A new way to explore this beautiful world
Canyoneering is a sport I kind of discovered by accident, but have always really enjoyed. Originally we didn't realize what we were doing was an established sport; a few friends and I would don wetsuits and make our way down rivers, climbing canyon walls and jumping into deep pools, finding caves behind waterfalls, and swimming through underwater tunnels that offered a strange combination of claustrophobia, minor panic, excitement, and awe-inspiring beauty. It was a few years before I was flipping through a magazine and discovered what we were doing was actually called canyoneering, and many people were taking it to another level.
Ice canyoneering in Kootenay National Park. Image courtesy of mountainculturegroup.com.
This morning I found an article describing a new direction in which this sport is being pushed: Ice canyoneering. Inspired by the calmer winter waters, an Alberta man began exploring areas which are inaccessible in the summer due to violent water. After teaming up with a Spillimacheen local, and with the help of ice tools, the two gentlemen are getting into some pretty cool spots.
To read more about the emergence of this new fringe sport, check out this article by Mary McIntyre.