If canyoning is what we love then canyons are what we love! And rivers, pods, pools, slides, trees, lakes, forests and mother nature. Imagine a stranger leaving garbage in your home – would you let them do it?
Leaving no trace is one of the most important gestures we can do to preserve the beauty of canyons.
We remember rappelling in some canyons in Italy not long ago, where one could furnish a whole house – a washing machine, old tires, a couch and even a car were dumped in the canyons – a sorry sight in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by green, tall trees and sharp cliffs. Other times stabling on tin cans, plastic bottles and many irrelevant items have ruined a beautiful picture, as even the slightest piece of chewing gum paper is considered trace – it doesn’t have to be a large item like the ones mentioned above.
You may think it’s not my fault that people through garbage here and there. Well, following some very simple principles could asist you and your fellow canyoners from leaving trace but only… footsteps.
Keep group size relatively small.
As you know, the safest number of canyoning team members is 5-8 people. Keeping the group size small will make each member responsible for paying attention to one another. So, in case someone accidentally forgets a piece of wrapping, a fellow canyoner can politely point it out or even collect it and put it in the waterproof barrel to dispose it at the exit.
Try to avoid peak season visiting the canyon of your preference.
During the summer months many canyons are very popular in your country. Make arrangements with mutual understanding among groups to protect and preserve the beauty of the place.
Try not to bring extra trash in your backpack.
Keep it simple. No need to take more stuff than needed. If you have the heart of collecting the trash you might encounter during canyoning try to gather as many as, not putting yourself in to trouble. Should you need some assistance ask your group nicely if someone would be inspired to pair with you and split the burden.
Prepare for all possible scenarios.
Have all the necessary equipment for your descent, some extra food and batteries for your headlamp in case of an emergency, a group pharmacy appointed to a fellow canyoner team member. By being proactive will help you in extreme conditions.
Nature is our mother! Canyons are our home! Enjoy canyoning!
