Paragliders, hang-gliders, vultures, large birds of prey… in Millau and the Grands Causses, jumping into the void, flying, exploring the sky is an unmissable classic! And there’s no end to the ways in which you can do it!
Why not take a swing? As a nugget of the Parc Naturel des Grands Causses, the Gorges de la Dourbie are home to an exceptional spot for this unusual nature challenge.
A pendular jump in the Gorges de la Dourbie
Adrenaline experience around Millau
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A little paradise for nature activities
The meeting point is in the heart of the Gorges de la Dourbie. A small parking lot beside the road and river. The site has all the makings of a bucolic setting: the transparency of the waters with a couple canoeing past, the chirping of birds mingling with that of the zip lines on the opposite bank, the omnipresent wilderness… This little natural paradise is THE ideal spot for outdoor activities, in a grandiose setting. Pauline and I join a small group of friends who’ve come to celebrate one of their buddy’s EVG (bachelor party).
Instant equipment: harness, helmet. The question is: from which of the cliffs facing us are we going to jump?!
The approach
A small path winds its way through a wooded valley, between the limestone cliffs of the Causse Noir, with its air of Gruyère cheese… or rather Roquefort cheese. 100% local! The approach is quick and easy. At the foot of the cliff, you discover between the foliage the exit of the pendular (small wooden platform hung in the cliff).
Ouch! It’s so high! The tension mounts…
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What's a pendulum jump?
This rope jump is similar to bungee jumping, but attached behind the back rather than by the feet. No bungee cord, but mountaineering ropes. In both cases, you have to jump! Where the bungee cord, once stretched, makes you yo-yo vertically, the ropes pull you into a pendulum movement, a giant horizontal arc.
Pendulum jump, rope jump, rope swing, Tarzan jump… choose your name.
For me, it’ll be the world’s biggest swing!
“In this Tarzan jump, there are therefore 2 jumps in 1: first the freefall and then the giant swing
in the Gorges de la Dourbie!”
1st adrenaline rush
After a short climb that crosses the rungs of a via ferrata, the starting “springboard” is revealed, on the cliffside. Anxiety and excitement mingle.
The height and the site leave no one in our group indifferent. One after the other, everyone does their angel jump, some in silence, others screaming…like Pauline!!
My turn. I approach the edge of the platform. The tension of the pendular ropes brings me a little closer to the edge.
1st adrenaline rush, even before the jump!!
Ghislain is there to assure and reassure me. Letting go, letting go, letting go… I hesitate, I breathe, 1 step and hop!!
!
I feel like Indiana Jones in the trials of the Temple of the Holy Grail: “This is the leap of
faith”! The Holy Grail is actually obtained, right afterwards!
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The big swing
However, I think it’s essential to say this, but if you’ve never done it before, you should get in touch with a professional. Because yes, it’s a sporting and physical activity (my arms still feel it… ^^). Like all activities of this type, it’s best to have practised it at least once with the most experienced! What’s more, the guide will show you around his playground like no other… anecdotes (about this very Via), understanding the territory, taking photos (because it’s not always easy to get the camera out suspended in the void ;p) and safety of course!
Make this moment unforgettable for the right reasons.
So the via ferrata, it’s not something you improvise! But it’s the kind of experience you tell everyone about when you get back from your vacation!
100% Adventure/Nature
A great 100% natural adventure, with thrills and adrenalin in abundance. The smile, rather tense at the beginning, is now radiant on the face of all participants.
An experience to share with family or friends, and why not mix with an activity present on this spot full nature of the Gorges de la Dourbie: Vallon des Tyroliennes, via ferrata, canoe, mini-raft…
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