Wild France with Ray Mears (2016): Season 1, Episode 2 - Ardeche - full transcript

[French music playing]

RAY: France...

For many of us, we picture city sights,

bustling streets,

and cafe culture.

But if we head deeper in to the country,

there's another side that's wild
and untamed.

RAY: I really love France.

It's a naturalist's dream.

The reason for that is all
the different habitats that you find here.

In this series, I'm going to explore them
in search of the many hidden



wonders that there are to be found
in wild France.

I'll be traveling to some of the most
spectacular regions of France.

From the snow-capped mountains...

to the rolling plains.

From deep forest...

to rugged coastline.

And discovering the extraordinary variety
of landscapes that this country offers.

Ah!

That's so much better.

I'll be exploring the unique plants
and wildlife that thrive

in this unspoilt wilderness...

Hello!

And the secrets that are hidden
deep within it...

Wow! That's amazing.



On my adventure through wild France.

[distant thunder]

Listen to that, thunder,
isn't that wonderful?

Awesome. Mist in the valleys,
sound of a nightingale across the river.

Why wouldn't you come here?
This is the river Ardeche

that carves its way through
the central limestone of Southern France

before falling into the Rhone.

The Ardeche region
lies in the heart of France.

It sits between the plateaux
and mountains of the Massif Central

and the high peaks of the Alps.

This is a place I've been visiting
for many years;

I have a strong feeling for this region.
I can't wait to explore it.

This is a landscape
that is not just rich in wildlife,

but it has also had
a really long association with people.

[soft music playing]

I'll be exploring the Ardeche Gorge
starting from the top of the cliffs,

through thick forests, deep into caves,
and eventually down to the river.

When people head to the Ardeche,
they go straight to the river

and the dramatic gorge,
and that's understandable.

But the landscape that dominates the area
actually are the hills either side of it,

and they're clad
in this wonderful forest.

This broken limestone country
holds lots of secrets.

And in amongst this
there are all sorts of things to be found.

Like this, this is butchers broom,
which grows a plenty here.

And you can see it coming
into fruit there.

And it gets its name because the ends
of each of these leaves

has a very, sharp, stiff spike on it.

And in the past, butchers
used to make a brush of that to clean off

their chopping block
because the little spikes

could pick up any little bits of tissue.

Believe it or not,
that's in the asparagus family,

and when it's very young at the beginning
of the spring, the new shoots,

if you cover them and keep them blanched
so they don't go green,

and then collect them and cook them
steamed like asparagus shoots,

they're quite delicious.

Deeper in the forest, there is a rare
opportunity I just can't miss.

Without a doubt one
of the best kept secrets in the Ardeche

is the underground world.

This is limestone country
and wherever you have limestone and rain,

you get potholes and caves
because the limestone literally dissolves.

Some of those holes in the ground
have historically proved useful.

There was one just here
that the local people used to use

to get rid of garbage and dead animals.

Until, in 1935, Robert de Joly
descended with 40 meters of ladder

and discovered the most amazing cavern.

Robert de Joly had been exploring caves
for over thirty years

when he made his most famous
discovery here - the Orgnac Cave.

Special permission allows me
to enter through the original entrance

in the roof of the cave.

But this means I'll have to abseil down.

So you can imagine
what it must have been like, 1935,

the first time people went down
into the unknown,

literally entering the bowels
of the Ardeche.

Fascinating.

It feels just the same now, I've no idea
what I'm going to see down there.

Ok. Au Revior.

[Stephane and Ray speaking French]

RAY: Amazing.

Wow.

It's like going into a forgotten land.

For hundreds of years, the locals
had wondered about this mysterious hole.

They told stories that it was haunted,
perhaps to keep curious children away!

That is amazing!

But Robert discovered that the truth
was even more breath-taking than fiction.

Wow.

[chuckles]

Incredible, what a sight.

What a staggering way to enter a cavern.

Unlike me, tourists who come here
have to use a man made opening

involving 700 steps.

Wow! [Laughs]
That's amazing!

Apart from its sheer size,
this cave is known

for its incredibly diverse
rock formations.

[inspiring music playing]

When Robert de Joly descended into
this cave, it must have been incredible.

He was coming into a place
that was well known.

Locally there were lots of associations
with this hole.

Of course what he didn't realize
was what he was going to find in here.

I mean, this is as high as Niagara falls,
it's truly spectacular.

This huge mound was formed
over thousands of years

by animals falling to their deaths.

Some of the bones found here
date back to pre-historic times.

Looking at this,
it's like looking at coral reef;

so intricate and yet
there seem to be patterns,

mixed with a good helping of chaos too,
it's incredible.

These patterns are created
by water dripping through the limestone.

As it dries, its minerals solidify into
stalactites that hang from the ceiling.

As the water reaches the ground,
it deposits more minerals, which build up,

creating cones or stalagmites.

It's like walking through an art gallery.
It's wonderful.

