Mountain Sports in France Beyond Skiing: The Summer Adventure Guide
Canyoning, via ferrata, paragliding, climbing, and rafting: six French mountain sports from €50-150 per outing. Here's what each involves and where to start.
Mountain sports Guides
Summer in the French mountains is about more than hiking: canyoning, via ferrata, paragliding, and rafting all have their own seasons and safety rules. These guides cover where to go, what experience you need, and how to book without a car.
Mountain sportsOutdoors
Canyoning in France: The Complete Guide
Canyoning descends a gorge by hiking, sliding, jumping, and abseiling down waterfalls. Here's where to go, what it costs, and what a first trip actually involves.
6 min read
Mountain sportsOutdoors
Canyoning the Verdon Gorge: Routes, Season, and What to Expect
Europe's largest canyon has canyoning routes for total beginners and a full-day technical descent for the ambitious. Here's how to pick the right one.
5 min read
Mountain sportsOutdoors
Fontainebleau Bouldering: The Complete Paris Day Trip Guide
World-class sandstone bouldering 90km south of Paris, reachable by a 30-minute train. Here's how to structure a day trip, no gear or experience required.
6 min read
Mountain sportsOutdoors
Paragliding in Annecy and Chamonix: A First-Timer's Guide
Lake Annecy is arguably the best tandem paragliding site in the Alps, with flights from €90-150. Here's how a first flight works and how Chamonix compares.
6 min read
Mountain sportsOutdoors
Via Ferrata in France: Best Routes and How Grading Works
Steel cables and iron rungs let you climb terrain that would otherwise need real climbing skill. Here's how France's F-to-ED grading scale works and where to start.
6 min read
Mountain sportsOutdoors
White Water Rafting in France: Best Rivers and How to Choose
From family-friendly Class I-II floats to full whitewater on the Ubaye, here's where to go rafting in the French Alps and how the difficulty classes actually work.
5 min read