Riviere de Labouiche

Yesterday we visited the Riviere de Labouiche. Unfortunately we were not allowed to take photos, but there were pics on the brochure we picked up, which are intended for public distribution and on their website, which is also public. But just in case, I will cite the source to be professional and in case you want to read more (in French):

http://ariegeterrede.free.fr/grottes.htm

You go in a group of 10-16 people, in one boat under the ground with a “gondolier” guide. The first part is an explanation of how the grottos were formed hundreds of thousands of years ago, and how they were discovered, only recently in 1908 by Dr Dunac, as you slowly make your way along the first section of river.


The River itself is around 2km long and its source has not yet been located. It is officially the longest underground river in the world. Some information from the guide, who we can’t totally understand for a few reasons – he talks quickly, he looks away while talking, there is an echo in the caverns, he speaks in colloquial French. However we do pick up some basics when he is facing us and talking more slowly and from what we already read about the tour. Now and then the boat hits the side of the cavern walls, just to confirm the message that you have to keep your hands within the boat, and of course every once in a while you have to duck as you go through a narrow and low section.

Stage two finds us going further along the river with more intriguing formations of rock, caverns and some stalactites which hang from the ceiling and stalagmites which grow from the ground upwards (my old geography teacher would be proud as I really did remember these).

Some of the formations resemble animals, which is interesting for the imagination – elephant’s trunk, elephant’s rear end, fox head and so on. Some of the formations also need some imagination, so of course you get a plate of spaghetti, and maybe something that looks like giant octopus or squid, with their tentacles gracefully behind them almost touching as they propel themselves forward under the sea. They were also the right colour for this.

Up some steep steps and then arrive at another section of river where we glide through to the cascades, where the guide gently jokes to the children aboard – ok – up you go. Ha ha ha. On our return we find “JAWS” in the ceiling of a cavern above us, and then comes the music... Then we find a witch, a nativity scene, and many other resemblances to familiar objects. A really worthwhile trip and if you go/come to the Ariege, it would be my pick of things to do here.