Registrations for the 2025 NSAC Canyoning are now open!
Newschool Canyoning!
Following the success of previous years, NSAC is organizing canyoning weeks again this year! Canyoning is a mountain sport where you follow the course of a river through a gorge, or “canyon.” Walking, swimming, sliding, jumping, and rappelling, you make your way through the canyon. It’s a challenging sport that requires a lot of knowledge and experience before you can descend independently. With current temperatures, being in the water during summer is also quite refreshing!
Course Content
This canyoning course is an intensive week where you’ll learn a lot about the sport while embarking on fantastic adventures. If your goal is to eventually explore canyons independently, this is the right starting point. But even for those who simply want an awesome outdoor sports week in the Alps, focused more on experience than on learning, this is a great program.
During this week, you’ll naturally learn walking, swimming, sliding, jumping, and specific rappelling techniques. You’ll learn to assess risks in canyons (terrain, conditions, human factors, using the well-known 3×3 method) and make your own trip plans. Rope techniques will be practiced on dry rock walls but will mainly be applied in the canyons. Additionally, there will be a component on whitewater swimming, which is essential in more water-rich “aquatic” canyons.
There are courses at different levels as well as a Canyon Touring Week.
Canyon 1 Entry Level Canyoning (Beginner)
Course Date: July 12-18 2025 (arrival Saturday evening)
No previous experience is required (except being able to walk, being in good physical condition and being able to swim of course…)
In this course, you will learn:
- How to move through a canyon (walking, climbing, swimming, jumping, sliding, rappelling)
- How to secure yourself in a rappel and lock your belay device while rappelling
- Rope techniques for setting up a rappel and handline
- How to analyze situations
After this, you can head out with more experienced canyoneers to gain further experience in different canyons.
Canyon 2 Technical Canyoning (Advanced)
Course Date: July 5-12 2025 (arrival Saturday evening)
To participate in this course, you must have completed a prior canyoning course. In this course, you will learn:
- Review of techniques from Course 1
- Various rescue techniques
- How to solve unforeseen problems
After this, you’ll be able to independently explore canyons up to V3A3III.
Since NSAC participants usually already have climbing and mountaineering experience, we can offer a tailored program. The material aligns with international standards and practices. Many techniques originate from France, the birthplace of canyoning, but international perspectives are also incorporated!
Canyon Touring Week
Date: August 16-23 2025
Location: Chiavenna/Ticino
For independent canyoneers, it’s fun to tackle beautiful and challenging canyons together. Mid-August is the perfect time for this. And alpine climbing and SAC weeks don’t get in the way either!
So join in and head out together. This is not a course week, but there will be guidance from NSAC to help you further develop your canyoning ambitions.
Location
The course takes place in the French department of Isère en Savoie. The Vercors and Chartreuse are reachable within an hour’s drive. These beautiful valleys offer numerous canyons at all levels. This provides the opportunity to undertake a variety of trips while practicing the learned techniques
Accommodation
We will stay at Camping L’Aventure (see here) or a campsite close to Vercors. The campsite provides cooking facilities and utensils. We’ll cook and eat together, pooling money into a shared fund. Costs are low as France is only slightly more expensive than the Netherlands. Plus, there are large supermarkets!
You need to bring your own tent, mat, sleeping bag, plate, mug, cutlery, etc.
Guidance
The program is led by Corné Brouwer (WSAC Ibex). Corné comes from the climbing world and has been active in rope work for years, whether on rock, snow, ice, or in industrial settings. He teaches courses in rock climbing, ice climbing, alpinism, rescue techniques, etc. Corné has been guiding the NSAC canyoning course for years, alongside AI Mathijs. Mathijs is handing over the reins following the birth of his daughter and a shift in focus with his canyoning business. Starting in 2025, Martijn Poot (TSAC) will assist during the courses.
Prior Knowledge
A standard part of the course is the introductory and training day in the Netherlands. This day will take place on May 24 2025 at Rocksteady Bussum. During this day, some basic canyoning principles will be covered, allowing us to make the most of our time in France.
Participation Requirements:
- Good physical condition
- Ability to swim
- No fear of heights
Although there is no selection process like for alpine courses, the same level of commitment and practice with rope techniques is expected for participation.
Attitude
Participants are expected to stay organized and proactively help with all tasks to keep the camp running smoothly. The canyoning course is not a vacation but, like all other alpine courses, a week where a high level of dedication is required.
Costs
Course price: €589 p.p.
Cheaper than other providers due to non-profit and longer course. But together with other SACcers!
The price includes:
- 7 days, of which 5.5 are guided by a canyoning instructor (Wednesday is a half-day rest, with options for rafting or cultural activities on your own)
- Use of all canyoning equipment
- Training day in the Netherlands
- Advice on purchasing canyoning equipment (www.canyonzone.nl)
The price excludes:
- Travel insurance (NKBV insurance covers canyoning!)
- Local transportation: On the introductory day, we’ll arrange local transport. It’s practical to bring a few vehicles.
- Sleeping gear (tent, mat, sleeping bag, etc.)
- Meals (€15 per day, depending on inflation; we’ll cook together). Do bring your own plate/cup/cutlery
- 7 nights’ accommodation, including tourist tax and use of cooking utensils
- Travel to and from France
Payment
To finalize your registration, you must first transfer a deposit of €150 to NSAC, account NL43 SNSB 0339 8155 07, stating: deposit (course name), (full name). For example: “Deposit Canyoning Course # First Name Last Name.” Your registration is only valid once the deposit is paid.
(See here for the general terms and conditions.)
Registration
The registrations for the Canyoning courses are now open!
You can got to this page to find the registration form.
Registrations close on April 20th at 23:59