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Alpes-Maritimes

17 canyons.

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  Aiglun

  A limestone slot on the Esteron with five rappels, longest 15m, packed into 1400 meters and about 80 meters of drop. The aquatic rating runs high, so this is a swimming canyon more than a wading one, best run May through October.

  Aiglun, Alpes-Maritimes Unknown flood
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  Amen (Final)

  The final cascades of the Amen drainage: barely 150 meters of technical canyon but 200 meters of vertical drop, reached by a 986 meter approach hike. One 30 meter rappel anchors the descent, run June through September.

  Guillaumes, Alpes-Maritimes Unknown flood
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  Bagnolar

  In the Vesubie valley, twenty rappels drop 290 meters of limestone over 1600 meters, with none of the individual pitches topping 30 meters. No shuttle needed, April through June.

  Utelle, Alpes-Maritimes Unknown flood
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  Bendola (Full)

  The full integral line down the Bendola: 7500 meters and 1200 meters of descent in one push, roughly 9 hours, open April through October. Ropewiki gives no rappel count for this variant, only a 45 meter longest drop.

  La Brigue, Alpes-Maritimes Unknown flood
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  Bendola (Lower)

  The downstream (aval) section of the Bendola: about 2000 meters long with a modest 120 meters of descent, roughly a 2 hour outing, open April through November.

  Saorge, Alpes-Maritimes Unknown flood
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  Bendola (Upper)

  The upper Bendola is one of the longest descents in this corner of the Alpes-Maritimes: 43 rappels through 11500 meters of limestone, dropping 1500 meters total. Figure 9 hours on a fast day and up to 17 on a slow one, spring only.

  Saorge, Alpes-Maritimes Unknown flood
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  Bes-Courmes

  A short, steep limestone clue: just 250 meters of canyon but 160 meters of drop, anchored by a 65 meter rappel. Seven rappels total, roughly two and a half hours, June through October.

  Courmes, Alpes-Maritimes Unknown flood
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  Bollene

  The Riou de la Bollene runs May through September on a mandatory 7 km shuttle: ten rappels, longest 20m, over roughly two kilometers of limestone and 185 meters of descent.

  La Bollene-Vesubie, Alpes-Maritimes Unknown flood
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  Carleva

  One of the longer limestone descents in the Roya valley: 4000 meters and 570 meters of vertical over 15 rappels, running 5 to 7 hours depending on pace. Season runs April through October and no shuttle is needed.

  Breil-sur-Roya, Alpes-Maritimes Unknown flood
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  Imberguet (Lower)

  The lower half of the Imberguet drainage, open only April through June: twelve modest rappels, longest 25m, through 900 meters of limestone and 193 meters of descent.

  Duranus, Alpes-Maritimes Unknown flood
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  Louch

  An 80 meter rappel headlines this short granite canyon: only 420 meters long but 230 meters of drop, with just twelve stations total. Granite is unusual here, where limestone dominates the Alpes-Maritimes; Louch cuts through older rock near the Mercantour.

  Isola, Alpes-Maritimes Unknown flood
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  Maglia

  Clue de la Maglia is often named among the best canyons in Europe: blue water, steady jumps and toboggans, and a short dark cave section rigged as a rappel. Sixteen rappels, longest 20m, over 2.5 kilometers, May through September, reachable by any passenger car.

  Breil-sur-Roya, Alpes-Maritimes Unknown flood
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  Morghe

  A short May to July window and a wide swing in run times, 2 to 5 hours, mark this Roya valley limestone clue: ten rappels, longest 30m, 210 meters of descent over 740 meters.

  Breil-sur-Roya, Alpes-Maritimes Unknown flood
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  Moulin de Roubion

  Named for the old mill (moulin) on this stretch of the Roubion, a short and steep run: nine rappels, longest 60m, packed into 350 meters, 200 meters of descent, June through September.

  Roubion, Alpes-Maritimes Unknown flood
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  Peira

  Limestone throughout and steep for its size: 300 meters of descent packed into 800 meters of canyon, eleven rappels topping out at 60m. April through July, with a short optional shuttle under two kilometers.

  Utelle, Alpes-Maritimes Unknown flood
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  Raton

  Twenty four rappels, none over 15 meters, strung through 3200 meters of schist rather than the limestone that dominates this region. The vertical rating is modest but the commitment rating is V, the highest in this batch, and the shuttle runs 18 kilometers and is required.

  Beuil, Alpes-Maritimes Unknown flood
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  Riu

  Thirty eight rappels in 2400 meters, more rope work than anything else in this batch, dropping 660 meters total. The season is narrow: April and May only.

  Pierlas, Alpes-Maritimes Unknown flood