Coasteering, Canyoning & Gorge Walking

Nothing! Call it canyoning or canyoneering, it's the same thing.

UKCA - the United Kingdom Canyoning Association oversees training and safety for companies offering canyoning, gorge walking and coasteering experiences and courses around the UK.

Gorge walking is moving up, through and across natural valleys (you might also call them chines or cloughs) with water running through them. Canyoning is a more extreme sport that involves abseils and jumps to go through deepest gorges. The main thing to note is that in canyoning you're always heading down and the steeper it is, the more extreme it is!

Coasteering takes place (unsurprisingly!) on the coast and can be a hike or a traverse across the rocky cliffs and may include some swimming and diving into the deep blue sea.

Canyoning is the scariest by far. It's much steeper and deeper than gorge walking. Coasteering is on a par with gorge walking, but with the added twist of being next to the big open seas.

Oh yes! There is no avoiding getting wet on these experiences.

You will need to feel physically fit and ready for climbing, scrambling, jumping, crawling and more when you go coasteering, gorge walking or canyoning.

You'll need a suitable wetsuit, a helmet and a buoyancy aid, but don't worry all this gear is provided for you by the centre.

Make sure you are wearing swim gear under the wetsuit and maybe a rash vest too (that's a top that's not made from cotton to go over swimwear and under wetsuit). You also need a change of clothes and a towel to dry yourself off.

Yes. These sessions are all about the fun fear factor with no pressure. Everything will be explained to you in advance and the instructors will be right by your side to encourage but not push you out of your comfort zone too much. On gorge walking in particular, if there are modules you don't fancy doing, you can miss them out. It's not so often the case with canyoning, as you are heading down the fast flowing water all the time and there may not be a place to get out.