Canyoneering

Canyoneering is also referred to as Canyoning by the rest of the world. It is really a combination of a number of disciplines. Canyoneering combines climbing, scrambling, walking, hiking, and sometimes jumping and swimming. Canyoneering begins with the location, taking place in a canyon and usually begin with a technical descent into the canyon. Depending on how technical and steep the canyon is, the descent can involve rappelling or technical navigating of the canyon’s walls. As you drop down into the depths of the canyon, which is usually formed through millennia of erosion, your surroundings can change quickly and drastically. It is important to know what sort of canyoneering experience you are going on before you arrive as often times specialized equipment may be required. Because canyoneering can vary widely, it can be enjoyed by adventurers of all skill levels. In most cases, canyoneering involves a river, stream, or some form of flowing water in the base of the canyon. There are quite a few important things to consider before any canyoneering trip. As you descend into a canyon and move your way up or down stream, a lack of exits can make canyoneering dangerous if anything happens while adventuring. Due to the fact that canyon walls are steep and canyoneering is usually remote, rescue’s usually take much longer than that of a hiking or backpacking trip. Some other hazards of canyoneering include risks involved with rope descents and ascents in wet areas. You can expect there to be a lot of moisture in many canyoneering locations so make sure that you are prepared to deal with these conditions. Another hazard, although less common, is the potential danger of flash flooding. Because your location during a canyoneering trip is below the level of any surrounding ground, when rainfall and precipitation occurs quickly, a canyon is the last place you want to be. The last canyoneering danger that we will discuss, but certainly not the last of all dangers, is navigating through narrow slots of the canyon. When this happens, waters usually deepen, navigational routes disappear and often times you must climb out and over to continue your canyoneering experience. Depending on the type of stone your canyoneering adventure is in, transcending these walls and hurdles can have an increased difficulty. Most canyons are made of limestone or sandstone, sometimes granite as well. The varying types of stone can determine what sort of equipment is needed on your canyoneering experience as well. To avoid the difficulties and dangers mentioned earlier, it is important that you do your research before heading out on your canyoneering trip. AdventureDrop offers not only a wide variety of canyoneering locations, but maps, photos, and aerial photographs can help your knowledge of the upcoming adventure. As mentioned earlier, there are many potential challenges and dangers when going on any canyoneering adventure. By researching what others have said who have recently gone on the canyoneering trip that you are looking to explore, you can avoid any unpleasant surprises when you get there.