Canyoning trip in the French southern Alps

Canyons, Friends & “Apéro!”

It is the beginning of spring and we decide to make a team of friends to launch the 2018 canyoning season. We choose to go to the beautiful Vesubie valley (Maritime Alps, France). It is an opportunity to do canyons that used to be dry during summer as there is water flowing.

The team is composed of Elsa Gasnier (ICOpro trainer), Bastien Aguillon (ICOpro Assistant Instructor), Etienne David (Canyoneer 3) and Etienne Corti (ICOpro Assistant Instructor and Photographer).

We meet in a nice private field which a friend lend us for the week. Our neighbors, a herd of sheeps welcome us! The campsite is quickly set up to launch the french “apero”, cheers! Good vibes for the week.

Vallon de la Peïra v4.a2.III

Peïra canyon is mostly open with high verticals but quickly gets drained. Today the flow is correct. Pools are filled and clear, and abseils are into water. After an hour of approach walk, we start the descent at 10:15am.

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Quickly, we arrive at the first high abseil of 45 meters into a lovely flowing waterfall. Then, a few small obstacles, a slide of 5 meters and a 6-meter jump, brings us at the second big waterfall of 50 meters that we negociate with a rebelay.

The descent is punctuated by photo shooting by Etienne sometimes with hilarious results capturing a funny pose!

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We enjoy a short break on a sunny rock and unfortunately discover the mackerel tin can with mustard has received a shock in the dry box, sauce everywhere! Yummy!
After a quick wash, we keep going passing small nice abseils until the last big abseil of 60 meters which is visible from the road. There is a concern that rain could fall at any time and within a short time it is raining at the top of this big waterfall. Optimize, be efficient and enjoy! That are our motto!
At 1.30pm we are back at the car parked in the village below. Back to the base camp for a nice “apero time” with french saucisson, cheese, wine… and our friends, the sheep! Fun before the diner then back to our tent or campervan for the night !

Vallon de l’Imberguet v4.a4.III

The next day we wake up at 6.30am to make the integral descent of Imberguet canyon. It’s made up of two parts which can be done back to back. The first one is vertical and wild, less travelled and less aquatic. The second one is a classical route of Vesubie valley. It’s made up of beautiful long corridors, many aquatics sections and small abseils of up to 25 meters.

After a good coffee at the country inn, we make the shuttle, stop a car on the bank of Vesubie and start the approach walk at 8.30am. One hour later we descent the first waterfall of 40 meters. The place is wild, the level of water is low but enough to have clear pools. Small obstacles, rappels and climbdown make this first part with a nice abseil into a blue pool which you could end with a cool slide !
It is the end of the upper part, we take a short break to the car to change our ropes from 40 to 20 meters and start again for the second part.

First, we are surprised by the cables which make a via ferrata on the firsts obstacles ; probably to facilitate the access by the local professionals and their groups but making a negative aspect on the wildness. Quickly we arrive at the committed entrance with a normal bolting.

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It follows a succession of small entertaining jumps, slides and abseils. It’s very narrow with plenty of transparent water. All is here to make fun and wonderment. This canyon finish to the Vesubie river, but it’s impassable at this time of the year. We go above on a bridge, and in 5 minutes we arrive at the car. It’s 2pm and return to the base camp for….. apero, of course!

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Vallon de Bagnolar v3.a2.III

After an early third morning and a good coffee, we start the approach walk of Bagnolar valley. A nice hike in a remote valley, first flat walking following an old canal, then steeper to ascent to a small pass. What a beautiful view on the valley! We start the descent around 10am. Perfect timing!
This canyon has very steep sides nicely carved. At this time of the year pools are deep suitable for many slides and jumps but very cold. Abseils not exceeding 25 meters are beautiful with a good flow. The narrow corridors make think we are caving. It’s a blast!

