Canyoning on the Furon, the best-known descent in the Vercors

The history of this canyon

Located in Isère near Grenoble, the Furon is a river that rises on the Vercors plateau and flows into the Drac near Sassenage. The first users of the Furon canyon were fishermen. The Sassenage fishing association has been in existence since 1932. The lower reaches of the Furon have also long been frequented by walkers and bathers.
In 1954, an EDF dam was built on the commune of Engins, upstream from the canyon.
The first canyoneers entered the lower part of the canyon in the 1980s. The practice took off, and the number of practitioners has continued to grow ever since. Some fifteen years ago, canyoning professionals realized that the upper reaches of the Furon were an interesting place to practice. Since then, the number of visitors to this section has risen considerably.
It is now the most popular canyon in Isère, offering a wide variety of obstacles, jumps, slides, abseils and boulders.

What’s in Furon Canyon?

Divided into two sections, the furon canyon can be enjoyed for 1/2 day or a full day. Accessible to families and beginners, it’s a sensational course that will delight even the most experienced.

furon upper part

The 1st part of the Furon canyoning trip begins with a 10m obstacle that you can either abseil down, or opt for the more sporty option of descending a step with a 5m abseil before making a 5m jump into an emulsified emerald-green basin. Once you’ve got the hang of it, a short 3m abseil takes you to a long swimming corridor overlooked by smooth cliffs on either side.
If you turn around, you’ll discover a breathtaking landscape.
After a short walk, you enter the boulder chaos, where you can play on mini slides and under boulders. It’s a children’s paradise, with small obstacles to give you confidence.
At the end of the bouldering chaos you’ll discover the famous“tyro-spalsh!!!” a zip line along which we let ourselves slide hooked by our lanyards to arrive in the water splashing everyone.
the next section, nicknamed “the express”, is a series of jumps and slides in a narrow gorge with a basin illuminated by the rays of light coming through the forest of trees 40m above your head. The highlight of this section is the super 8m jump (not compulsory) just before the final 4m slide, which takes you out of the creek and back to the parking lot on the return walk.

Furon lower section

The second part of the Furon canyon is located just outside Grenoble.
This part begins with a 20-minute walk to the start of the canyon.
The 1st obstacle is an abseil that passes under a natural stone arch. In the morning, the sun lights up the waterfall and the atmosphere is magical. This is followed by a river walk interspersed with optional bouldering to spice up the route. You’ll arrive at the large 17m waterfall, at which point you have several options: you can abseil out of the water, or choose the aquatic option and descend straight into the active waterfall.
Once past this waterfall, a second optional boulder passage allows you to swim in a reach with turquoise water and arrive on the canal overlooking the 8m jump into a suspended basin. The perspective is impressive, as you see the cumulative drop of two waterfalls, 11m and 12m.
Once you’ve completed the 8m jump or abseil, you’ll go straight on to a short 3m abseil which will take you to a 7m jump or abseil which will bring your route to a close.