The "Giant's Step"! 270 m long and almost 80 m high, the Himalayan footbridge which spans the Gorges du Lignon, between Grazac and Saint-Maurice is the longest in France. An Altiligerian novelty that I went to test for you, at dawn, just after it opened.
We tested the longest Himalayan footbridge in France, between Grazac and Saint-Maurice-de-Lignon
Grazac or Saint-Maurice-de-Lignon, we have the choice of departure. On either side, there are about 3 km to cover before having the chance to discover the Himalayan gateway. It is therefore necessary to count 30 to 45 minutes of walking depending on your pace. For my part, I chose Saint-Maurice-de-Lignon in order to arrive near the belvedere. Like an appetizer before crossing the footbridge. The opportunity, also, to make the suspense last a little...
From up there, the footbridge is slender, airy, it seems so light… Is it properly attached? This is the first question we ask ourselves. Inevitably. The point of view is particularly photogenic, incomparable. Ideal for a selfie above the void with the footbridge in the background.
Ideal for thrill seekers
Back down, at the entrance to the footbridge, while my survival instinct pushes me not to cross it, my thirst for thrills tells me the opposite. The first steps are hesitant, especially as the void quickly takes shape under my feet through the openwork floor. Only a few meters at first… then several dozen, when you arrive above the Lignon. Almost 80 m at the highest point of the footbridge!
All around and below, the landscape is wild, hilly, breathtaking. So early in the morning, the footbridge seems to rub shoulders with clouds caught in the treetops, until the sun peeks out, causing them to dissipate. There, suspended in the middle of the Gorges du Lignon, at 8 o'clock in the morning, time stood still… The surrounding forest wakes up and so do I, seized by the beauty of the spectacle. I got up at dawn, but the game was well worth the candle...
A giant step, in the heart of the country of Sucs
Luckily I'm not prone to vertigo… However, we quickly forget our fears. However, the further you go, the more the iron giant rocks under your feet. The beauty is far from fixed, reacting to each of my steps. But rest assured, it is firmly attached. There is no doubt ! Did you realize that at 60 m, it's as if the Eiffel Tower was lying under your feet?! Amazing when you think about it...
The place, until 9 am, was rather calm, but very quickly I was joined by many walkers and cyclists curious to discover and try this footbridge that everyone is talking about. Some come from afar, from neighboring departments and are seduced by the beauty of the show, charmed by the new sensations offered by the footbridge.
Others, more impressed, do not risk letting go of the safety rail. But nevertheless take advantage of the panorama: a luxuriant 360° nature caressed by the rays of the morning sun. And the Lignon, which flows calmly at the bottom of the valley. A site also classified Natura 2000.
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