Swiftwater canyoneering (also referred to as canyoning) is the art and craft of descending technical canyons through a combination of rappelling, sliding, jumping, swimming and hiking.
There is a lot of water in the Pacific Northwest. That water comes in as rain and snow, feeding our mountains, which in turn carve deep grooves in the flanks of the terrain. These grooves — filled with canyons, waterfalls and deep pools — create technical objectives for those so inclined.
Over the last several years, many intrepid explorers have applied skills found mostly in technical mountaineering and in swiftwater kayaking to explore the wild and unique places that flank the Cascade Range. Canyoning — or Canyoneering — is the technical art of exploring the deep grooves carved by water over the eons. Swiftwater Canyoning, is the art of doing this when there is water actively moving in this terrain. This requires an expert level of knowledge in several technical fields.
The Pacific Northwest has become known as a world-class place to develop swiftwater canyoning skills. People come from all over the globe to explore the wild and wet canyons of Oregon, Washington and Southwest British Columbia. That is why AAI’s Swiftwater Canyoning program is based in the North Cascades of Washington State.
AAI’s program introductory program provides participants with the base-line skills that they need to explore these canyons. Participants experience classic swiftwater canyons, while also developing the judgement and skill to participate in this sport on their own…
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