Canyoning equipment, indispensable for safe enjoyment. Hello everyone, I am Marco Peli, your trusted canyoning instructor.
Today I would like to talk to you about a very important topic for anyone who wants to venture into the world of canyoning: equipment. Ready to dive into this adventure? So, let’s get started!
Canyoning, the Perfect Mix of Caving, Mountaineering and Diving
The beauty of canyoning or canyoning lies in the fact that it is not just a discipline, but a mix of different outdoor activities. This is also reflected in the equipment required.
Both in terms of the techniques to be used and the equipment required, we take a little from here, a little from there, and voila, we have everything we need for an unforgettable canyoning experience.
Basic Canyoning Equipment
First of all, you will need a caving or mountaineering helmet to protect your precious head. Then, depending on whether there will be water or not, you will need a complete neoprene wetsuit and neoprene footwear. Don’t forget your harness, carabiners, descender and ropes.
As far as footwear is concerned, I recommend hiking shoes or boots with non-slip soles, and I recommend that they come up to the ankle to avoid the pitfalls of river gullies.
Finally, you will need a canyoning backpack and watertight containers to keep your belongings safe.
Canyoning equipment borrowed by cavers
As far as caving equipment is concerned, the same types of ropes are used for canyoning as for cave descents: static ropes with a diameter of 9 or 10.5 mm.
This type of rope is called ‘static’ because it has no elasticity, unlike those used for mountaineering and free climbing. It is essential to avoid swaying and stretching during descent manoeuvres.
Other tools from caving are the fixed ventral self-locking device, the mobile ascender (or handle) and the stirrup, which will allow you to ascend along a rope.
The ventral descender or self-locking device
The descender, also known as a ventral ascender or ‘croll’, is an essential tool in canyoning equipment to allow safe descent down vertical ropes for safe and effective practice.
Once properly attached to the harness, the descender allows you to control your descent down the rope. To adjust the descent speed, simply tighten or loosen the grip on the descender, and if you need to stop the descent, simply pull the rope in the opposite direction.
Mountaineering Equipment Used to Descend Torrents
From mountaineering, on the other hand, we borrow descenders, which can be of two types: the classic ‘eight’ descender consisting of or the more modern ‘Gri Gri Gri’, carabiners, lanyards and a protective helmet. And let’s not forget the harness, which is essential for rappelling down the vertical sections of the gorges.
Diving Equipment for Canyoning
Finally, from the world of scuba diving, canyoning has borrowed the neoprene wetsuit, usually 0.5 mm thick, often used together with a hood, socks and gloves, to protect against the cold. In the case of ravines with particularly icy water, the neoprene wetsuit can be replaced by a dry suit.
We have all the canyoning equipment
There, now you have an idea of what you need to canyoneer safely but don’t worry, we have everything you need to canyoneer together. Always checked and properly maintained!
Before we begin our experience together you will learn the correct way to use the equipment