Offers of Canyoning Conwy

Canyons are the places where the unstoppable force of water meets the immovable object of rock. The interaction of these natural phenomena creates the scene for some of the most extreme outdoor adventures out there - canyoning and gorge walking. You’ll squeeze through narrow rock passages, slide down water chutes, scramble over boulders and jump into plunge pools. To find these adventures, you need to go to the mountains, where the downward flow of rainwater and snowmelt carves deep ravines into the landscape. Conwy sits at the gateway to Snowdonia National Park, home of the highest mountains in England and Wales. It’s the perfect starting point for a trip up into the mountains, and down again through a canyon.

Canyoning adventures in Conwy are advertised as canyoning and gorge walking. There’s no fixed, blog definition of the difference between the two, but a good rule of thumb is that canyoning requires a harness and the use of ropes, while gorge walking doesn’t. Another difference is that gorge walking can involve going up ravine, against the flow, or downstream with the water, whereas canyoning is almost always downstream. The activities can take place in similar locations, and from here you can easily reach a number of fantastic natural adventure playgrounds to enjoy this activity.

Where are the best places to go canyoning in Conwy?

• Afon Ddu: Meaning black river in the Welsh language, the Afon Ddu descends from the peaks and uplands of the Carneddau mountains. At the edge of Snowdonia National Park it cuts through a gorge to meet the River Conwy near the village of Dolgarrog. This is an accessible location, which you can scramble up or travel down, and most of the obstacles can be avoided if they look a bit too intimidating. But the rewards for taking on the challenge are impressive waterfalls, opportunities for climbing and beautiful forested surroundings.

• Afon Llugwy: There are two spots for canyoning on this river which runs parallel to the Afon Ddu, at Mincer and Swallow Falls. The latter is a short route over a series of waterfalls, while Mincer is longer but with opportunities to exit the canyon along the route.

• Maentwrog: In the heart of Snowdonia, the canyoning becomes more extreme. Maentwrog Gorge is great for a descent. There are times when it’s hard to stay out of the water, so our advice is to get stuck in until you have the chance to complete some jumps. These build from small hops to huge 10 metre plunges, and the experience culminates with a zip line descent across the face of a waterfall.

• Ffestiniog: Not far from Maentwrog is Cwm Cynfal near Ffestiniog, the trickiest canyon in the area. Part of the challenge is that, once you’re in, it’s hard to get out without following the route to the end. This is not for the fainthearted, or those unfamiliar with using ropes and some climbing techniques, but it’s regarded as one of the best canyoning routes in the whole of Wales and is well worth the effort. Dark rocks, white water and green mosses make up the scenery, while abseils, jumps and squeezes make up the action.

Options for organising a trip

In order to enjoy this sport in this area of Wales, you need a guide. Whether you book a group session or tailor a private session to your own needs, you need their local knowledge, safety expertise and kit to make your way up or down a canyon. The length of canyoning and gorge scrambling activities varies according to the location that you’ve chosen, with the shortest routes taking between 1 and 2 hours to complete, and longer ones lasting up to 3.5 or 4 hours.

This sport is great fun, and it’s a way to see the landscape from a completely new perspective, but you don’t want to spend all day down in a gorge when Conwy has so much natural beauty to enjoy. It’s easy to combine this sport with other outdoor activities here, what popular options being climbing and abseiling, or even coasteering on the coast of the Irish Sea.

Requirements to do this activity

Taking into consideration the relative difficulty of different activities, the guides in Conwy will take people of certain ages and abilities for each one. In general, gorge walking activities are more family friendly, and you can find some that are suitable for children as young as 7 years old, while other locations are an option for all those over 9 or 10 years old. When it comes to canyoning, there are no routes for children under 10, and the more difficult routes, like the Maentwrog Gorge or Cwm Cynfal, are reserved for those over 14 years of age.

Whichever route you choose to take, you need to be able to swim if you want to join an excursion. Although you’ll have a lifejacket, and you won’t be in deep water for much of the route, it’s important that you’re comfortable in water.

What do you need to bring with you the day of the experience?

What watersports can you think of that don’t involve some kind of boat or board? Apart from this one, there aren’t many water based adventures that are so light on equipment, and on top of that, you’ll be provided with most of what you do need by your guide. They’ll give you a wetsuit and buoyancy aid to keep you warm and safe in the water, and a helmet to protect you in these rocky environments. You just need to bring a swimsuit to wear under the wetsuit and a pair of trainers that will stay on your feet and keep their traction even in and around the water. The guides also ask that you bring a pair of old shorts to go over the wetsuit and prevent it from getting damaged when you slide over rocks or sit down to catch your breath. And here, the water can be cold, so make sure that you have a towel and a full set of dry clothes to put on after the activity.

We’re sure that this is going to be your new passion, so don’t hesitate to book an adventure with us.