What is Canyoning?
Canyoning is a sport that combines verticality with white water. It involves descending waterfalls using ropes (known as abseiling), overcoming obstacles by jumping or sliding, or even swimming through siphons. It's a white-water sport that's very refreshing in summer.
Canyoning can be done for half a day, a day or even several days on courses in Corsica, the Southern Alps, the Maritime Alps, Ticino (Switzerland) or Sierra de Guara (Pyrenees).
In the vicinity of Lake Annecy, we'll show you the great Angon canyon Waterfall, with its famous 35-metre abseil from the footbridge or from the Angon Canyon letterbox, and the Torrent of Montmin Canyon, the 'aqualand' river in the area, with its many jumps and slides, and the Pont du Diable Canyon in the Bauges nature park, a veritable sword in the rock, carving out a deep gorge through which flows the cold, pure water of the Baujus peaks.
A little further afield, there are a number of interesting and spectacular canyons, including the Grenant near Aiguebelette, the Groin near Culoz, the Chalamy Canyon in the Val d'Aoste with its crystal-clear water and red granite rock, the Ecouges in the Vercors, and the Canyon de Balme (1 hour's drive away), which is great fun and easy to get to grips with. We can take you there on request.
Do you have to be sporty to go canyoning in Annecy?
You need to be in good physical condition and be able to swim. Generally speaking, the trip takes between 1h30 and 3h00, or half a day for an outing supervised by an instructor-guide. Obviously, the greater the flow of water, the more you need to be in good physical condition.
What is the water temperature when canyoning in Annecy?
It all depends on the season, but on average the water temperature is around 10°C. Fortunately, you'll be equipped with neoprene wetsuits and booties, which provide thermal insulation for comfort in the water.
What equipment should I bring?
You'll need to bring :
- a pair of old sports shoes for walking in the water (no water shoes or open shoes)
- a swimming costume, towel and something to change into.
We provide :
- wetsuit and neoprene socks
- harness and lanyards
- Helmet
The guide has all the collective equipment needed for rescue and for descending the canyon, to guarantee you the safest possible experience.
If you don't like jumps, they are never compulsory, and we can always lower you down using the rope.
We recommend that you don't have a fear of heights or a phobia of water, and that you have a minimum of adventurous spirit to make the most of your outing.
Group sizes are between 4 and 10 people, to ensure that your adventure in this natural environment is as comfortable and friendly as possible.
How long does it take to get to the Canyons d'Annecy car parks from Annecy?
For Angon 30 minutes by car from Annecy - By bus from Annecy (20 minutes) timetable here
For Montmin 40 minutes - By bus from Annecy (30 minutes) times here
To Pont du Diable 45 minutes - No bus
For information on public transport, see the Annecy Tourist Office page.
Discover other canyons with the Bureau de Guides :
Canyoning in the Ardèche
Canyoning course in the Aiguilles de Bavella-Cors du Sud
Canyoning in the Mercantour
