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History of canyoning : the first people to explore the canyons at the end of the 19th century were hunters or fishermen in search of prey. At that time, the equipment available was reduced to almost nothing. The mythology of these deep or underground places conveyed fear and apprehension. The conquest of the canyons was made with the means at hand.
The practice of canyoning consists of descending a thalweg in the form of torrents, streams, rivers, gorges, clues, more or less narrow, more or less deep, with or without the presence of water. To progress, you alternate between walking, swimming, climbing, jumping, abseiling, sliding or tobogganing.
Depending on the mountain range, country or altitude, canyons can have very different profiles: short or long, vertical, open or very deep, with underground or water passages. Depending on the conditions, some routes can be fun, with multiple jumps or slides.
At the very least, a harness, a helmet, a type 8 descender system and screw-in karabiner, a double lanyard and a semi-static rope long enough to reach the highest obstacle on the route.
In water conditions, which is often the case, it is essential to have a comfortable and warm wetsuit, a harness with a protective skirt and waterproof bottles or bags. 1 or 2 climbing quickdraws can also be useful at belay points to hang your bag or rope.
For safety reasons, bring a whistle, an extra rope, a spare 8 and, if you don’t do much of the route, retreading equipment such as a hammer, bumper and rescue plate.
Finally, for very vertical, spider-wire or very high abseils, the use of a machard or prussik provides a safe and comfortable descent. However, this braking system should not be used if the abseil is made below the start of a waterfall.
In reference to the FFME, the canyon grading system corresponds to practice in normal conditions and for a group of 5 people. There are 3 difficulty criteria:
Vertical: the letter v followed by 1 Arabic number from 1 to 7 indicates the difficulty in the vertical character.
Aquatic: the letter a followed by 1 Arabic numeral from 1 to 7 for difficulty in the aquatic character.
Commitment: 1 Roman numeral for engagement and span from I to VI.
With the exception of canyons in France, the ratings proposed on the site are indicative and need to be refined by several groups.
The levels take into account the height and complexity of the abseils (access, management of trajectories, balance, reception, visibility, etc.) as well as the progression (slippery, unstable, uneven terrain, etc.) and the passages that must be climbed or unclimbed (free pitch, artificial, with use of a rope, exposure, etc.).
These range from level 1, which is very easy and requires no equipment, to level 7, which is extremely difficult and exposed.
The flow of water, immersion and the power of water movements are all taken into account, as are the presence of siphons, drifts and whirlpools that require trajectories and balance to be managed.
The height and complexity of the jumps and slides are also mentioned.
They range from level 1, which is very easy, with no water or simple walking in calm water, to level 7, which is extremely difficult, with a very strong flow and highly technical water obstacles in water with powerful currents.
It’s a question of commitment, but also of the size of the canyon.
The levels are divided according to the time needed to get out of the flood and also the time needed to find an escape route. The size of the canyon is taken into account according to the total time spent in the canyon.
This goes from level I for a descent lasting less than 2 hours with an escape route, to level VI for a canyon lasting more than 2 days or with a very long time to protect yourself or escape.
Download below the official FFME document from 2015