What is canyoning?
CANYONING ON LAKE GARDA – ITALY
10 questions about canyoning
What is canyoning?
Canyoning is one of the most exciting water and outdoor activities. In a wetsuit and out of your comfort zone we take you to explore rivers, gorges and the normally inaccessible wonders of nature. Crystal clear water have carved deep canyons and magical rock formations and we are lucky enough to be able to visit them. Canyoning includes walking, scrambling, short swims. There is slides carved into the rock by the water just like in a water park and jumps in clear pools. Abseiling (or rappelling) is useful where waterfalls are too high or too contorted to be able to jump or slide them. Anyway, fun is guaranteed with all this components.
Who takes me into the canyons?
For canyoning as for our other activities you will be looked after by our international and multilingual team of experts. They will guide you and teach you how to move in this particular ambience. All of them are certified and qualified alpine mountain guides or canyoning guides, with years and hundred of descents of experience, also being part in the teams who discovered this magical places around Lake Garda, in Northern Italy and all over Europe.
How is a tour organized?
After 25 years of experience at Canyon Adventures on Lake Garda we take particular care on every aspect of your canyoning tour, in order to make it a pleasant and safe experience right from the beginning. Booking ahead is required, to be able to prepare the personal equipment for every participant.
Check in and meeting
At the day of the tour there are various possibilities: some clients check in at our office in Torbole, where we have private parking for our guests. For those who are closer to the canyon, there the possibility to meet us directly there or we have several meeting points at different spots on Northern Lake Garda (Riva del Garda, Limone, Arco..). From all these meeting points there is a free courtesy transfer to the canyon and back.
Dressing
Equipment is distributed and wetsuits are worn directly at the put in of the canyon. Our driver will help you with dressing and undressing, look after your valuables while you are in the canyon and waits for you at the end with you dry stuff and a little surprise. Or he will be able to assist if someone needs to exit the canyon for little problems. Our driver service takes you as close as possible to the put in of the tour and avoids long walks in the wetsuit under the hot sun.
How many in a group?
At Canyon Adventures we prefer to keep our groups for canyoning small, in order to make the experience as intimate and safe as possible. For special events like stag or hen do’s, school groups or corporate events, we can accommodate bigger groups also, by keeping the ratio clients to guide always at maximum 8:1.
What do I wear for canyoning?
For canyoning and for all other activities we offer here on Lake Garda, we provide the full technical equipment. Our wetsuits are 6mm with hood and neoprene socks to guarantee the right body temperature all season through. Neoprene socks in the cooler times of year provide extra warmth. You will get a certified helmet. A PFD (buoyancy vest), which we are one of the few companies providing, helps you with flotation and swimming and gives extra protection for you back. A certified canyoning harness with safety carabiners will be you allied for the abseiling. What you need to bring is only a pair of personal sport shoes, easy fitting and that you can get wet and swim wear.
Where can I go canyoning?
Canyoning has become quite popular in Northern Italy and especially around Lake Garda and the Dolomites. The big advantages of your canyon in the regions of Trentino, Veneto and Lombardia are that despite being wild and hidden places, their access is quite easy. The constant presence of water and the multitude of different trips that the region can offer are a guarantee for an unforgettable experience all season through. This gems are hidden to the most and are accessible only with an expert guide and the right equipment and preparation.
What happens in the canyon?
For one of the basic and medium leveled canyoning tours with us there is no need of specific abilities or particular knowledge. Head for heights is a something we recommend and we really ask you to be comfortable with and in water and to be prepared to exit your comfort zone. You will walk and scramble along the river bed and swim through short corridors with a light current.
The fun part are the jumps and slides into the pools. Every participant can choose to do them according to his and her abilities and mood and there is always the possibility to choose the rope instead. This makes canyoning accessible and enjoyable also for those who do not feel too brave.
When the waterfalls are too high and jumping or sliding is not possible, the rope comes to help. Abseiling is passive (you are secured by the guide), absolut safe and end up in a fun shower under the waterfalls.
Do I always have to jump?
Jumping is absolutely not mandatory. Every participant can choose on every jump if he or she feels like jumping. There are small jumps of like half a meter which are feasible to almost everyone and higher ones, but with the always given option of the rope there is no stress or pressure.
Is canyoning dangerous?
After our 25 years of experience we now know that guided canyoning is basically safe. As all other outdoor activities in water and mountain, the environmental risks can never be cancelled completely. But we offer all our expertise to make this experience a safe as possible and to make a difference with the number of the companies in the area.
We take particular care about every step of organization and conduction of the tour and guiding you with a team of well prepared and qualified experts experience. Nobody like us knows the canyons like our backyard after hundreds of descents done in all conditions. Only up do date materials are used, which are controlled and replaced regularly. We organize our canyoning tours in small groups for having a better control and care about everyone. We provide “extra” equipment like PDF (buoyancy aid vests) and protections Our drivers are a great external support in case of problems
Which are the levels in canyoning?
The difficulty levels in canyoning are given by 1. water levels, 2. length of the canyon and duration of the descent, 3. possibility to exit the gorge. Most canyons on which we work here in Northern Italy and around Lake Garda have medium low water flows with no or only light currents. Most of the tours we offer have a duration of about 2-3 hour in water, which gives a good value experience without getting too tired. They are at short distance form the access road or tracks, which makes the access easy and also the exit in case of problems.
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