Gorges de la Baume hike with Julien

Guided hike in the Gorges de la Baume

Julien de la Rocca, mountain leader and member of Ardèche Randonnées, takes us on a guided tour of the Gorges de la Baume. This hike will take us around the village of Labeaume.

1) We’ll start out on the limestone plateaux known as the “gras”. 2) Then we’ll follow a ledge path before descending into the Gorges de la Baume. 3) Our walk ends with a short visit to the village of Labeaume, which is listed as a village of character.

The presence of dolmens

Man’s presence in this area dates back to the Neolithic period. Nearly 150 dolmens have been found in Labeaume. In the 19th century, the commune experienced a major boom with the rearing of silkworms. It also developed stone quarries and the cultivation of vines and fruit trees. Imposing mansions were built here.

It was also at this time that he developed a wealth of ingenuity to make these arid plateaux “liveable”. He channelled the water by building cultivation terraces on the cliffside. These “hanging gardens” are the result of a lot of hard work. They brought soil and stone to the site.

Today, Labeaume is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the Ardèche. The river Baume flows through the village. This river is famous for its very high floods during what are known as Cévennes episodes. The most famous of these were in 1890 and 1992.

Swimming pool after the hike

This walk is not far from Mas de la Fontenette, a gite with heated pool in the Ardèche rated 4 stars by Gites de France. This gite is an excellent holiday rental in the Ardèche, open all year round and the starting point for many walks, road bike rides and mountain bike rides.