What Is Canyoning? Meaning, Techniques and a Short History

Want to try it? See canyoning in Köprülü Canyon.

Canyoning in One Sentence

Canyoning is the sport of travelling down a canyon or gorge by walking, scrambling, swimming, sliding, jumping and, on harder routes, abseiling on a rope. In the United States it is called canyoneering, and in South Africa kloofing. The French sports federations define it as moving along a stream or gorge, sometimes with waterfalls and near-vertical sections, using rope techniques, walking, swimming, jumping, sliding and climbing down.

Canyoning, Hiking and Rafting: The Difference

A canyon hike follows a path. Canyoning follows the water itself, so you get wet, wade and swim. Rafting happens in a boat on a larger river, while in canyoning you move on foot and in the water of a smaller side stream. Technical canyons need ropes and abseiling; non-technical routes are closer to an adventurous walk in the water.

Where Canyoning Comes From

The roots of canyoning lie in early cave and gorge exploration in Europe. The French explorer Édouard-Alfred Martel made the first full descent of the Verdon gorge in 1905. The sport grew in the 1980s, when lighter equipment arrived and routes were equipped in France and in Spain's Sierra de Guara. Today international bodies such as the IFMGA canyoning committee and the International Canyoning Federation work on shared techniques and safety; in 2026 the UIAA and the Petzl Foundation published a canyoning handbook with them.

Typical Equipment

• A helmet
• A wetsuit or canyoning suit against cold water
• A harness and descender on routes with abseils
• Shoes that work for both walking and swimming

The Main Risks

The biggest danger in canyoning is sudden high water after rain, followed by cold and by strong currents at the foot of waterfalls. This is why guides check the weather and the water level before every trip, and why routes can close on some days.

Canyoning in Köprülü Canyon

Our canyoning route is in Köprülü Canyon National Park, and its difficulty is level 2–3, depending on the season and the water. Guests from age 7 can join canyoning on its own and from age 12 in packages with canyoning, but the limit can change with the water level, so we confirm it on WhatsApp. Read is canyoning dangerous for our safety rules.

Sources: Wikipedia, Canyoning; French Ministry of Sport, canyoning rules (FFCAM, FFME, FFS); koifaire.com, Les origines du canyoning; IFMGA; UIAA.