How-To: Canyoning

For active adventure travelers, canyoning, or as some call it, canyoneering, can be a great experience. For those not familiar with the term, canyoning is basically following a canyon trail, typically within a narrow gorge of varying depth that requires a fair amount of climbing and rappelling. Canyoning isn’t just a sport, but also a great way to see many different landscapes around the world, as there are canyoning trails on nearly every continent.

For those who have never participated in canyoning before, it’s vital you only attempt the activity with skilled individuals who know what they’re doing. Because canyoning can sometimes take place in tight or narrow spots, you may run into high water, flash floods and sinkholes, not to mention the possibility of falls and general injuries that come with scrambling over rock walls and squeezing through narrow passageways.

For canyoning in the United States, a great resource is the Coalition of American Canyoneers, which provides news on routes, recommendations on gear and links to training, as well as a way to connect with other individuals interested in canyoning. Joining the Coalition is free and offers great ways to get involved.

If you do decide to take a class or training course to prepare for your first canyoning experience, you’ll learn everything you need. Most cover basic skills such as rappelling, navigation and first aid.

Some of the favorite canyoning spots in the United States include Zion National Park, Antelope Canyon and Hawai’i.