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Around 1.30pm we arrive at the confluence with Figaret valley which looks beautiful but its descent is forbidden. We start the walk along the canal to return to the car and arrive around 2pm just before the rain…

After this long nice trip, our stomachs are empty and need food quickly! For this last night of our trip we decide to go to the restaurant for amazing pizzas and beers!

Clue du Riolan v2.a4.IV

We had planned to finish our canyoning trip in the Vesubie valley but finally it was so fun that we wanted more ! So, we decide to make a detour and we stop, on the way back home, at the next valley “Esteron” to do the Riolan canyon. A team who made the descent the day before said that the flow was bigger than usual. Knowing this canyon with normal flow conditions, we think it’s gonna be fun to make this sportive descent.

After parking the shuttle car , we start the canyon at 10.30am. The flow is big but it’s not a problem when we make the good choices!

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Riolan is a committed canyon, not so vertical but very aquatic. Swimming sections are regular and sometimes long. We’re starting jumps, small abseils and the first swimming part. The flow makes us use more ropes than the last years when we could go through many obstacles without their use.

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In these conditions, Riolan canyon is a blast ! Even though progression is longer than usual because we have to adapt with the current ; jumps, swim and abseils make an amazing ambiance with the clearness and abundance of water.

Around 4pm we finish the canyon, join the car where beers and cider waited for us and return home.

This is the story of four amazing days in the Maritime French Alps. What a better way to start this season ! Friends trip, good moments shared together around the same passion : Canyoning !

Sport, discoveries and a lot of fun !

Canyoning is what we do !

Etienne Corti, Elsa Gasnier

Mountain Escapes Center

Mountain Escapes is the first affiliated canyoning center in Greece! It’s an Instructor Training Center where you can get your ICOpro qualification and certification.

The center is located in Tsagarada Pelion, only 10 minutes away from educational canyons which are specifically designed to safer and more efficient trainings.

Our love and passion for outdoor adventures led us to seek out the best natural places in Greece. We have discovered the most beautiful canyons hidden into the best rivers, and also many interesting hiking trails. According to the level you choose, our canyons are more or less difficult and accessible. Mountain Escapes can certainly give you the experience of a lifetime with the best friendly canyoning group!

Mountain Escapes provides unique and original fun adventures which will keep you talking for a long time. Those trips could be combined with other outdoor activities. If you are looking for adventure and escape, away from the stress of everyday life, all you have to do is to follow us! If you’ve never tried canyoning before, it is a must-do adrenaline sport: fresh water splashing on your face, surrounded by lush green nature; jumps into natural rock pools; swimming under waterfalls and abseiling down close to the water!

Canyoning in Pelion

During your stay in Pelion, exploring canyons will make you understand that they stand out from the rest in three points. First, their vegetation; second, the beautiful beaches you find at the end of canyon where water finish to flow until the sea and third, due to the Centaurs’ legends hidden within them, of course! The combination of both canyoning and swimming in the sea is a rare feature!

The canyons names are Mega Galanorema, Centaurs, Big Rock, Mylopotamos, Fakistra, Damouhari, Limniona and Lambimou. The most notable and admirable routes to reach the canyons are Tsagarada, Kissos, Xourihti, Zagora and Lambinou.

All the canyons end up on beautiful beaches! The Centaurs’ canyons, in combination with the geomythology of the region, make a challenging curiosity!

The marvelous view of the Aegean during the descent in the canyons, the beautiful nature and the enchanting beaches will charm and satisfy you. The beautiful beaches at the eastern Pelion used to be the destination of the mythical Centaurs where they arrived after crossing those canyons!

Mountain Escapes’ instructors are selected for their maturity, judgment, teaching experience and outdoor skills. A genuine interest in people and passion for teaching are as important as an extensive canyoning resume. During all your activities, the security guards will be very watchful to avoid any unwanted proceedings. Despite all the fun and games, this sport requires the guidance of an expert. Our instructors are experienced canyoneers and believe that the practice of safe canyoning necessitates proper gear, continual vigilance and an excellent knowledge of these remarkable places.

