The Vanishing Lake.
A trip over the Causse du Larzac.
5/18/20262 min read
This morning we took a trip over The Causse de Larzac. This limestone plateau extends north ,from the top of our valley and at his time of year it is dotted with wild flowers , many of them rare. The roads were lined with hawthorn in full blossom , while The Cevennes Mountains lay dark and distant. We were driving in search of a vanishing lake.
The lake we were seeking is known as Lac des Rives, because it is situated near the small village of Les Rives. It is not a permanent lake, however. It only appears intermittently after heavy rains , which, because of the geology of the region , cannot sink through the earth. It can extend over as much as 15 hectares, and be up to 15 metres deep. Although it appeared in 2004 , we didn't realise how rare an event it was, and so we missed it. It also appeared briefly in 2023. This year it is expected to remain for maybe 4 months. We certainly didn't wish to miss it this time. But alas, it was very remote and difficult to find, as it is far from the tourist sites where visitors flock. When we eventually rolled up at the small parking area, we were completely alone. We followed a footpath which led us down towards a small valley. Lizards scuttled over the large rocks alongside us, and wild flowers of all colours and sizes, nestled in the crevices and the wayside grass. The air smelled sweet with mayblossom.
We walked on, but where was the lake? Apparently, it can vanish as quickly as it appears, so we feared that we had come too late. But then, just a little way in front of us, we caught a glimpse of water between some rocks. There ahead of us lay the lake in all its quiet splendour. Clearly it had diminished a little from its full heights, but I can truly say that it felt utterly magic. And what made it even better was, we had it entirely to ourselves.
