Adaptive Canyoning: Tours for People with Disabilities

Canyoning experiences should be accessible to everyone, regardless of physical ability, and it is based on this conviction that we developed adaptive canyoning. The guiding principle is to adapt the tour to the person, rather than the other way around: We always start with a personal consultation, during which we work together to determine what support is needed, which canyon is suitable, and how the experience will be tailored. Our philosophy puts people first, and over 25 years of canyoning experience give us the flexibility to responsibly implement customized solutions. This page explains how adaptive tours work, who this program is intended for, and how the consultation process works.

Every adaptive tour begins long before the day of the tour, starting with a detailed consultation. During this consultation, we discuss openly and together what kind of disability is present, what kind of support would be appropriate, what kind of experiences the participant is hoping for, what prior experiences they have, and which canyon—with its specific passages—is the best fit. Based on this, our certified guides plan the tour individually, adjusting the pace, providing additional assistance, selecting alternative routes at specific points, and using the safety techniques best suited to the situation. Honesty is an integral part of this process, as clear communication is central to our company philosophy; if a desired tour isn’t feasible, we’ll address this openly and work together to find an alternative that works. Time plays a central role in all of this, and time is at the heart of our program, because all purelements tours are conducted without any time pressure. Accompanying persons, family members, or assistants are expressly welcome to participate so that the experience can be shared. The purelements Safety Concept page details how our overall safety philosophy is structured.

Adaptive tours are only made possible by the expertise behind the scenes. Our founder, Thomas Waibel, has been professionally guiding guests through canyons since 1999 and trains canyoning guides worldwide; this knowledge flows directly into the planning of challenging, specialized tours. All guides are certified by professional associations and trained in rope techniques, meteorology, communication, and geology; the guide-to-guest ratio is typically a maximum of eight guests per guide and is reduced as needed for adaptive tours. The complete range of specialized equipment from Edelrid—from wetsuits to shoes—is included in the package and is tailored to each individual situation. The organizational framework is provided by our ISO 21101 Safety Management System for Adventure Tourism, which is certified company-wide and mandates documented procedures for planning, execution, and emergencies. Regarding costs, we provide a transparent quote following the consultation, as the level of support required varies from person to person. For groups that wish to determine the entire program themselves, the adaptive format pairs well with a private canyoning guide for their own tour.