the sport and all round fun day out.
Length: 1200 m Vertical drop: 200 m Descent time: 3 h 30 min
GPS coordinates: 45.779568, 6.260510


This is box title
Savoie Map

Savoie Canyoning

Stretching from Chambéry in the west, to the 1992 Winter Olympics venue, Albertville, in the north and bordering Italy to the south and east, Savoie is a huge playground for mountain sports enthusiasts. Savoie is home to some of the French Alps best ski resorts including Méribel in the Three Valleys and Tignes in the Tarentaise. The department also boasts France’s first National Park, Vanoise, which borders Gran Paradiso National Park in Italy to make up the largest protected area in the Alps. With over 60 canyons in Savoie, there’s a descent to satisfy every canyoning enthusiast, whether it’s your first time, or you’re a seasoned pro. Some descents such as Lavanches and Hermillon will push you to your limits with their 100 m waterfalls, whilst others are just pure fun like Canyon de Pussy near Moûtiers.

Canyoning in the Canyon de Pussy near Moutiers

© canyoning-savoie.fr

Canyon de Pussy – Pussy, Moûtiers

The descent starts in the Alpine village of Pussy which is just 10 km from Moûtiers on the road up the Col de la Madeleine in the Lauzière mountains. Despite its name this canyon isn’t just for scaredy cats! Soaking wet abseils down waterfalls, fun slides and spectacular jumps into crystal clear (if cold) water makes Pussy Canyon popular with canyoning tour operators. Just the job if you’re looking for a refreshing day out in the Alps.
Length: 700 m Vertical drop: 120 m Descent time: 2 h 30 min
GPS coordinates: 45.550427, 6.455777


Canyoning Eaux Rousses, French Alps

© canyoning-savoie.fr

Canyoning Torrent d’Eau Rousse – La Léchère, Moûtiers

If you’re on holiday in the Tarentaise and you fancy giving canyoning a go, Les Eaux Rousses is ideal as an introduction to the sport. A mid-length canyon and not too steep, you’ll find a bit of everything – abseiling, natural water slides, scrambling and jumps from 1 to 4 metres. The canyon is located just outside La Léchère, 5 km from Moûtiers.
Length: 1200 m Vertical drop: 200 m Descent time: 2 h 30 min
GPS coordinates: 45.532565, 6.473191


Canyoning in L’Ecot Canyon in Vanoise National Park

© Savoie Mont Blanc | Lecoq

Canyoning L’Ecot – Bonneval-sur-Arc

Carved out by the upper Arc river high in Vanoise National Park, L’Ecot Canyon provides an exceptional setting for a canyoning descent. It’s not all about the grandiose scenery, there’s a nice uninterrupted sequence of features through the 2000 m high granite gorge, including some excellent abseils, jumps and slides, making this one of the French Alps must-do descents. The icy cold water means neoprene boots and gloves are a must. Access is straightforward from the bridge just outside the hamlet of l’Ecot.
Length: 900 m Vertical drop: 125 m Descent time: 3 h
GPS coordinates: 45.380116, 7.089898


Canyoning the Ruisseau de Grenant near Chambèry

vertical-aventure.com

Canyoning Ruisseau de Grenant – La Bridoire, Chambéry

Grenant Canyon is located just south of Lac d’Aiguebelette less than 30 km from Chambéry and 50 km from Lyon. Lower in altitude than most canyons in the French Alps, Grenant is largely rain fed and can be run from early April. Grenant provides a great introduction to canyoning with a nice mix of technical features requiring abseiling and downclimbing and plenty of fun slides and jumps as well. The forested setting provides an enchanting atmosphere. Please be mindful of the local residents when parking and getting changed.
Length: 1500 m Vertical drop: 160 m Descent time: 3 h
GPS coordinates: 45.523628, 5.759296


Please leave a comment below if you need specific advice for your French Alps canyoning trip, or if you have any recommendations to help us improve this article. Happy holidays!

Primary Sidebar

Footer

Ultimate France

About us
Contact us
Advertise
Events
Gear
Magazine
Webcams

For Business Owners

Add your business
Rejoindre l'annuaire

Assoc. Atout France

Top Mountain Bike Resorts

Portes du Soleil
Morzine
Les Gets
Avoriaz
Châtel
La Clusaz
Chamonix
Tignes
Les Arcs
Les 2 Alpes
Alpe d’Huez
Valloire
Val d’Allos
Pra Loup
Roubion
Les Orres
Montgenèvre

Directory

Airport Transfers
Campervan Hire
Canyoning
Cycle Hire
Cycle Shops & Repairs
Hiking
Kitesurf Schools
Mountain Bike Holidays
Rafting & Kayaking
Ski & Snowboard Hire
Snowshoeing
Via Ferrata

Secure Payments

Secure Payments with Stripe and PayPal

Copyright © 2021 Hang Ten Media SARL. All Rights Reserved | SIRET: 821 011 590 00014 | Privacy Policy | Terms and Conditions