Canyoning, in Italian canyoning, is an aquatic sport that consists in the descent of narrow gorges (also called canyons or gorges) that are crossed by small streams, mostly streams with a good flow of water. Unlike other water sports with which it is often confused (rafting, kayak, hydrospeed or canoeing - the latter due to the assonance), the stream is travelled on foot, without the help of a dinghy or canoe or other floating means.

There is no news about the birth of the word canyoning, nor is it traced back to who was the first to use it and on what occasion, but we can say with certainty that his birthday can be placed in the second half of the 1980s, when this activity had by now come out of the geographic niche within which it was born and had developed, that is France, and more precisely in the Pyrenees before and in the Maritime Alps then. The word canyoning was then invented to indicate a totally new sport.

The gorge, the environment in which it takes place, is inherently inhospitable. This is why a canyoning trail takes place inside gorges deeply carved into the rock, usually characterized by a steep slope. The obstacles therefore consist of waterfalls, rock jumps, slides, flooded corridors, ponds. It is therefore impossible to make the path backwards, therefore the exit from the canyon happens only at its end or in correspondence of loopholes, if present.

The sport takes place in groups, usually from 4 to 8 participants for each accompanying guide. It's important to remember and point out that canyoning is not necessarily an extreme sport. As for other sports in fact there are routes of various difficulty, from the simplest canyons for those who face for the first time the activity, to the extreme winter trails. With the right technical training, a good athletic training and a bit of experience, you can safely enjoy the beauty of pristine places and the pleasure of a sport practiced in the open air.

Now find out what is the canyoning equipment and who can canyoning and when.