Canyoning for Beginners: How to Make the Most of Your First Tour in the Allgäu

Your first canyon awaits, and the barriers to entry are lower than many people think. For a beginner’s tour, all you need are solid swimming skills, average everyday fitness, and a bit of curiosity; No one expects you to have prior climbing experience or a particular lack of fear of heights, because our guides will teach you all the techniques on-site. Jumps and slides are always optional; you’ll practice rappelling in a dry environment before the tour, and with a maximum ratio of eight guests per guide, everyone gets the attention they need. On this page, we’ll walk you through the requirements, the itinerary, and common beginner questions, and show you why the Starzlachklamm near Sonthofen is such a great choice for a first canyoning experience.

To be honest, the Basic Level requires less than the spectacular pictures might suggest. Being able to swim confidently and comfortably is the basic requirement, and the provided wetsuit, with its buoyancy, makes swimming noticeably easier. On top of that, you’ll need a normal level of basic fitness—the kind required for a mountain hike—since the approach to the canyon involves an uphill walk and is usually the most strenuous part of the day. Special training beforehand isn’t necessary; though those who wish to can do themselves a favor by building up some basic endurance in the weeks leading up to the tour. On the day of the tour itself, the simple things matter most: getting a good night’s sleep, eating a hearty breakfast, drinking plenty of fluids, and staying sober, since alcohol and canyoning are mutually exclusive for safety reasons; the day requires no further preparation. Pack swimwear, a towel, and a dry change of clothes; a wetsuit, helmet, harness, and Edelrid canyoning shoes are included in the tour price. All dates and online booking for your first canyoning trip are available on the page for canyoning in the Starzlachklamm near Sonthofen.

The day begins at the meeting point with the distribution of equipment and fitting of your wetsuit; your guide will help you until everything fits properly. This is followed by a detailed briefing on safety rules for the water and rock, as well as a dry-land rappelling practice, which is repeated until you feel confident; questions are definitely encouraged. Once you’ve reached the starting point, the real adventure begins, and you’ll work your way through the canyon as a group—climbing, swimming, sliding, and rappelling down waterfalls—with each challenging section explained beforehand and participation remaining optional. Common beginner mistakes are easy to avoid—such as not eating enough, trying to brake with your hands on slippery surfaces, or ignoring instructions out of overconfidence; your guide will patiently correct any of these, as our tour philosophy doesn’t involve rushing. The tour concludes with a group photo from our included photo service. For those looking to take it further after their first tour, the more challenging Schwarzwasserbach in the Kleinwalsertal is the logical next step.