Tsagarada, Pelion,
Magnesia, Greece 37012 Tel: +306932418001
Email: info@mountainescapes.gr

www.mountainescapes.gr

www.canyons.gr

www.canyoning.com.gr

Blue Creek : Exploring a dry canyon in New Zealand

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A journey (in) to Harwoods Hole

Peering over the edge of Harwoods Hole would fill the hearts of most casual visitors with amazement and utter dread. Amazement because it is a ridiculously large hole that just appears at the end of a lovely scenic walking track; and utter dread because it truly is a ridiculously large hole that you cannot see the bottom of unless you happen to lean a wee bit too far. Please don’t do that! For me, utter dread was definitely the biggest feeling I was experiencing from the tips of my toes to the hair on my head, but mostly in my stomach… And a wee bit further down if I’m honest. But at the same time as all that going on, I also had a true sense of awe and wonderment as I stared into a hole that was so incredibly tapu (sacred), and full of tales of real adventure. It was the awe and wonderment that meant that this was not a trip that I could miss.

I was joined at the edge of the hole by a group of true professionals. They all looked like a kind of subterranean adventure gang in their wetsuits, helmets and harnesses as they grinned at one another over the prospect of what laid before us. Somehow I had managed to find a way to look like a French mime with my stripey black and white polypro, black wetsuit long johns and lovely white gloves.

Everything began to feel decidedly real all of a sudden. I was shortly going to be abseiling roughly 200m in to the abyss. The grins started to turn into steely focused stares as we all checked and rechecked one another’s equipment for any possible defects. We worked out the order in which we would descend in pairs and then we lined up to get the job done.

I was to descend with Pete. I had spent the drive from Motueka to the hole having a good old yarn with Pete about art and film making. It was great… We’d bonded, we were mates! However I was starting to feel that maybe I should have been asking him more about his abseiling history, if he felt he could hold a full grown man by one arm while dangling from a rope if he really had to, or giving him names and contact details of my loved ones should the worst happen! As it turned out Pete was ace. He saw my bunny in the headlights stare as I tried my best to become velcro with the cliff face, and he became the guide. Before I knew it I was inching my way down a damp and slippery rock that would soon disappear to be replaced by the vast and empty interior of Harwoods Hole.

Once we had left the 30 or so meters of cliff at the top of the hole, I was able to start getting a real impression of just how big Harwoods Hole actually was. How can I explain this? Abseiling down a really big thing? Nope. Floating in outer space? Maybe. Grabbing life by the gonads and entering a dark, damp and eerie world where you might get eaten by an albino dinosaur or meet the cast of Fraggle Rock? Pretty close. As you can tell, I was pretty lost for words because this really was an experience unlike anything before.

After regrouping at the bottom of the hole we began to make our way further and deeper under Takaka Hill towards Starlight Cave. The route we had to take featured numerous amazing abseils, jumps and slides. It was like taking on our most popular Torrent River Canyon trip in the dark with millions of tonnes of rock hanging over our head!

The water was crystal clear as it splashed and burbled its way along our shared path. The rock formations we encountered along the way appeared bizarre and eerie as our head torches cast their crazy shadows upon the walls. I can remember feeling incredibly grateful for the dedicated teams who had spent so much time exploring this cave system and even given their life, so that I could gaze upon this astounding subterranean world in relative safety.

Aside from the enormous abseil at the beginning of our adventure, there were a few other features to this trip that got my adrenaline pumping. The squeezes! Now I’m not talking about cuddles with my fellow adventurers, even though hugging some of them would have required some extra adrenaline. The squeezes I’m referring to required me to literally squeeze my body through narrow openings in the rock as water poured through the same space. Imagine doing complicated yoga poses in the small space under your kitchen sink with the doors closed whilst experiencing the worst plumbing leak ever, and you’re close to how it felt. My inner claustrophobe knew that it was time to just suck it up and get over it, because this was the only way I was going to get out and see the wonderful blue sky again.

