Description

Many mountain streams bear the name Jabron in the hinterland of Provence. In the limestone, the streams also have a very irregular flow regime with sudden flooding after rainfall. The waters cut deep into the rock in sections, the Verdon Gorge being the most famous of these phenomena. But there are many smaller canyons in Provence that are no less impressive.

These canyons are usually difficult to reach. Here, east of Trigance, is a short canyon section that is accessible with a safely established short path to a river gauge. This is not the more well-known Clue du Haut Jabron, where a lot of canyoning is done.

Access by public transport

The entrance to the gorge is not accessible by public transport.

Access by car

We are in the south-east of the most famous section of the Verdon Gorge and between Castellane and Comps-sur-Artuby. If you come to the region from Draguignan via Comps, you have to turn right in the village of Jabron and towards Brenon. You go up over a hairpin bend and then follow the Jabron valley, which is wide here. Immediately before the first bridge over the creek there is a wide paved area on the right next to the road.

From Castellane you either follow the very narrow and winding road past Robion and through Le Bourguet. Or you can drive a larger arc over the beginning of the Verdon Gorge, past Soleils and under Trigance.

The descent into the gorge is right on the edge of the parking lot.

Parking site

There is plenty of space to park in the area by the Pont de l'Evescat bridge.

Access by short walk

In the northern part of the parking lot, about 15 meters before the road bridge, you can see curbstones on the ground in the gravel. Going down there you come to a path secured with an iron handrail.

It's a steep descent at first, but then the path runs comfortably and flatly on a cliff edge that lies halfway between the water and the upper rim of the gorge.

So we walk along the canyon and come to a concrete footbridge. A level measuring point is set up underneath, which perhaps explains the construction of the path.

This crossing has a railing and a door made of stainless steel. The door does not open, but you can lower the railing to get onto the crossing. The lowering mechanism is somewhat peculiar: each side of the railing forms a rectangle that can be pulled as a whole to form a parallelogram. To do this, you have to pull out the locking pin, which is secured with a steel cable. Attention, the folding railing gets heavier and heavier the further it tilts down.

In order to be able to fully raise the railing again, you have to guide the handrail into a hole in the rock on the opposite side and reinsert the locking pin.

Proceed a little further in the gorge

You can continue on the same bank on the rock ledge, at least until the edge of the rock is no longer accessible. We are then in a curve of the gorge, here it is a bit wider and you can climb down to the water.

Back

We go back up to the road the same way.