Considering going canyoning or rappelling? Here are our recommendations before you step over the precipice of your first descent.
- Let us manipulate your gear – that’s what we’re here to do as the guides, so don’t worry about figuring things out, and please don’t unclip things and reclip things. You probably know this already, but we just have to note it down anyway.
- As you go down set your feet about shoulder width (maybe a tiny bit more) apart and have a little bend in your knees. This gives you a dynamic position with the best balance and sets you up for any moments on the descent where your balance feels shaky.
- Have the full sole of your footing in contact with the surface – whether rock or looser material, having the full surface of your shoe in contact with the descent surface will give you the best grip. A simple matter of surface area and friction. This means don’t use the toes or the ball of your foot only – but the whole foot.
- Try to have your leg at a 90 degree angle with the surface of descent – so if you’re going down a purely vertical slope, your legs are going to be parallel to the ground. Modify this angle based on the slope degree by sitting back in your harness (not necessarily leaning, but sitting) in order to get the best match of angles. Doing so will give you the best contact with the sole of your foot and the least likelihood of having a foot slip.
- Look down either between your legs or around your legs as you go down to see where you’re putting your feet and select each placement. It’s no race, so take your time and test your footing as you go.
- If a foot slips on the descent, don’t be afraid to get a hand out to help stabilize you. We’re there adding tension to your rope and we will add more tension if you remove your hands to prevent you from continuing to descend. Once you’ve got your footing again, we’ll add a little slack into your line and you can once again start to control your descent.
We’ll always give you these instructions as well, right before the first descent, but just in case you like to come pre-prepared, you’re now all set.
Sometimes the first descent will be a little nerve-wracking (because, you know – heights), but if you follow these steps above, you’ll arrive to the bottom feeling like you can take on the world. And after that, the rest will get progressively easier and you’ll get more and more fluid with it as you go.
After a few rappels you’ll settle right in and you’ll realize that all of a sudden, you’re deep in primary rainforest, exploring in pure nature and getting the best forest-bathing experience possible.