Photo : Michael.joffre / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Le Gour de la Sompe
The Gour de la Sompe, or Sompe waterfall, lies north of the village of Lagorce, in the southern Ardèche, not far from Vallon-Pont-d'Arc. The Sompe is a partly underground stream that has carved two successive cirques in the limestone, forming two falls about twelve metres high.
The site is also known as the Trou du Diable (Devil's Hole), a reference to the depth of the second pool and the vertigo felt when approaching it from above.
It is reached by a short walk of about ten minutes from the parking area, at the end of a narrow road. Access is free. The flow depends heavily on rainfall: the stream can be almost dry in summer, while the sight is most impressive after heavy rain or in flood.
