Great Spots for Canyoneering Tours

Would you like to experience the outdoors in its most intimate way and get an adrenaline rush while you’re at it? I don’t know why I’m asking, because the answer is obvious.  Canyoneering or, depending on how funny your English accent is, canyoning, ghyll scrambing, and kloofing  makes an extreme sports enthusiast’s knees quiver. This sport manages to mesh together rock climbing, repelling, swimming, boulder scrambling, stream frolicking, and even cliff diving for the unlucky few.  You’ll definitely feel a total body burn and muscle workout after this adventure.  A canyoneering tour are usually done in mountainous areas populated with lots of cracks, crevices and caves to explore.  To give you a better  idea, here are some of the best places to go on a beautiful and thrilling canyoneering tour:

Los Angeles

LA is widely known for its vast urban landscape. Canyoneering is definitely a possibility in the cracks and crevices formed buy the countless freeway overpasses and skyscrapers, however, we don’t endorse any such activity. However, southern California’s true canyoneering adventure gem is located just outside LA in the San Gabriel mountains. The San Gabriels have a dizzing amount of water cut canyons ready to be canyoneered. So check out some canyoneering in LA.

The Zion National Park

This park is the known leader among canyoneering spots.  Its main draw is its primo rock features, majestic views, waterways, and diverse treks.  Among the park’s popular adventure spots are Red Cave, the Eye of the Needle, Fat Man’s Misery, and the Orderville Canyon.  All kinds of canyoneering enthusiests have journeyed to Zion, with the youngest at 5 and the oldest still living dangerously at 92.  The best time to visit is from July to September, while April and May’s rains keep visitors away due to the flooding danger.

Arizona

Zion National Park’s greatest rival in the US is found in Arizona, which is known for its striated rock layers and soft sandstone.  The Antelope Canyon is composed of an 80-foot deep gash, while the Upper Antelope Canyon features a sandstone ridge.  Tours run from Paria until Colorado.  Similar to Utah’s Zion, the safest period for tours are from July until September.

Spanish Pyrenees

The Spanish Pyreenees has been popular among canyoneering enthusiasts even before the activity became official.  The area’s main offer is its limestone slots and its neighbor, the Barranco de Lapazosa.  Both newbies and experienced climbers can experience the best of canyoneering through this side of Spain.  Some tours offer short trips to the Catalan Pyrenees as well.

South Africa

In South Africa, you go “kloofing” instead of “canyoneering.” The best place for this exceptionally outdoor sport is just outside of Cape Town.  Despite its historical mark in the country, both beginners and experts can enjoy what the country’s canyons have to offer.  The Steenbras River offers an interesting alternative with the water going upwards instead of downwards.  The river’s longest rappel measures 197 feet.

Eastern Australia

The country down under offers more than 400 canyons that can be explored from a day up to at least a week.  This side of Australia has been declared a World Heritage Area, easily accessible at an hour’s trip from Sydney.  Novice canyoneers should begin with the Grand Canyon Track.  For those who are averse to water, they should try out the Tigersnake Canyon.  Mid-level or intermediate enthusiasts can go for the Claustral Canyon.  Empress Falls offers 100 feet worth of thrills for serious adventurers.