Switzerland, respectively www.ferroviedellostato.it (or www.trenitalia.com) and www.sbb.ch.
By car
Anyone intending to drive from the UK or northern Europe should bear in mind that the journey time from Calais to Biasca, in the Ticino region, is about nine hours (if you’re lucky), and involves nearly 1000km of driving and multiple toll booths. Val d’Ossola, Lake Como and the southern Dolomites are about one, two and four hours further on respectively.
Getting around
For most areas, a car is essential given that most canyons are accessed by minor mountain roads not served by public transport. It is often better (and frequently necessary) to have two cars for shuttling people between start and finish, where a long walk would otherwise be necessary. Some canyoners opt for a car and bicycle. On busier roads hitch-hiking may be an alternative to two cars, and is generally quite easy in the Alps. The distance of any shuttle-run is given in the route description for each canyon to help you decide at a glance whether one or two cars are needed. Canyoning by public transport is only a possibility in Ticino, which has a frequent and reliable bus service and where canyons are close to main roads but the buses aren’t cheap.
Almost all the motorways, or autostrada, in Italy are toll roads, and toll booths are reasonably frequent. Cash and credit cards are accepted. There are no toll booths in Switzerland, but all cars driving on motorways (recommended to reduce driving times) are required to have an annual toll sticker, or vignette, displayed in the windscreen. These can be purchased at the border for a modest sum and are valid for 14 months, from 1 December to 31 January the following year. See the Swiss Federal Customs Administration website (www.ezv.admin.ch) for prices.
It is also worth noting that Italian sign-posting is frequently inadequate and inconsistent. Having a sat nav can significantly reduce the amount of time driving aimlessly back and forth!
The approximate driving times and distances between the four areas are given below.
Walk-in along Valle di Darengo (Route 44 at the north of Lake Como) (photo: Simon Flower)
Waymarking, access routes and maps
Approach walks vary from the very straightforward to the virtually invisible or physically brutal. Some approach walks make use of existing walkers’ paths (many of which are numbered in the Italian Alps); others have breathed new life into paths that would otherwise have crumbled away. Splashes of paint are frequently used to make route-finding easier, although the sight of paint should not necessarily reassure you that you’re on the right track. One marker that can be trusted though is the distinctive Associazione Italiana Canyoning (AIC) emblem – a blue spot on a white background (Italy only).
Owing to these route-finding difficulties, a necessarily detailed walk-in description is given in this guide for each canyon, along with a sketch map. Be warned that things change. Depending on a canyon’s popularity, a walk-in may become more or less obvious over time, or may change altogether if a preferred route is found. Access rights change over time too, so what may be freely accessible now may be out of bounds by the time you arrive. Seek local advice if uncertain.
Access to canyons can be complicated – if in doubt (in Italy) look out for the AIC marker (photo: Simon Flower)
Detailed topographic maps are usually unnecessary, but those wishing to buy them will find details in the ‘Practicalities’ section near the start of each regional chapter. They will certainly be needed if you wish to do any walking or via ferrata in the area. On the other hand, a good road map is very useful (1:200,000 or better). There are many such maps available, but perhaps the most convenient are the 1:200,000 Touring Club Italiano maps. These cover the whole area of this guidebook in just two sheets: ‘Lombardia’ (which covers Val d’Ossola, Ticino and Lake Como) and ‘Veneto-Friuli Venezia Giulia’ (which covers the Dolomites, and Carnia and the Julian Alps).
The risks of canyoning
Although most trips will pass trouble free, accidents do happen. Understanding the risks can help prevent accidents and prepare for their eventuality.
High water
Drowning remains the number one cause of death when canyoning. Sudden flooding is the main culprit (see ‘Sudden flooding’, below), and in addition many people underestimate water levels even before committing themselves to a descent. Prolonged periods of rain or a wet spring mean that the canyons will be wetter than normal in the summer, thus increasing their difficulty above the grade quoted in this guidebook. Get an idea of the water levels in the area before attempting more difficult canyons. Keep an eye on the weather a week or two before you arrive, and bear in mind that the flow rate in dam-regulated rivers may change over time (see Route 54 Grigno or Variola Inferiore, in Route 4, for a case in point). Comparing current flow rates in rivers with historical data is a useful trick, but such data is hard to find and will not be easy to access when abroad. For Ticino, hydrological data is available at www.bafu.admin.ch.
An unavoidable soaking in Clusa Inferiore (Route 59 in the Belluno Dolomites)
The main white-water hazards are turbulent plunge-pools. The high air content in white water renders it very difficult to remain afloat or swim in, while downward currents at the base of waterfalls and at the pools’ edges can actively drag a person underwater. Such hazards are better avoided than tackled head on. This can be achieved either by jumping clear of the danger (a solution with obvious risks) or by manipulating the abseil trajectory using deviations or guided abseils (see ‘Canyoning rope techniques’, below). Strong currents elsewhere may sweep people over waterfalls or dash them against rocks. If carried by the current, lying on your back, feet downstream, will reduce the chance of serious injury. Watch out for siphons, potentially lethal hazards that lurk hidden among submerged boulders. The gaps between the boulders create strong currents which can suck body parts in, trapping people underwater.
Sudden flooding
Flooding can be caused by heavy or prolonged rain, snow-melt, or the release of an upstream dam. It is important to assess the risk of each before setting out. If waters rise seek high ground (dry vegetation and trees are a good sign) and wait. Do not be tempted to push on downstream until water levels have returned to normal.
Rainfall
Significant rainfall is brought about by frontal systems and afternoon storms. Fronts may bring prolonged periods of rain to large areas of the Alps, whereas afternoon storms are short-lived and very localised, but frequently severe. The latter are brought about by cumulonimbus clouds, which develop from ordinary cumulus clouds as moist air rises throughout the day, a process accelerated by high temperatures and mountain relief. These storms are more common in northern Italy and Ticino than anywhere else in the Alps, owing to the moist, warm Mediterranean air travelling up from the south. Unlike fronts, which are easy to predict, forecasting afternoon storms is difficult. It is therefore vital to get
