Looking for the ultimate outdoor adventure to Southeastern France ?

Very often, sportsmen challenge their selves and push their limits one step further. Indeed, sport is a discipline that requires people to get out of their comfort zone to progress. This is because the only way for one to progress is by trying new movements, apllying new technics, in other words, doing new things. These new things can take the form of running 10 extra miles, passing from 6c to 7a in rock climbing or even attempting to qualify for a new competition.

However once in a while, sportsmen go even beyond these notions…

Base jumper and wingsuiter Warren Verboom has done it. Indeed, he has proven that his experience in the domain of extreme aerial sports can be used in other sports. He tried to apply the confidence, endurance and precision he has obtained throughout the year in canyoneering. Canyoneering is a sport that requires endurance, self-control, technic, a bit of precision and the ability to resist against cold water. Warren started to realize extremely precise acrobatic jumps in various canyons over the world. The combination of diving, abseiling, sliding and gymnastics may have brought to being a new kind of sport. This sport today is known as freestyle canyoneering. A concrete example of how Warren pushed canyoneering to another level is click here to see the jump. this insane jump he realized a year ago. The jump he performed was extremely precise as he flew on a 7-meter distance, 14 meters above the rather narrow water pool he was aiming for.

But what is canyoneering at its basis?

Canyoneering consists of evolving down a canyon alone or with a group. A canyon is a steep-sided passage in the middle of a gorge, in an environment shaped by the water erosion. It can be very vertical, and include obstacles such as waterfalls, waterslides, natural water pools and siphons. To pass over those obstacles, people are equipped with neoprene swimsuits with a bump-protection and adhesive matter on the knees and the elbows. Also, they wear a helmet, to protect from shocks and from rock falls. The last pieces of equipment that they wear are a boulder, with two lead ropes and tool to do abseiling, and a bag, used to carry ropes and refreshments. The goal of canyoneering is to strengthen one’s endurance, precision and self-confidence. It is also the occasion to enjoy the view that these natural formations have built with the centuries. Many spots over the world are getting famous as canyoneering becomes more and more popular. In France for instance, the Verdon and the French Riviera hide more than 200 canyons of all sort. If you are curious to know more about the various canyons in the South of France, here is a Canyoning in the South East of France network of canyoneering instructors located at Castellane