Watery alpine canyon accessible with cablecar.

Watery alpine canyon accessible with cablecar.

In the Cervino valley, 15km from the Châtillon highway exit, at over 1,800 meters above sea level, protected from winds and with a mild climate, lies Chamois (1815m), the only Italian municipality unreachable by car. The only way to reach the valley is via a cable car (400 pax/h) departing from Buisson, a hamlet of Antey-St-André. The journey is short and allows us to reach the head of our descent in no time. If we're lucky with the weather, we might see the mythical peak of the Matterhorn in the valley below. Price 2020: €4 per person

Once in Chamois, we'll take the access path leading to the small village just below the municipality. Upon reaching the village, we'll turn left towards a lovely fountain featuring an animal's face. From the fountain, we'll turn right and enter the village. We'll follow yellow arrows (like on the Camino de Santiago) until we make a sharp left turn to descend and follow the trail leading to the valley floor. When we see a viewpoint with a large cross and a picnic area for a break, especially for those who hiked the entire route, it'll be time to prepare ourselves for the descent. Looking towards the streambed, we can already see the head of the canyon, making it an ideal spot to put on our wetsuits and all our gear.

R1.C Tree 5m R2.D Single point 15m R3.D Single point 5m / Left. Tree 10m R4.D 15m on ramp R5.D 30m on ramp 20m downclimb R6.D 25m R7.D Two points 10m R8.D Chain 50m Downclimb R9.I Access single point R10.I Single point through flow 20m / Left. Single point 20m Right downclimb Central with escape to the right (equipped path) R11.D Tree 15m R12.D Tree 45m R13.I Single point 15m R14.D Single point 25m R15.D Single point 25m R16.D Chain 40m The descent won't leave you indifferent. In mid-August, the flow was strong, and although the canyon is usually open, there are rappels where you can't avoid the flow. Once at the head, we'll find a cord with a maillon to access the point that allows us to enjoy the first waterfall of the descent (check it, as it might be affected by potential floods; in any case, you can set up the rappel directly on the tree). Most of the anchors you'll find are single points, yet the rock is very solid, and on the more challenging rappels, you'll find double points or even points connected by chain. On the first rappel, we'll submerge ourselves under the flow and truly feel the amount of water that will accompany us throughout the route. Although it's not visible, there's a well-formed channel. If you slide the side of your body against the wall while descending, you'll have no problem finding your footing at the end of the rappel. Immediately after, there's a downclimb on the right, followed by the second waterfall (right-hand side single point anchor). If you ascend on the left, you'll also find a cord on a tree to avoid the flow, which I don't recommend. The second waterfall hides a cave surprise; if you see a hole where the water enters while descending, you can go in without any problem, as it's open at the bottom and you can exit (be careful, the first person should always check before entering, in case you're tackling it with higher flow). Right after, you'll have some rappels on a ramp that allow you to stay out of the flow; if you want to get into it, that's your choice for more excitement. After a downclimb and a 25m rappel, you'll reach the jewel in the crown. This rappel alone is worth venturing into this canyon; the access with two points on the right to a 50m rappel through the flow is absolutely amazing. After the 50m rappel, we'll descend on the right into a grassy area. If you look carefully at the bottom to the left, you'll find a single point anchor to rappel to the head of the rappel for this first section. You'll find a single point anchor on both the left (flow) and the right to avoid it. If you tackle it through the flow, all the force of the water will hit you, ending in a ramp where you can be swept away – a real thrill for adrenaline junkies. Now we've reached the central area where we'll have to downclimb on the right. At this point, we can escape via an equipped path that will lead us to the road back to the car, or continue the descent. We have 6 more rappels to finish. Just in front of the fence, there's a tree with a cord and maillon to access the head of another great rappel, almost a 45m free-hanging rappel. At this point, the canyon loses some of its flow. After the free-hanging rappel, you'll find a single point anchor descending to the left. We cross the flow to do two more single-point rappels on the right. Finally, we'll access the last rappel of the descent on our right, set up with a chain. Another gem through the flow to end with an unbeatable feeling that it was all worth it. From the head, the retrieval might seem difficult, but once you're at the bottom, if you look for a good line, you won't have any problems.

After descending the last waterfall, go down and look for the exit on the right-hand side. Descending, you'll reach the access path between Chamois and Buisson. In about 10 minutes, we'll arrive back at the car.