canyoner

A canyoner is a person who practices canyoneering (also called canyoning), a pursuit that involves traveling through canyons using a combination of hiking, scrambling, climbing, rappelling, and swimming. Canyoning can range from non-technical walks through dry gorges to complex, vertical descents in water-filled slot canyons.

Typical environments include slot canyons, river gorges, and waterfall-lined ravines in arid and alpine regions worldwide. Popular destinations include parts of the western United States, the Alps, the Pyrenees, and Madeira, each offering different technical and water-related challenges.

Common equipment used by canyoners includes helmets, harnesses, ropes, appropriate footwear, waterproof or thermal clothing, and personal flotation devices where needed. Technical skills frequently required are ropework and anchor techniques, knot tying, route finding, group management, and cold-water survival awareness. Experience with weather assessment and flash-flood risk is especially important.

Canyoneering carries inherent hazards such as sudden flooding, hypothermia, rockfall, and complex rescue scenarios. Many practitioners take formal training through guiding services, outdoor schools, or local clubs; certification and guide-led trips can reduce risk. Legal and environmental considerations include access restrictions, permit requirements, and Leave No Trace principles to protect delicate canyon ecosystems and water sources.

Terminology varies—canyoneer, canyoner, and canyoning are commonly used—and the activity has evolved from exploratory climbs and river travel into a structured outdoor discipline with established safety practices and professional guiding services.