FRANCE A LA CARTE
Axat - whitewater centre

Languedoc - the details

45 minutes from Carcassonne airport. 75 minutes from Toulouse or Perpignan

PRICES - BASED ON 4 PARTICIPANTS MINIMUM

• Self catering accomodation in bungalow: from €199 pp
• 3* Hotel in Quillan , about 20 mns drive from the rafting base: from €325 pp

Price includes:
• 3 overnights in 2 bedroom self-catering bungalow (base 4 sharing )
Or
• 3 overnights in double or twin rooms with breakfast and first dinner included in 3* hotel

plus
• one rafting expedition (or other outdoor activity in case of force majeur) with all equipment provided, qualified guides.
• one canyoning trip (or other outdoor activity in case of force majeur), with equipment provided, qualified guide.
• Hire car (type VW Golf or similar, unlimited mileage) for 3 days from any local airport

What our customers think:

"I must say I was a bit dubious about getting into that raft when I saw the state of the river but Jérôme [the guide] was fantastic: he had us all paddling like natives in no time at all.... he even got us to swim across the river!" J.C. (Chiswick, London)

(Minimum 4 people. Maximum 8).

BOOKING ENQUIRIES

RAFTING in the LANGUEDOC

WHITE WATER weekend in the Pyrenean foothills

Rafting on the turbulent waters of the Aude river - canyoning through the mighty Gorge de Galamus.
4 days / 3 nights from €199 pp

There is no better get-away-from-it-all weekend than a total change of scene, air and activity: in short, hurtling down a raging torrent perched on an inflatable raft with 7 other crazies. It's exhilarating, slightly dangerous and immense fun. If you are between 13 and 80, can swim 50 metres and don't mind getting wet, then this is for you.

Our long weekend (3 nights) concentrates on white water: rafting down the turbulent waters of the Aude river through the dramatic Gorges of St Georges and Pierre Lys one day and the long descent of one of the regions most dramatic canyons - the Galamus - on the next day. These activities are run by a bunch of state-qualified instructors (the french take security very seriously) who will not only get you safely down the river but also open your eyes to the nature around you, pointing out different birds and wildlife, plants and fishes.

the programme : (4 days, 3 nights)

Friday: arrival Carcassonne: Pick up hire car and visit the Citadel of Carcassonne, a UNESCO heritage site. Drive on to Axat (40 minutes) and settle into the your bungalow right down by the river where the action takes place. In the evening your instructor will call by to 'prendre l'apéritif' and discuss the weekend's programme with you.

Saturday: After breakfast walk over to the Rafting centre to get kitted up: the wetsuits, helmets, shoes, life-jackets are all provided by the centre. They even give you a paddle! After a short training session you are transferred by minivan upriver to beyond the Gorges de St Georges, where the Aude river has carved a 400 metre-high canyon through the rock. The raft is then put into the water and you have about 2 minutes to familiarize yourself with the paddle, the commands and the various positions before the first section of rapids. After that its mayhem for a while. In one of the quieter sections your instructor will pull over and teach you how to negotiate the river without the raft - lying on the flat of your back, feet first. It's re-assuring!

Before tackling the fearsome Défilé de Pierre Lys with its long stretches of rapids with exotic names such as the 'Devil's Graveyard' you'll pull over for a spot of cross-river swimming - much more difficult than it looks - and jumping into the river from the surrounding cliffs (optional). As for the next stretch ... just look again at the photo above ... the helmsman is even smiling!
It's not sure you'll be up to much after the trip, but for those who wish we suggest visiting one of the most spectacular of the Cathar chateaux - Puylaurens - before repairing to a decent watering-hole in Quillan.

Sunday: Today you will experience the special thrill of canyoning .. the spectacular descent of the river bed at the bottom of a steep-sided, rocky canyon. Sometimes swimming, sometimes sliding down natural rock slides into deep blue pools, sometimes climbing or descending en rappel, this adventure calls for teamwork and a bit of courage - especially when your guide asks you to jump from 5 metres into a tiny pool!

At the end of the canyon there's the Hermitage to visit, or you may prefer to take a look at the towering castles of Peyrepétuse and Queribus perched on their rocky peaks. Other post-canyon activities are wine-tasting around the village of Maury - one of the most up-and-coming wine regions in France, producing rough, heavy, flinty wines that are being tamed and refined all the time.

Monday: after breakfast you'll have time to visit the Cellars in Limoux (and taste the famous 'Blanquette de Limoux (méthode champenoise)) before heading back to Carcassonne for the flight home.

Equipment: we provide wetsuits, helmets, life-jackets ... and a paddle. All you need to bring is bathers and a towel for the whitewater day as well as a water-bottle for the canyon

Accommodation:

1. Self-catering bungalow for 4 by the river, right next to the Rafting centre. There are two bedrooms and a living room with cooking facilities and a fridge. The site has a pool (open from June) and a sort of bar/snack bar which serves rudimentary meals.

2. charming 3* hotel in Quillan, bustling little market town on the Aude river. Room with bathroom and WC, copious breakfast and renowned restaurant.

Numbers:
Your group should be between 4 and 8 (or multiples thereof) people. Children over 13. Everyone must be able to swim over 50 metres.

What is rafting?
A large heavy-duty inflatable boat, unsinkable, powered by 4, 6 or 8 crew-members and a helmsman, each armed with a short paddle. The object is to steer this volatile vessel down a highly agitated stretch of water without hitting too many rocks, capsizing or losing any of the crew.

For first-timers there is a training session on dry land to get the hang of the signals and commands that the helmsman will use to keep the boat upright. The crew must work as a team, following instructions to the letter - especially over the faster rapids - to avoid capsizing. But then, capsizing can be rather fun and your instructor will show you how to survive this experience!

For old rafting hands our instructors can always pull more demanding tricks out of their bag: they'll provide you with a one or two-man 'hot-dog' - a sort of inflatable kayak without a backbone. With this you're really on your own.

What about alternative activities - because of weather conditions etc?
The problem with white water is that sometimes there is too much of the stuff ... or not enough. In the rare event of one of our activities being cancelled due to weather conditions we have an alternate day out organized: a day-long trek - with or without donkey - over the maquis-covered hills above the gorges to Rennes-le-Château. You will visit goats cheese makers, donkey-breeders and other local people, you'll see hawks and buzzards and, perhaps, eagles: and you might just have an insight into where the Abbé Saunier buried his treasure in Rennes.