Canyoning consists of descending a depression made up of torrents, rivers and gorges that are more or less narrow and deep, with or without the presence of water, waterfalls and/or subvertical parts. It is practised in canyons and ravines, in the middle of nature, and requires progression and overcoming obstacles by means of physical exercises such as walking, swimming, jumping, sliding down slides and steep slopes, abseiling and other rope techniques. It is a sport that can be a risky activity, so it is important to practise it on routes equipped according to the standards of CANYONISME – Normes de classement technique des espaces et itinéraires or those of the federation.
For regions lacking this type of specific natural environment, Amusement Logic designs and builds Canyoning Parks, adventure parks that imitate the canyons and gorges found in nature. By means of theming and the study of the terrain’s orography, Canyoning Parks offer routes of varying difficulty, with abseiling in aquatic and dry areas, rock slides, jumps into pools, escape routes and easy rescue, all with the aim of creating an experience that is as real as it is safe for the user. They are therefore spaces that can be used for the leisure of the general public and for the exercise of sportsmen and women who are starting out and/or training in this discipline.
On the other hand, Canyoning Parks help to mitigate the impact of human presence in natural environments. In this respect, the University of Zaragoza presented a study on the repercussion of the activity on the macroinvertebrates that inhabit the river bed (insects, molluscs, crustaceans, etc.), under the title Evaluation of the impact of canyoning and the recovery capacity of the aquatic communities of the Sierra y Cañones de Guara Natural Park. This study detected a significant decrease in the ecological quality index, a reduction in biodiversity, damage to rock vegetation, a decrease in pH and the presence of human-caused bacteria in the environment caused by canyoning. With the construction of this type of adventure parks, the Canyoning Parks, we contribute to reduce the impact of human presence in this type of natural environment.
By Juan Guardiola Cutillas, architect in Amusement Logic’s Architecture Dept.