This cave extends over an area
of 200,000 square meters,

but tourists are only allowed to see
just a fraction of it.

Back in 1960s, cavers coming
into this part of the cavern detected,

in a small hole, a passage of air,
and they reasoned that if there is air

passing there might be another cavern, so
they enlarged that hole and went through,

and what they discovered
was Orgnac two, three, and four.

Stephane Tocino, a local caver,
has agreed to take me

into Orgnac cavern number two.

The tunnel, made by previous cavers,
is so tight that the crew

have to put down their equipment.
To avoid damaging the walls,

we will rely on
a small portable camera.

There are no lights on in the caves.

A single light bulb
would encourage moss to grow down here

and ruin the formations.

We walk for one kilometer
to get to the heart of Orgnac two.

Here I get the chance to see
the most delicate

of all cave formations: helictites.

Amazing.

Unlike stalactites and stalagmites,
these rock formations

appear to defy gravity
and grow horizontally.

They are very slow to form;
a few centimeters over 100 years

Well, I really hope those shots work
because it was incredible,

those helictites, they're amazing.

STEPHANE: Yes. Very fine.

RAY: They're so fine, spectacular.
That's really something,

like a fairy grotto. Thank you very much
for showing me, Stephane.

[Stephane speaking French]

There are still many kilometers
of unexplored caves down here,

but I feel the need to return to daylight
to carry on my adventure above ground.

North of the Orgnac cave
is the entrance to the gorge

and my destination tomorrow morning.

The Ardeche is a fast flowing river

cutting through 30 kilometers
of limestone.

The gorge and its beaches
are full of wildlife,

but the best time to catch it is early,

so I'm ready to start my journey
by 6:00 AM.

There are two good ways to explore
the Ardeche gorge, you can walk it,

or you can canoe it. But by far
the best is to go by canoe.

You get the most amazing view.

And that gorge is so pristine,
I can't wait to get in there.

The Pont d'Arc bridge was formed
by thousands of years of erosion

from the Ardeche river.
At 66 meters high,

it is the largest natural arch in Europe.

This is the gateway to the gorge,

one of the greatest natural wonders
in all of France.

There was a terrific storm last night,
and that's put some water in the river,

which is a good thing.
But look at the mist, it's glorious;

it's as beautiful as I've ever seen it.

[soft music playing]

The cliffs are a natural habitat
for bird life.

That is fantastic.

I've spotted a peregrine
who's just caught a baby pigeon.

He heads off to feast on his find.

It's a bit tough on the pigeons,
but the peregrine's got to feed, too.

Peregrine Falcons are formidable hunters.

They feed on smaller birds
that they are able to catch mid-flight.

Well adapted to the steep gorge sides,

they can dive down
at speeds of 200 miles an hour.

Next, it's down the rapids
to find out the secrets

that have been hidden here for years.

This whole area is protected,
and I'm going to meet

local wildlife ranger Olivier Peyronel

who is in charge of keeping
this untamed pocket of France safe.

The banks and beaches that line the river
are home to a varied plant life.

Everything that grows here thrives
in a Mediterranean climate.

Olivier is going to reveal
some of their traditional uses.

RAY: Olivier, this particular beach
I've visited many times myself

- because the plants are incredible here.
- OLIVIER: Ah, incredible.

RAY: But you have a traditional interest
and knowledge in the plants.

Yes, because my grandmother
was always in this place

and she find some plant
to, for eating or for medicine.

RAY: That is so interesting, show me
some of the things that she taught you.

Yes. Of course, Ray,
here you have the traditional plant

from the Mediterranean area, like,
for example, the erangium, the eryngo.

RAY: So we've got this plant here
that looks like a sea holly,

but it's not, this is the field eryngo.

OLIVIER: Yes, it contains sugar.
Sugar, amidone. A lot of good things.

RAY: So you can cook this,
or you can use it raw.

OLIVIER: Like a carrot.
It's the same family.

That's delicious. And it's sweet,
you can really taste the sugar.

OLIVIER: You find maybe the thyme.

RAY: Thyme, yeah.
Olivier, I've heard in this area

people recognize different uses
of the thyme for medicine

depending on the altitude
in which it is collected. Is that right?

OLIVIER: Yes its right. Here we are at low
altitude and it's good for antiseptic.

If you go at the top of the gorge,

it's not good for the same,
is good for kills fungus in the foot.

RAY: So local people have worked it out

by observation and now science
supported their discovery?

- Exactly.
- It's incredible

It's incredible.

RAY: I think it's really important

because when you know the use of a plant,
it's your friend.

OLIVIER: Ah, yes.

The plant life here has adapted
to the hot conditions,

but I'm eager to get back
near the cool river.

The shallow waters are a great place
to spot wildlife if you look closely.

There are frogs everywhere in the water.

This particular species is known
as the common European, or edible frog

as it's traditionally used in cuisine.

Unlike many other species of frog,
it's most active during the day.

Luckily it's perfectly camouflaged
from its prey,

which is never usually very far away.

