Climbing the Verdon Gorge – Provence, France

When I traveled to France for a talk two weeks ago, I also did three (3) amazing days of climbing in the Verdon Gorge, or Gorges du Verdon.

The Verdon Gorge as seen from high up, with its massive limestone walls, the river snaking through the valley floor, and lush greenery and mountainous terrain.

The Verdon is a wildly deep river canyon located in Provence with more than a thousand beautiful limestone routes rising up from its belly. It’s a world-class spot like Yosemite, where you could climb for a lifetime. So I roped up with Julien Schilling, a local guide from Maison des Guides du Verdon, to help make the most of my experience.

I never know how a guide will treat me as a #blind guy, if they will baby me or try to keep me in the easiest areas, but Julien was really cool, and after getting comfortable with each other on various rappels and climbs, he took me on the longest route in the park: a 327m (1080-ft) 12-pitch ascent on the north rim.

Erik climbing the massive limestone wall.

Erik reaches, feeling the smooth surface of the rock, searching for his next hold and move on the wall. Ropes spill down toward the canyon floor.

Erik places his right hand over the ledge to feel for a hold to make his next move up the wall.

(L-R) Julien, a friend, and Erik topping out.

Scaling this massive wall was the undeniable highlight of our adventure, punctuated by celebrating at a climber’s bar in Palud that night, and as luck would have it, meeting Francois Guillot. Francois is the mustached man in photo 8, and he and Joel Coqueugniot (who we did not meet) are the legendary climbers who set that EXACT route back in 1968!

The route is called La Demande, which means “the request” or “the ask”, and Francois named it this because the day he first climbed it in 1968 was the same day he asked his wife to marry him. She said yes, and 54 years later (at 79 years young), Francois’s still climbing and making memories in the Verdon … and here I am sipping Hennessy cognac in a bar and I bump into him and his wife and get to learn their sweet story so personally.

Erik enjoying a glass of Hennessy cognac at the climbers bar in Palud. — Erik enjoying a glass of Hennessy cognac at the climber’s bar in Palud.

L-R: Julien, Francois, and Erik at the climbers bar. — (L-R) Julien, Francois, and Erik taking a photo together at the climber’s bar.

It was a very special trip where Julien’s attitude, our trust and perseverance on the wall, and Francois’s spirit all created these repeating connections and #NoBarriers moments. And that’s what I love about traveling and the culture of #climbing. It’s about pouring it all out and appreciating whatever you get back. Keep climbing!