Canyoning? … Is that even a word?

"A touch of the jitters sharpens the mind, gets the adrenaline flowing and helps you to focus." Richard Branson - business magnate, investor and author

Canyoning is essentially making an approach to a river and then making your way down river. What I find most attractive about this sport, is that you get the opportunity to explore hard-to-reach areas of magnificent natural landscapes by typically following water routes carved through beautiful rock formations.

These adventures incorporate traversing canyons, gorges, pools and waterfalls, by combining hiking, climbing, swimming, ‘rock hopping’, scrambling and rappelling. Sometimes you may simply just have to jump into a river, which on occasion, can be pretty fast flowing!

Like any sport/activity, there are varying levels of difficulty. Most enthusiasts do it primarily for fun, some to gain experience, while others do it for the difficulty, the excitement and challenging nature of the course and terrain.

What Peaked My Interest?

For centuries, people have explored and found adventure in nature's landscapes. Through Canyoning, mountaineers, climbers, water sports and nature enthusiasts, can all gain memorable experiences by embarking on a these expeditions.

I began dabbling in this sport many years ago, while white water rafting on the Nile and exploring the Scottish Highlands. The journey along a river through its many features has always been fascinating to me, not to mention the thrill of exploring the unknown. This can range from caves etched into gorges, to the chance of siting elusive forest inhabitants.

Many years later, I was made aware that this type of activity actually has a classification of its own!

'Canyoning' in Trinidad and Tobago

Over the years, I have been embarking on this type of exploration in Trinidad and Tobago. While our terrain is not riddled with canyons and gorges such as those found in Utah or Sierra de Guara (Spain), it does have its own iconic, thrilling and invigorating natural features. I am always in awe of the topography encountered and so it must be said that this is a must do activity for any outdoor enthusiast.

Opting for some of the River Exploration options offered by CoolBlue Adventures, will certainly require you to draw on Canyonning skills and techniques. Below highlights a couple of our favourites…

Falling Angels

This one conveniently starts just a short ways up our North Coast Road, just before Las Cuevas. The approach takes you to the magnificent Angel Falls and though it’s just 3km/1.9mi, it does involve some fairly steep gradients, but trek at a moderate pace and all will be fine.

The entire loop is just about 12km/7.5mi and involves the rappelling of 5 waterfalls, some in excess of 20m/60ft. Along the way you can be entertained by the playful White Bearded Manakins, I have also seen Crab Eating Racoons here.

This short but intense action packed loop is more than enough to give anyone a thrill!

Argyle Uncut

Heading over to our sister isle Tobago is always a pleasure; you should however include an Argyle Water Fall expedition for that added bonus. This loop starts in the village of Roxborough and is rated strenuous, as it covers approximately 35km/22mi. The terrain is quite technical and involves 3 rappelling segments, two of which are quite high. The entire route has spectacular scenery with the ultimate end reward; soaking in the splendor of the last waterfall basin.

Come try one with CoolBlue Adventures

Canyoning, is one of hiking’s quickest growing genres. Experiencing some of Trinidad and Tobago’s most breath-taking landscapes through some of our River Exploration loops, would make you easily understand why Canyoning is such a special thing.

Check out our client reviews, Instagram and Facebook page, to learn more about what we do. Do feel free to get in touch with us and turn your curiosity into a reality!