As we neared the end of our adventure I will admit to feeling pretty relieved. I had a strong sense of pride for what I had achieved in making it through, and I also felt hugely empowered to know that I could do it. But this really was a trip that had taken me right out of my comfort zone. To “see the light at the end of the tunnel” is a hugely popular metaphor. When you experience it in its literal sense after hours relying on only a head torch, the daylight takes on an almost ethereal quality. The dappled light entered the cave in silvery shafts to show the greens of moss and ferns like I’d never seen before. All my senses were alive and it felt like I could taste the outside air as well as smell it.

John, the office guy.

GET THE KNOWLEDGE

“All you need to know about the basic of Canyoning Activity and Progression.”

223 A4 pages full color
In Canyoneer Level 1 manual, you will learn about ICOpro, the activity basics, canyoning equipment, knots, communication, behavior and environment, hydrology, geology, physiology, tour preparation, physics, horizontal rope progression, vertical rope progression, and basic rock climbing. After you learn this manual, you will have all the necessary foundations for techniques covered in Canyoneer Level 2 manual and beyond.

Canyoning is what we do!

Exciting changes in the ICOpro Canyoneer Photographer program

Table of Contents

The first and only photography course in the world dedicated to canyoning sees upgrades in its content to support the development of the sport worldwide.

ICOpro team member Gus Schiavon, Trainer Photographer and Developer Coordinator of the Canyoneer Photographer training course, explains the changes implemented in the program.

“As our organization grows worldwide, evolving and shaping the market is a requirement to maintain our status as leaders in the industry. With the support of valuable information gathered during the last 3 CAPH courses and thanks to the ICOpro Continuous Professional Development (ICPD) program, we have reviewed the content of the CAPH course to better prepare our new Canyoneer Photographers for fulfilling our network’s marketing needs.” Gus says.

An evolution from the previous program, the new content is strongly focused on the business aspect of the activity and content creation, not only providing the Canyoneer Photographer with valuable knowledge about photography and business, but with tools to support our Affiliated Centers, Independent Affiliated Instructors and ICOpro in the business and marketing aspects.

More than ever, the CAPH program focuses on adding value to the business of canyoning. Success stories from some of our CTRs and CAPH come from all over the world and the opportunities are plenty.

“I invite our members to stand out in face of your competitors by offering a CAPH course, employing a professional Canyoneer Photographer or participating on one of our specialized professional training courses and by consequence, boosting your business image and profile while helping the organization grow even more.” Schiavon adds.

GET THE KNOWLEDGE

“All you need to know about the basic of Canyoning Activity and Progression.”

223 A4 pages full color
In Canyoneer Level 1 manual, you will learn about ICOpro, the activity basics, canyoning equipment, knots, communication, behavior and environment, hydrology, geology, physiology, tour preparation, physics, horizontal rope progression, vertical rope progression, and basic rock climbing. After you learn this manual, you will have all the necessary foundations for techniques covered in Canyoneer Level 2 manual and beyond.

Canyoning is what we do!

Be a real pro

Table of Contents

Increase your value, be a professional!

We are professionals in canyoning, just as any other outdoor sports.
Often, the summer season is the only income period for the whole year and thus it becomes imperative to give strong importance to the business aspect of our activity.

Developing your business is not easy, mainly when it comes to communication on the web; often hard and confusing, especially because the digital world is changing and evolving constantly.

But what if we could get rid of this confusion and make a difference in the face of competition? (In terms of marketing, I mean… If you push your customers on a 10m waterfall because they do not want to jump, you may as well have the best website and the best communication in the world, but your customers will evaporate of course, there’s no doubt about that!)

One solution for your communication

When you understand the influence of professional photos and videos on “closing the deal,” or as a basis for comparison and decision-making, it is easy to accept that it is obligatory to have quality content. It allows you to fully express your product’s potential, as well as giving a decisive visibility on the web, in order to target the right people on your market.