RAY: What have you got Olivier?
A snake! Fantastic.

I find a viperine.

- A viperine, yeah.
- You know it?

I do.

The viperine snake
is part of the adder and viper family,

but, unlike adders, has no venom.

This is the one that has the round eye,
not the slit.

OLIVIER: Exactly, that's the difference
between a viper and a viperine.

OLIVIER: She look viper.

She looks like an adder,
but she's not an adder

- No, nothing.
- She's harmless.

OLIVIER: She's very quiet, she eats frogs,

she eats some fish,
and she's eating by birds, a lot of birds.

So she is very important in the nature
and in the equilibrium.

Equilibrium of the natural world.

These snakes are very similar
to our grass snakes in Britain.

She's completely harmless but
do people kill these snakes by mistake?

OLIVIER: Yes, people,
when they see these snakes,

they believe it's a viper and say, "oh,
my god, it's a viper," and take a paddle

and bam, bam, bam. It's very bad.

This is protected by the law in France,
and, like we say,

it is very important for the nature.
I think if you see one in the river

you can get two or three meters,
look at them and just see,

and if maybe you are lucky you can see
the viperine catch a fish

and after she goes in the river
and stays tranquil.

RAY: Of course.
If you are going to handle it.

You must be an expert,
otherwise just leave them alone.

And if you are in any doubt,
you just look at the eye.

These have a round eye, whereas the adder
has a slit. It's so beautiful.

The river makes the perfect home
for wildlife,

but humans have had a long history
of living here too.

All around me I can see small caves
in the cliff walls,

and some of these caves have been used
by man for thousands of years.

No one is allowed to enter them
as they are protected,

but I have been given special permission
to enter this one.

RAY: Olivier, you've got longer legs
than me.

We have to scramble to get to it,
but it's worth the effort.

RAY: Look at this, incredible view.

This cave has a long human history.
It is thought that people lived here

ever since the late Stone Age,
10,000 years ago.

But it also has a more recent history.

This cave and others nearby were used
as a refuge by the resistance

in World War 2. Many of them
were never discovered by the enemy.

But Olivier has his own history
with the cave.

When you were a boy, you used to come
and camp here didn't you?

Yes, but shhh, you are
in a natural reserve.

RAY: And of course, the goats
like this cave today,

the floor is covered in goat droppings.

It's savage goat.

- RAY: Wild goats, yep.
- OLIVIER: Yes, wild goat.

Looking around,
I see you've got this plant here

that a lot from people from Britain
won't know, it's called Smilax.

And you find it in hot countries largely,
hot places,

and it's got a leaf.

A lovely heart shaped leaf.
And it's covered in thorns.

And it's a plant that you can think
is just like a bramble.

But if you're hiking
and you find this plant,

don't try to push through it,

because these thorns
have a little surprise

because on the inside of the thorn,
they're like a blade.

And they dig in and just score you
like razor blades.

So this is a plant that is very much
best to back off from.

But there is an interesting French name
for this plant, isn't there?

This is a smurf plant.

In England, they call it the smurf plant

because they eat it and you can make
a blue dye from this plant

and that's why smurfs are blue.

That's why.

RAY: Fantastic.

- RAY: It's a great place, it really is.
- OLIVIER: It's quiet.

- RAY: Peaceful.
- OLIVIER: Oh, yes.

[calm music playing]

Out of the shelter of the cave
and after a hot scramble down,

I'm ready to cool off.

Ah, that is so much better.

[birds chirping]

I'm coming to the end of my journey
through the Ardeche Gorge,

but there's one thing
that I still want to see.

Olivier has given me a tip off
that this section of the river

is where a family of beavers live.

These fascinating creatures
are mainly nocturnal

and dusk is the time
that they are most active.

I've put the camouflage net up
just as a little screen

so that I can move without disturbing
a beaver if they come along here.

This is what the beaver
are interested in, this Poplar.

That's absolutely perfect food for them.
Just sit and wait.

An adult beaver can cut through
a small Poplar tree in just a few minutes

using their powerful lower jaw muscles
and specially adapted incisor teeth.

They're there, there's a beaver.

[calm music playing]

And it's dived down.

The beavers on the river
don't build lodges like you see in Canada,

they have no need to do that here.
I'm not sure where this one

will be living,
perhaps there's a little cave

that we can't see that it can get into.

Obviously the limestone
is full of little porous pockets,

but eh, that's amazing.
[laughs]

It's cleaning its fur.

Of course,
beavers, just like in Canada,

were once really valuable
because of their fur,

and they virtually disappeared
from Europe,

so to see Beavers doing so well here
is wonderful,

and it just shows you how important it is
to have amazing natural reserves

like the Ardeche gorge.
They're so valuable for preserving species

and to maintaining bio diversity,
that ever important quest.

[chuckles]
It's wonderful.

What a way to finish my journey.
The Ardeche never fails to surprise me.

It must truly be one of the most
breath-taking landscapes of wild France.