Nice first day. Simple continental breakfast then out to the boulangerie and charcuterie to pick up lunch, and a market stall was just setting up with fresh peaches too. About a 40min drive down very windy roads to the Gorges de la Caranca. We then did the 4km round trek climbing about 500m, mostly in the shade since the gorge is both deep and heavily forested. At one stop there was a small rockface which had been bolted. Simon (the guide) asked Ruth if she could climb up to the second bolt, which she did and then traversed across whilst he spotted her. Was good to see how confident and professional she was moving on the rock, running her hands over it for the holds. Then one of the older boys was goaded into trying it, he almost got to the second bolt but then fell off, Simon only just controlling his fall! Needless to say no-one else wanted to be shown up by a 12yr old girl! On the return leg the path is cut straight into the rock (in the photo of Ruth you can see it on the far side of the Gorge) with huge drops and no railings (just a rail on the inside to hold on to!). Then lunch and then on to the Bain de Saint Thomas, a thermal hot springs which feeds three shallow swimming pools and the water is 36 degrees. Very relaxing.
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