It is one of the most loved sports that involves exploring natural landscapes by following water routes carved via rock formations.
Canyoning is your best bet if you plan to do something adventurous this summer. What could be more exciting and challenging to do in hot weather than doing different activities in water?
Canyoning will allow you to enjoy the outdoors while exploring the hidden treasures of nature. However, most people love canyoning to enhance the adrenaline rush during the adventure. It is the best way to make yourself feel alive. Read out to learn how you can get the best life experience.
What Is Canyoning & How Is It Done?
You might have heard about the Grand Canyon, the world's most popular and most visited canyon. The word canyoning is taken from the gorge, a sport describing a walk through the canyon following the course of water.
You get a lot of experience during canyoning while navigating the paths along waterfalls, streams, and pools. You can jump, slide, ascend, or descend such enchanting places using technical equipment. As it could be challenging to mount such terrain, your safety must be a priority.
You can take part in canyoning by taking some tour guide classes and learning your body limits as if it is fit for the adventure. Then you start exploring routes safe for beginners leading to caves and other canyoning centers.
What Are Canyoning Equipment You Will Need?
If you plan a canyoning adventure with a guided tour, you will need any special gear to bring, as you will get all things on the journey. However, you can pack some swimwear for your comfort.
If you are going alone, here is the list of equipment you have before setting on your canyoning tour.
- Canyoning Shoes
You will need special canyoning shoes to protect yourself from slipping through the watery canyon and make your grip firmer.
- Gloves
Packaging a pair of strong gloves to protect your hand from bruising by rocks is essential. You can also use them to grip the terrain.
- Wetsuit
A wetsuit keeps your body warm in a cold canyon environment and dry in damp areas.
- Helmet
Remember the safety gear for your head. You can fall or slip off the canyon, for which a helmet will save your head from breaking into pieces.
- Static & Dynamic Ropes
For abseiling, a static rope is required to hold it strong. These ropes are necessary for your adventure to be protected.
On the other hand, dynamic ropes are useful for climbing to keep you safe from falling by increasing security.
- Rope Bag
You may not want your hands to be too busy holding lots of items causing hindrances in mounting or climbing. Therefore, a rope bag conveniently stores multiple items to lessen the burden.
- Harness
For climbing and abseiling, the harness is used as a safety gear that helps attach the rope.
- Water-proof Bag
A waterproof backpack is all you need to keep your possessions safe in dry surroundings. Also, ensure the bag is lightweight and doesn’t bog down when you ascend.
- Descender
A belay device is crucial when preparing for a safe canyoning trip. A descender helps manage and control the canyoneer descent by using a friction brake, allowing the belayer to give and take rope safely.
- Sling
You will need a sling to hold the anchor and the climber as a safety measure in more exposed areas.
- Carabiner
A carabiner is another useful tool to ensure everything is securely carried inside the canyon by connecting harnesses and descenders. You will need such locking tools to attach slings and other tools.
You will also need a knife, sun blocker, camera, first aid kit, and a communication device. You do not need to buy each piece of equipment as you can easily get most on rent.
What Type of Activity Is Canyoning? - Canyoning Techniques
Canyoning is a type of outdoor recreational activity that falls under different techniques, such as hiking, abseiling, climbing, swimming, and jumping. It is all about exploring the best places on earth that are not easy to reach and build of rocky mountains with dripping water.
Here are some of the exciting activities you will do during canyoning:
- Abseiling
When abseiling, you will be under the controlled descent of a steep slope back to the face of rocks from where you climbed up. A rope and belay are used for abseiling.
However, some canyoning routes do not require abseiling, but you have an idea about the route and its requirements.
- Bridging
Then comes the most challenging adventures of canyoning, such as bridging, for which you use your body to form a bridge to fill the gap between the rock walls. Your hands and feet are placed on one wall while the other has your back. In this way, you can climb up.
- Stemming
The stemming technique is similar to the bridging, but you put your left palm and foot on one side of the wall and your right palm and foot on the opposite side. You will move inside the deeper gorges by being in this starfish-like position.
- Chimneying
This technique is useful for moving or crawling into narrow canyoning places. For this purpose, your back will face the wall while your legs will be stretched in the opposite direction.
- Climbing
Climbing isn’t a big deal, but it gets complicated when climbing hundreds of feet. You can climb well only if you have experience. You can move up by gripping the cracks or rocks in the higher places.
- Jumping
After climbing, jump into the river, as these are the fun tactics of canyoning.
- Sliding
You would have experienced the long slides in the waterparks, but the real joy comes with natural slides carved after thousands of years by moving water. These sliding surfaces are very smooth and bring you directly inside the pool.
- Swimming
Jumping, sliding, and every trick will lead you to the water, where you can show some swimming skills. It is good to have improved skills, as canyoning involves complicated paths that aren’t easy to cross without enough practice.
When Should You Go For Canyoning?
You must go for canyoning when the temperatures are warm, and the water levels are moderate. However, location plays a great role in deciding the weather conditions, but summer and the start of autumn are the ideal times of the year for canyoning.
Where Should You Go For Canyoning?
Here we have enlisted some of the perfect places in the world that are considered ideal for canyoning.
- Utah (USA)
- Bled (Slovenia)
- Sierra de Guara, Aragon (Spain)
- Valais (Switzerland)
- Corsica (France)
- Val Bodengo (Italy)
- Queenstown & Wanaka (New Zealand)
- Costa Rica
- Jura Mountains (France)
- Japan
FAQs
Is Canyoning An Extreme Sport?
For most people, canyoning is a fun but extreme sport experience that is all about exploring natural places. But despite being an extreme sport is well favored in the whole world. However, each canyoning spot is categorized based on difficulty level from beginner to expert.
Is Canyoning Dangerous?
No doubt about the fun you get during canyoning, but in some places, it becomes dangerous. Canyoning is a safe activity, but the difficulty arises during abseiling, swimming, or moving on slippery areas. But by having an experienced instructor, you can minimize all risks.
Final Thoughts
If you want a full-on adventure that will leave your body exhausted and sweaty but boosts your adrenaline, you must prepare for canyoning.
This is the most lively experience to see the offerings of nature. But having proper guidance and required equipment are the necessities you should never ignore. We hope our information will assist you best in setting up your next canyoning trip.
Related Posts
What Igneous Rock is Great For Climbing?
