Olivier NICOLAS (Olv Nco)

Olivier is a passionate and great practitioner of the discipline of canyoning. In his activities, he integrates his transgressive spirit, which makes him plan large-scale projects in a way that has never been done.

The idea is to descend to the orographic right the 422 m that make up the Great Cascade, as close as possible to the water and performing only 2 rappels. Brutal! According to the analyzed photos it seems feasible. They want to get as close as possible to the top of the vertical of the Great Cascade, just where the water begins to collapse and thus avoid the friction of the rope against the rock and descend in the most airy and clean way possible. And all this as close to the water as their reasoning allows them and thus be able to increase the aquatic character of the descent. Objective: Seek safety, water contact and height!

An extraordinary environment due to the isolation and the height of the highest part of the Circus where the Grand Cascade is located. The Great Waterfall is the target of Olv Nco and his partner.

Olivier will show us how the Great Cascade of 422m descended.

The ropes used::
- 200 m in 8 mm 1,800 daN polyamide (to descend).
- 120 m in 6 mm 1,900 daN aramid (to descend and install handrails).
- 320 m in 3 mm 400 daN aramid (to recover the rope in rappelling as necessary).

The choice of ropes will pose a new challenge, the longest rappel planned is 320m, which means joining the 200m rope and the 120m rope with a knot and recovering with the 320m 3mm diameter rope. The chosen knot is the Dufour knot, a challenge in its execution and implementation. Without forgetting the knot pass 200m from the head of the rappel and 200m more at its feet.

Olivier will explain this adventure to us that will have required several years of dreams, imagination and tests to finally undertake this gruesome vertical with 2 people and without any kind of assistance. A day that will be reinforced by a small technical day, in particular on the use of 6 mm ropes and rappelling with ropes that are too short. His reflections of him, proposals and methods of him, will surprise us!