A Beginner’s Guide to Canyoning
Are you looking for a new and thrilling adventure? Canyoning is waiting to become your new obsession, and you can discover this exciting activity through us at Splash. Canyoning is an adventure sport that has only been around for 15 or 20 years, it is something that is fun, even for beginners. Essentially, canyoning is descending down a river system or gorge, on your own power. With canyoning, jumping, swimming, abseiling, climbing, and sliding down natural flumes are all part of the thrill. A canyoning trip can be an adrenaline-fuelled adventure or just a way to explore stunning natural beauty, traversing remote spaces to get to deep gorges that are not seen by just anyone. You can even go canyoning if you are afraid of heights, as long as you have a good level of fitness. At Splash Rafting, our highly trained, extremely experienced guides can show you the ropes, literally and figuratively, and make sure you have a fun, safe adventure.
What Are the Ins and Outs of Canyoning?
When it started, canyoning was all about the thrill. Typically an activity reserved for stag and hen parties, it was mostly jumping off of heights and getting a good scare. Today, it is a much more nuanced sport, with canyons ranging from very easy, with hardly any jumps, and canyons that take nearly a week to descend, with enormous waterfalls. Most of the time, there are options other than jumping, and as long as you are at a good fitness level, you are almost guaranteed to have fun. Splash Rafting has been canyoning in Scotland for nearly 20 years, and we will lead you through amazing natural beauty, offering you the chance to take jumps ranging from five to 20 feet if you want to, as you climb, scramble, and swim in gorgeous surroundings.
Our canyoning options include four different canyons. Keltneyburn canyon is the most popular, and each canyoning trip can be customised for all levels, jumps from five to 25 feet, lazy rivers, waterfalls, and more. If you are looking for something a little bit more challenging, Acharn canyon features a 25 metre waterfall abseil, involving ropework, climbing, technical jumps, natural slides, and plenty of swimming. Lower Bruar canyon is one of Scotland’s most stunning canyoning experiences, featuring cliff jumping, abseiling, slides, and swimming, and Upper Bruar canyon has all of that but bigger, including a 22 metre abseil.
What Gear Does Canyoning Require?
Here is the beauty of planning your next adventure through Splash: we provide almost all of the gear. Here is a look at what to expect, and what to bring.
- Wetsuit: We provide wetsuits, to protect against cold water and abrasions.
- Helmet: This is a necessity, to protect your skull from falls and rocks.
- Harnesses and Ropes: We only use these in Acharn, to help you descend safely.
- Shoes: These, you will bring. We recommend old trainers or boots- something comfortable, with ankle support and good soles for gripping slippery rocks.
- Buoyancy Aid: In Keltneyburn canyon, we provide buoyancy aids to help with canyoning swimming in deep pools.
- First Aid Kit: Our trained guides have all the necessary safety gear and can handle any incident.
Is Canyoning an All-Season Sport?
In some places, canyoning is something that can be enjoyed all year long, but in Scotland, winters are extremely cold. The canyoning season here, and elsewhere in the UK, is typically April through October. Even if you think you are not bothered by the cold, how much fun would you have when it is zero degrees outside, and the water is frozen? If you want to go canyoning in winter, it is better to go abroad. In addition to our regular canyoning trips in Scotland, we at Splash have taken people to Morocco, France, and Spain.
Adventure Sports with Splash Rafting
When you are ready for an outdoor adventure, Splash Rafting has a wide range of exhilarating options available. With over 20 years of industry experience, we take pride in making sure our clients have a great experience, no matter what they are interested in doing. You do not have to worry about anything, and Splash Rafting provides and carries all of the equipment you need. We are based in Aberfeldy, Perthshire, and we use the River Tay, River Tummel, and River Orchy for our white water rafting, river bugging, and river duckies. Keltneyburn and Acharn canyons are used for our canyoning experiences. Whether you are interested in a fun family outing, a stag do or hen party, a team building day, or even a school trip, we will provide the experience of a lifetime in as safe an environment as possible, using all the latest safety equipment and safety precautions. Come join the fun of outdoor adventure in an incredible location, surrounded by the best of Scotland’s wildlife and scenery! To learn more, contact us through our website or schedule a tour today.
