Dans ce roc pelé que troue la sabine
Où l'aigle dans son vol osait seul venir
Pendu par une corde avec la barre à mine
L'homme comme l'oiseau a trouvé un chemin
("In this bare rock that pierces the Sabine
Where the eagle in his flight only dared to come
Hanging by a rope with the crowbar
Man as a bird has found a way")
...translation courtesy of Google Traduction, my French still sucks...
Often, we explore with the intention of finding, yet, there is something magical about turning a corner and seeing something unexpected. The sense of surprise makes the object stand out in ways that perhaps we wouldn't have noticed, were the circumstances different. While the
Gorges of Galamus are by no means a secret, our discovery of this amazing landscape was wholly unexpected and that much richer as a result.
We were returning from a trip to Barcelona with Elise. After visiting the chateaus of
Peyrepertuse and
Quéribus we were making our way back home and happened to take a small road. Simply marked on the map in small font, the canyon didn't proclaim its uniqueness, but we decided to pass by in the off chance of finding some interesting limestone crags to salivate over (more me than Steph & Elise). We were fully surprised as the road began to narrow, the cliffs began to loom and the center line disappeared before the highway finally pinched down to one lane. We turned a corner to find that the narrow, winding road was actually carved out of the middle of a limestone wall that plunged into the cascading river below.
The natural beauty of the canyon is breathtaking, but the area also has a fascinating history. Given the engineering difficulty of the highway project, the road wasn't carved through the canyon until the 1890's. When it finally became a reality, a large part of the construction was done by men hanging from ropes attached to the cliff. Given the date and technology at the time, I can't imagine how sketchy it must have been.
Despite the road not being constructed until the late 19th century, several caves in the area have been inhabited regularly since the 7th century. Hermits seeking refuge in the canyon were some of the first documented inhabitants. Far away from the noise of society, the hermits sought solitude and peace in the caves shown in the picture below (a chapel and small residence were later built at the entrance to the main cave).
According to local history, the chapel referenced above (interior pictured below) was constructed in 1782 to honor Saint Antoine after several people from the nearby village of Saint Paul de Fenouillet were miraculously cured of "Suette" (a.k.a. sweating sickness) a mysterious infectious epidemic disease that primarily plagued England and mainland Europe in the 15th and 16th centuries.
The chapel and hermitage also became popular pilgrimage sites, drawing people on Easter and Pentecost.
In addition to the natural beauty and religious element of the Gorges de Galamus, the canyon was also a setting in several movies, including Roman Polanski's
The Ninth Gate (1999) and
Chine Ma Doleur (1989) by Dai Sijie.
The Gorges de Galamus offer some climbing and what looks to be excellent canyoneering. Although the canyoneering doesn't appear to be technically difficult, it looked super fun. We watched as this group hopped casually from pool to pool on their way toward the chapel.
The natural geography is also incredible because it creates an extremely strong wind tunnel. We visited the area on a moderately windy day, but at this corner in particular, there was steady wind strong enough to support your weight as you leaned into it. As we left, we saw a cyclist ride pass. I was bummed I didn't get to see him come around the corner because I imagine it was totally epic. :)
