You want to go canyoning around Chambéry, but you don't know which route to choose? Ternèze, Grenant, Pont du Diable, Chailles, Alloix, Infernet, Groin… the possibilities are numerous, but not all canyons are suitable for the same audience.
The choice depends first and foremost on your group: young children, family, teenagers, beginners, sports enthusiasts, EVG/EVJF or a corporate group. It also depends on the current conditions, particularly the flow rate and water temperature. As a canyoning instructor, I therefore do not systematically offer the same course. I look at the group’s actual level, their aspirations, and the conditions to choose the most suitable canyon.
To discover all the possibilities, check out my page Canyoning around Chambéry.
Ternèze: the playful and aquatic canyon
Ternèze is one of the most entertaining canyons in the Chambéry area. The course combines toboggans, jumps, and narrow passages.
The obstacles are easy to overcome and come in various forms, with different options for adjustment. It’s an interesting place for a first experience of canyoning, especially for a family or group that wants to have fun in the water first and foremost. It’s also a relatively short canyon, which allows you to fully enjoy the various obstacles.
For whom? Families, teenagers, beginners, EVG/EVJF and groups looking for a fun outing.
Roche Fougère: an aquatic hike for young children
With young children, it is best to start with a water hike. Roche Fougère offers a much gentler approach: little swimming, small obstacles and above all an amazing forest environment to discover.
It’s a good way to discover the water, the rock and the universe of a canyon from about 6 years of age, without imposing the constraints of a more aquatic course.
Grenant: a varied canyon for families
The Grenant is more varied. There are jumps, slides and rappelling, with a progression that gives a more real sense of a real canyon descent.
It is suitable for families with children who are already comfortable in the water, but also for adults who want a more complete outing than just an introductory course.
For whom? Families, teenagers, beginners and groups looking for a varied canyoning experience.
Devil's Bridge: impressive without being extreme
The Devil's Bridge offers a very nice landing. The gorge is deep, dark in places and gives a real sense of adventure, while the technical difficulties remain reasonable.
The course includes numerous jumps, as well as passages over rope. It is this contrast between impressive atmosphere and moderate difficulty that makes it interesting.
For whom? Families with older children who are comfortable in the water, teenagers, and sports enthusiasts.
Chailles: the aquatic canyon
The Chailles gorges change their character. The gorges are long and deep, and the area of water is much more important.
There are many possible jumps, long stretches of swimming and beautiful rappels in a very narrow gorge. It’s an interesting canyon when the group is looking for a more aquatic outing, with more swimming and sensations.
For whom? Athletes, experienced teenagers, groups of friends and EVG/EVJF who are comfortable in the water.
Allox: a long vertical canyon
Alloix is still of a different style. Here, it’s the reminders and the verticality that give the course its character.
The canyon offers beautiful and long rappels in a wild environment in Chartreuse, with beautiful views of the Belledonne range. It is an interesting terrain when the group is looking for more of the technical aspects of canyoning: descending a waterfall on a rope, managing the rappels, and navigating in a vertical environment.
For whom? Adult sports enthusiasts and people who want to discover vertical canyoning.
Infernet: a deep and dark deposit
The Infernet is one of the most impressive descents in the sector. The gorge is deep and dark, with a succession of rope passages and aquatic obstacles.
The atmosphere is significantly more intense than in the introductory canyons. This is not a course to choose for a first outing with the family. For a sporty group already comfortable in the water, however, it allows them to discover a very intense canyoning atmosphere, with rappels and jumps.
For whom? Athletes and practitioners already comfortable with the activity.
The Groin: a sporty canyon with a very steep descent
The Groin is located in the Ain department, but it is still accessible from Chambéry for a day of canyoning.
The descent is deep and the atmosphere very special. The route is sporty and includes jumping, swimming in the darkness and, in particular, a small non-suction siphon that is easy to use. However, it is not a canyon reserved for expert practitioners. On the other hand, it is not the terrain I would choose with young children.
For whom? Adult athletes and practitioners already comfortable in the water.
La Leisse: working on verticality
Leisse is more focused on the vertical canyon. It becomes particularly interesting when there is enough water to fully enjoy the course.
It’s an interesting terrain to discover progression on rope in an environment less oriented towards jumps and slides than in Ternèze or Grenant.
For whom? Adult sports enthusiasts and practitioners interested in the technical aspects of canyoning.
And beyond the Chambéry basin?
If you are ready to expand your travels, other canyons offer even more possibilities.
Pussy and Les Écouges, in particular, offer more challenging and longer trails. They are not located in the Chambérien basin and are therefore not the first trails that come to mind for a day trip around Chambéry. However, they can be interesting for already experienced groups who want to dedicate a day to a real canyon descent.
→ See the Canyoning Pussy profile
→ See the Canyoning of Écouges page
Other smaller trails like the Couz Cascade or the Serraz can also be interesting, especially for working on rope progression or in a training environment.
Canyoning also depends on the conditions
The choice of canyon does not depend solely on your level.
The flow of water can completely change the course of a descent. A very playful canyon in good conditions can become much more technical when the flow increases. Conversely, some vertical routes lose some of their appeal when they lack water.
The temperature also plays an important role. For a canyoning outing intended for the general public, I generally prefer the period from late April to early October. It is possible to practice outside this period, but the water and air can be cold. These outings are then more suitable for people who are already experienced and accustomed to operating in these conditions.
It is also for this reason that the final choice of canyon can be made quite late. A few days before the trip, the flow, the weather, and the water temperature often make it possible to choose the route more precisely.
So, which canyon to choose near Chambéry?
There is no better canyon around Chambéry. There is especially one that is adapted to your group and the current conditions.
With young children, I would rather choose an aquatic hike or a very entertaining course. For a family looking for a real canyoning outing, Ternèze or Grenant might be good options. If you are looking for a more impressive canyon, the Pont du Diable already changes significantly in its atmosphere.
For a sports group, Chailles, Alloix or Infernet allow for more water, verticality or commitment. The Groin also allows for expanding the choice, even if it is outside the Chambérien basin.
My role as a canyoning instructor is precisely to help you make this choice, taking into account your experience, your desires, and the conditions of the river on the day of the outing.
