Baños, Ecuador - Pushing to the Extreme

Canyoning

I looked it up in the dictionary.  "Canyoning" (barranquismo in Spanish) is travelling down canyons using a variety of techniques that may include walking, scrambling, climbing, rappelling and swimming.  We used all those techniques and more.  It wasn't my idea, but preferable to the alternate - jumping off a bridge with a large rubber band attached to my ankles.  Tomas, our half-Ecuadorian, half-Italian guide put us at ease with his sense of humor.

We drove ten minutes east of town into the Pastaza valley and climbed up to the changing site, where we put on our wet suits and equipment.  I was at ease, expecting to panic later.  Probably right at the point where you're supposed to step to the edge of the canyon or waterfall, turn around and lean back against the rope.

I'd never been in a wet suit before.  It's a horrible feeling, like a hot straight jacket that forces your arms and legs straight.  I could barely breath when I'd zipped mine up.

Right before our safety lesson, Tomas poured a gallon of ice cold water into our wet suits through the neck hole.  He told us we'd thank him later for this.  He then taught us about rappelling.  How to loop the rope through the figure eight attached to our harness, how to hold the rope with two hands, how to release it to descend, how to signal to him with hand signals, how not to die, essentially.

We had on special shoes with grippy rubber soles and two extra safety clips that we'd use when not rappelling.

Two Ecuadorians joined us, making up a group of four rookies.  After this photo was taken, we had to climb 300 feet up the mountain.  I followed closely behind Tomas.  It's hard enough without a wet suit and heavy belt.  With them, it's ridiculous.  You're hot, constricted, slightly claustrophobic.  We stepped slowly up, stopping to catch our breath.  I was doing the calculus - each step up was a foot of descent.  So I asked.  "We'll be rappelling down five waterfalls, for a total of 275 feet." Tomas answered.

I hadn't planned to go first, I was just the closest person to Tomas once he'd secured the first rope.  Before I knew what happened, he'd looped the rope on my belt and told me to turn around and off I went.  I never had a moment of hesitation and I never looked down.  I simply focused on the training.  Keep the feet wide, focus on your steps, breathe....

It only became a bit scary when the waterfall threatened to drown me.

I was down the first fall in less than sixty seconds.  I signaled that all was ok, unhooked the rope and then it was Dodo's turn.

There was never any doubt she'd be good at it.  She doesn't seem to share my fear of heights.

With the first falls out of the way, I started to relax.  This was not going to be as bad as expected.  We even got a bit cocky at Tomas' urging.

The wet suits are miraculous - you don't feel the ice cold water at all.

The fourth fall was the longest at about 10 stories.  We used up every inch of rope to get down this one.

Our Ecuadorian team mates did well too.  Nobody hesitated or panicked.

Part of the package included photos, the guides were always setting us up in poses.

The last falls were done face front in tandem.  Dodo and I attached ourselves to the rope and Tomas lowered us down in giant gulps until we splashed down into the pool below.

I was feeling pretty good at the end.  Tomas was joking "thanks for surviving."  I feel emboldened.  Bring on the bridge jumping!  (Just kidding.)