The students of the sports association of the Jules-Vallès college in Puy-en-Velay ended the year with a stay of outdoor activities in Sainte-Enimie.
For five days, the students were accommodated at the center of outdoor activities, in marabouts along the Tarn. They practiced canoeing, via ferrata, caving, orienteering, archery and hiking.
While criss-crossing the gorges by canoe, they were able to discover the fauna and flora of the region, see beaver burrows and enjoy swimming. Speleology forced them to sneak into galleries to admire the work of the water underground which, by infiltration, creates stalactites and stalagmites which sometimes join together in columns.
Shell fossils testify to the presence of the sea in a very distant time and a large room allows you to observe dinosaur footprints.
Archery required precision and concentration and through games, everyone was able to progress. The launch pad located in the middle of nature is an opportunity to learn to recognize the trees that surround us thanks to their leaves and their characteristics. After having memorized everything, a shooting contest is organized by aiming at targets with the effigy of tree leaves that must be recognized and associated with the right tree.
In via ferrata, agility and dexterity are required to climb the cliffs, pass from one to the other by monkey bridges, Tibetan bridges or zip lines and overlook the Tarn which flows below.
The hike takes the students to the village classified as one of the most beautiful villages in France. A short climb to the hermitage then a visit to the Burle spring plunges them into the legend of Sainte-Enimie, sister of King Dagobert.
Strolling through the old cobbled streets of the Tarn, you come across typical houses and restored squares up to the old monastery of the 6th century which denote its medieval origin.
Orienteering, within the confines of the activity centre, puts the organisms to the test.
Despite all these activities, children still find resources to swim, play pétanque, volleyball or football at the end of the day.
This week ends with a visit to the Aven Armand, the highlight of the stay. A true masterpiece of nature, this natural underground cavity places the Aven Armand among the most beautiful caves in the world!
After boarding a funicular to descend underground, a guided tour allows you to discover a forest of 400 stalagmites, and reach 110m deep. Accompanied by Jules Verne in an imaginary world, the dream becomes reality during this visit where lights and sounds weave links between fiction and reality.
2023-07-03 18:32:00
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