There are many solutions, but ONE in particular has caught our attention because its purpose and capacity are just incredible. This is the Cloud Vision API, the technology that allows Google analyze and determine the content of images in order to promote their referencing thanks to its latest “Hummingbird” algorithm. Yes, yes, you read right! Google can now read every detail of your photos!

A smile, an action, a color, everything is detailed and it allows your photo to refer automatically. Imagine the potential for your website! If your photos speak for themselves, then your SEO and therefore your business will keep growing!

Browsing the web and on various sites of existing canyoning companies, I happened to fall on a site with very modern design but with poor photos to present these products: All blurry or with splashes that stain a beautiful part of the picture, and sometimes even faces of frightened customers…

The same goes for commercial videos with impeccable quality—HD 1080p, but not really selling anything because the video looks more like an amateur editing with sometimes doubtful music choices, “interviews” or inaudible sound. In short, a video summing up a trip amongst friends…

Be professional to the end!

But here’s the real problem… You may not be a photographer, a videographer and even less a web designer. So what can you do to ensure achieving your desired goal? How can you be certain that you will reach your target audience? How to make sure that your image will match the professionalism of your work?

In terms of communication, and therefore of web design, each element has its importance. Call a Pro Photographer/Videographer, or get some training! Be “New School” and use the new techniques of today and tomorrow’s world!

This, of course, costs money; but think about the return on investment. Because if your image and work are professional, then there is no doubt that your efforts will pay back and that your business will reach new heights.

For training, there is now a specific course for canyoning photography: The ICOpro CAPH.
In the meantime, and if you do not have enough time, you still have the second option: Call one of our pros!

Work in expeditions, for magazines, for brands of equipment, for private companies, our Photographers/Videographers respond to these requests and develop at the same time this new business. Because in addition of being trained canyoneers, they are enthusiast practitioner, with a new vision of our activity that is constantly challenged and changing.

So don’t wait and be PRO to the end!

Contact us: support@icopro.org

GET THE KNOWLEDGE

“All you need to know about the basic of Canyoning Activity and Progression.”

223 A4 pages full color
In Canyoneer Level 1 manual, you will learn about ICOpro, the activity basics, canyoning equipment, knots, communication, behavior and environment, hydrology, geology, physiology, tour preparation, physics, horizontal rope progression, vertical rope progression, and basic rock climbing. After you learn this manual, you will have all the necessary foundations for techniques covered in Canyoneer Level 2 manual and beyond.

Canyoning is what we do!

Canyoning trip in the French southern Alps

Mountain Escapes Center

Canyoning in Pelion

Blue Creek : Exploring a dry canyon in New Zealand

A journey (in) to Harwoods Hole

GET THE KNOWLEDGE

Exciting changes in the ICOpro Canyoneer Photographer program

The first and only photography course in the world dedicated to canyoning sees upgrades in its content to support the development of the sport worldwide.

GET THE KNOWLEDGE

Be a real pro

Increase your value, be a professional!

One solution for your communication

Be professional to the end!

GET THE KNOWLEDGE

Customer Care

My Account

Phone number:

Working hours:

E-mail us:

Canyoning trip in the French southern Alps

Mountain Escapes Center

Canyoning in Pelion

Blue Creek : Exploring a dry canyon in New Zealand

A journey (in) to Harwoods Hole

GET THE KNOWLEDGE

Exciting changes in the ICOpro Canyoneer Photographer program

The first and only photography course in the world dedicated to canyoning sees upgrades in its content to support the development of the sport worldwide.

GET THE KNOWLEDGE

Be a real pro

Increase your value, be a professional!

One solution for your communication

Be professional to the end!

GET THE KNOWLEDGE

Want to stay up to date with the latest news?

Customer Care

My Account

Phone number:

Working hours:

E-mail us: