Canyoning: the best bits of gorge walking, rock climbing, wild swimming and cliff jumping combined

Niki Boyle

20 May 2014

The sport is one of the hottest new additions to the extreme/adventure activities

Canyoning has become one of the hottest new additions to the extreme sports camp. Niki Boyle grabs a wetsuit and takes the plunge

I’m standing in a pool of crystal clear water, enjoying a moment of tranquillity amid the rugged, rocky woodland of Bruar Water. Behind me thunders a 60ft waterfall, down which I’ve just abseiled. My guide, John, gestures to the breathtaking natural beauty around us, a smile plastered over his hairy face. ‘Welcome to my office.’

Canyoning is a relatively new addition to the world of outdoor adventure, a sort of hybrid activity bringing together elements of gorge walking, rock climbing, wild swimming and the time-honoured tradition of jumping off really high things into really cold water. The trip I’m on today is run by Scottish adventure specialists Nae Limits, although John tells me of an affiliated group called Canyoning Scotland who aim to take the activity beyond Nae Limits’ Perthshire, er, limits. As well as the local spots at Bruar, Trinafour and Killiecrankie, John talks excitedly of canyons currently being made accessible in Dollar and further to the west.

All this is covered as we waddle, helmet-, harness- and wetsuit-clad, to our starting point: the euphemistically named ‘acclimatisation pool’. This initial baltic dip is a shock to the system, but after a few minutes the wetsuit’s warming properties kick in and the water temperature, while hardly tropical, ceases to be of much concern.

Among the highlights of the next few hours are smooth, slippery slides down naturally formed flumes; a quick exploration of a sump (an underwater bridge to be ducked under); the aforementioned abseil; and plenty of scrambling around rocks and tree roots to undertake cliff jumps of up to 40ft. ‘Challenge by choice’ is one of John’s mantras – none of the scarier elements are mandatory, so if you’d rather relax in the shallows while other nutters hurl themselves off the high rocks, you’re welcome to do so. (Another repeated phrase is ‘It won’t tickle’ – as in, ‘Make sure you cross your arms before you hit the water – if your hands slap the surface from that height, it won’t tickle.’)

By the end of the day, I’m soaked, shivering and suffering from stinging fingers (he wasn’t kidding about that lack of ticklishness). I’m also exhilarated, feeling more alive than I have in months, with a goofy grin on my face that comes close to rivalling John’s. Not quite, of course – after all, he gets to work in this office every day.

Nae Limits, Ballinluig, near Pitlochry, Perthshire, 0845 017 8177, naelimits.co.uk