Hi,
First I apologize for my bad english. Weather is quite bad presently
and today's situation for the canyons in Haute-Savoie was probably: " none of them possible". I don't expect to get any "arrete prefectoral" in Haute-Savoie nevertheless. It is not the first time we got a rainy spring. So, it will really depend of next week weather forecast...Beginning of the next week seems not to be very promizing...
In what follows : "probably yes" means if the rain stops few days before you arrived, that's probably ok. Does not mean you can go in under the rain !! " Probably no" means I don't think that given the water flow now + still some melting snow, we can expect to get good conditions next week.
Don't take it as 100% true, I am not expert at all, I am just living here (nevertheless, I have done all the canyons you mentionned but Arpenaz
at least once)
Frontenex : water level can be high after the rains, but see the web site of this crazy(*) girl
:
http://www.descente-canyon.com/forums/post.php?tid=9023
Belle au Bois : probably no (25km2 basin side). But I do not remember exactly if this canyon can be foreseen with a high flow ?
Bellevaux : probably yes. This one is equiped for "canyoneering school", so you can make quite a lot of funny rope exercices. Nevertheless, be careful in case of high flow, can be dangerous in some parts.
Bronze : probably no.
Clevieux : probably yes. Be careful, but can be foreseen with a "reasonnably high" flow.
Giffre : with the weather we have now, no, will probably be forbidden (see the canyon description in the canyon's database)
Morette : probably yes
Oex : you really want to do it
. It is quite polluted, no, strongly polluted...
Belle Inconnue : very nice. Again water level could be high to very low depending on the rains. Be carefull on the 2nd cascade, the one just before the entrance in the cave : there is a tree blocked inside the cascade, which could be a problem in case of high flow.
Mine : probably yes, very nice.
Nyon : probably no.
Ubine : Not a very interesting one, and full of falled trees
Foron : probably no.
Rippaz : probably no. (need stable weather). Also, there is probably still some snow melting on the basin side ?
Coeur : probably no. Not really interesting in all the cases
Rots ou Balme : probably yes
Angon : probably yes
Filiere : A not very interesting canyon. A lot of walks, few cascades.
Reninge : probably no. Even if the rains stops, not sure if will be ok ? Perhaps, but need stable/dry weather.
Barberine : probably yes.
Diosaz : forbidden !!!
Creve Coeur : probably no. If the weather becomes dry & stable, perhaps. But again there is probably still quite a lot of snow on the basin side. Be really careful.
Arpenaz : no
My conclusion is that you will probably have to drive a little bit more than expected to go to other departments if the weather continues to be as bad as it is now. In Ain, Jura, Savoie, at 2 hours driving time, you will find some nice canyons in case you can not do what you planed in Haute-Savoie.
How long do you stay ?
The "probably yes" can cover ~6/7 days :
Frontenex + Mine
Clevieux
Morette + Belle Inconnue
Angon
Barberine
Balme
Bellevaux
I would add Fayard and Sambuis (if the dead cow is removed ? Don't do the last cascades, but exit at the end of the narrow) to the list.
If the weather turns to sunny, dry and stable (dream...), you can perhaps add :
Rippaz, Reninge, Creve-Coeur.
But be really very careful, and do not underestimate the difficulties (Reninge and Creve-Coeur have quite high waterfalls and do not expect to find good anchors. You absolutely need to be able to replace/put in place anchors). Seems quite early in the season and a quite too rainy spring to hope to much, and I can not really say "go ahead"...
Please cross-check what I write with other peoples.
Bye.
(*) she's able to wake up you very early in the morning to know the water level in a canyon, really...
Nous serons basés dans Samoens
