CANYONEERING (ALSO CALLED CANYON DESCENDING) CONSISTS OF DESCENDING RIVERS BY COMBINING THE TECHNIQUES OF CLIMBING, CAVING AND SWIMMING. THIS ACTIVITY IS EXPERIENCING A SPECTACULAR POPULARITY BECAUSE OF THE BEAUTY OF ITS ROUTES AND THE IDEAS OF TRUE ADVENTURE.

Cliff descending is an activity with a history. References can be found that indicate that the Frenchmen who were the first to descend the water canyons "for pleasure" at the beginning of the twentieth century. They discovered a multitude of possibilities provided within this activity in the Guara Mountain Range (Huesca) and lifted this sport onto a new level. This has become one of the most adventurous sports activities and now has an incresed number of followers.
Canyoneering is usually practiced in mountain zones and that is why it is important to have a good understanding of special techniques such as abseiling. Walking, swimming, jumping or diving into sump waters which are some of the adventures of this activity. For the canyon descent it is necessary to have an instructor to help you correctly fit the safety harnesses and to relay ropes on the "walls" raised by nature. The instructors or guides supervise the correct use of the equipment and ensure your safety. Due to the complexity of this activity, a descent should never be started on your own. The technique usen on the cliffs comes from climbing, caving and water rafting. There will be a lot of walkings as you navigate the descent.
Málaga, due to ist own geological identity, is an appropiate area to practice canyoneering. There are many places inland which are tuned to this activity.

The Cambullón de Vélez.
This extraordinary cliff os located right in the middle of the Ronda mountain range. To travel there we need to take the exit at kilometre 136, the Ronda-San Pedro de Alcántara road. You cannot miss it because there is a sign announcing the entrance to "Sierra de las Nieves". Once you have taken this exit, we follow the Cortijo de Los Quejigales signs. Then, we head towards Tolox. After a short distance, we will see the sign "Pinsapo de la Escalereta". Here we will leave the cars and walk down to a water-course which will take us to the River Cambullón. The descent to the river takes about 45 minutes and it is very steep.
The descent begins with a gentle downwards gradient. The firts obstacle is avoidable from the left but we will soon hit the deepest abseil of the descent, which is 15 metres high. When starting the descent, we will reach the most beautiful area, with a series of abseils ranging from 7 to 10 metres in height. The journey along the riverbed, amongst oleanders and other vegetation species, will bring us to a large deep water pool.

Del Chorro Cliff.
This cliff is in the municipality of Ardales and located at the River Guadalhorce, at the natural spt of the Los Gaitanes Gorge. The route is only 2 kms long. The first 400 metres pass through a canyon that can only be crossed over almost throughout its total length by swimming.
Next, the route opens out and we enter a wide zone where for 1.5 km we can make progress using the riverbed or simply by walking along the shore.
The final section passes through huge thick "walls" 250 metres high. This is an impressive area which take us up to a 15 metre jump. The jump drops us into the reservoir of the Tajo de la Encantada.

Moreno Cliff.
This is located in la Axarquía, on the way to Competa, next to the Cortijo del Daire. The route is simple and it usually maintains a steady strong flow.
The lush vegetation can make it difficult to pass along the riverbed. On the first section, we will find the major obstacles, (the last one of them is 20 m high, on a pretty waterfall). Later, we will have more open sections, without any technical difficulty and very beautiful.

The devil abyss.
This "devil" cliff is outlined by the Genal valley and River de la Zúa, in and enclave of the locality of Júzcar. The name given to the abyss, that is "devil", may have been adopted due to the shady narrow area.
The cliff passes through cork oaks, gall oaks, willows, wickers and perhaps a poplar or two. The fig trees stand out on the steep sides and from the numerous hanging lianas. The first section is difficult because of the tangle of vegetation but the vegetation thins out and we can enjoy a descent with indescribable landscapes.

The Buitreras Gorge.
From "El Colmenar" we enter the canyon of the Buitreras Gorge. This cliff is the result of the impressive erosion caused by the River Guadiaro between the Grazalema and Ronda Mountain Ranges. This spot forms part of the natural park of Los Alcornocales (Cork oak trees), which comprises in part of the province of Cádiz and Málaga.
To gain access to the gorge after the first long tunnel that we discover on our way, it will be necessary to swim the first section. The socalled "Puente de los Alemanes" (The Germans' Bridge) marks the place where the canyon walls rise and the difficulty increases. Thus, the most ope galleries, where the light enters almost directly, combine with sections that are a litle dark and where headlights will be very useful to us. On the route, abseiling can be practised, some deep water pools can be crossed over by swimming and, even, jumping can be performed from some of the highest points onto other levels of the canyon.

 

 

Recommended equipment:
Neoprene outfit and gloves; neoprene socks and suitable canyoneering boots; watertight container for food and other instruments, such as headlights, a torch, batteries and a first aid kit; security harness and karabiners; an officially approved helmet; strings, a hammer and a caving drill.

Considerations:
If you are not an expert, look for a specialised company that provides experience and security; furthermore, if you want to learn or perfect your techniques you can take a course with these companies. You must never go on your own.
Check if the equipment to be used is in perfect condition. Also check the weather forecast.