Programme :

Arrival the day before at the end of the afternoon, to set up the bivouac of the first evening and prepare the descent (no extra cost for the bivouac at the pier for this overnight).

1st day: In the early morning departure from Ruoms by bus towards Saint Maurice d’Ardèche. Start for a descent of 18 km. For this overnight stay you have a choice between camping at the pier (no extra cost) or at  the municipal campsite of Ruoms (which is next to the pier) tel: +33 (0)4 75 93 99 16, website: www.campingmunicipalruoms.com.

During this first day, you pass at the foot of medieval village Balazuc and cross the Cirque de Gens as well as the Ruoms Canyon (Defile de Ruoms) which will give you a taste of the Gorges de l’Ardèche. At the end of the day you are back at the pier of Ruoms where your tent awaits you for the night.

2nd day: This is a longest day of your descent. Start from Ruoms by canoe kayak to Gaud campsite (25 km). We recommend  this bivouac so that the distances are more balanced but also you can go to Gournier which is 5 km farer. During the first part of the day, you cross large bodies of water between  dikes equipped with slide channels. As soon as you pass Vallon Pont d’Arc, the landscape changes, the cliffs rise little by little and one kilometer after the Pont d’Arc you enter the Natural Reserve of the Gorges de l’Ardèche. At the end of the day you reach the campsite (bivouac) to spend the night there.

3rd day: Departure from the bivouac of Gaud (or Gournier) and final arrival in Sauze (16km of descent). At the end of the day, return to Ruoms by bus. It’s the coolest day of your trip, shorter than the day before. It will allow you to fully enjoy the Gorges de l’Ardèche before reaching the end of its three days of kayking.

Don’t forget:

The first day take a picnic, in the evening you can shopping or eat in one of the many restaurants in Ruoms. But plan all meals from the second and third days. When you are in the Natural Reserve of the Gorges de l’Ardèche, there is no more supplies possible. 

Please note: the evening and night can be cold, bring a change of warm clothes and a good sleeping bag according to the season.

Organization of your nights: You can spend the first two nights at the Ruoms pier (the night before departure and the first day) at no extra cost. The night on the bivouacs of the Nature Reserve (Gaud or Gournier) is compulsory (no wild camping). For the descent in three days we advise you to reserve the bivouac of Gaud. It is imperative to reserve the night on the campsite (bivouac) before the descent. Information and reservation: by the website of the Nature Reserve: www.gorgesdelardeche.fr , by phone: 04 75 88 00 41, by email: reservation@gorgesdelardeche.fr . Price is from 5 to 12 € per person (with your tent or under the stars) and 10 to 15 € (in the collective tent of 20 places). The prices depend on the age and the dates. The purchase of bivouac tickets is compulsory and you must present them before starting a descent (their numbers will be listed on your contract).

On the bivouacs of the Nature Reserve you will find: toilets, showers, drinking water, garbage cans, barbecues with charcoal available. There is NO shop.

Please note that alcohol and dogs, even on a leash, are prohibited in the Natural Reserve.