Saturday 27 / Sunday 28th

Deer Canyon

Well what a cracker weekend! With temps over 30 degrees both days last weekend, conditions for canyoning were perfect.

A large number excited canyoners made the most of the conditions at our Kusatsu/Kuni-mura base, enjoying the spectacular Deer Canyon for the first time.

Deer Canyon is one of our best courses, with lots of BIG waterfalls, jumps and technical ropework. The scenery and native bush is amazing with incredible views of Mt Shirane (Volcano) as you descend the Canyon. If you like em big, then Deer Canyon is a MUST!

The other BIG attraction with our Kusatsu/Kuni-mura base is the huge selecton of hot springs in the area. Just 5 mins from the goal point of the full day course is Shiriyaki Onsen (Burning Bum). A natural hot spring which permeates into a cool river to produce the perfect temperature (contradictory to the name)

[Above - An excited customer learning the correct rappelling technique]

[Below- Looking down from the top of the first 35m waterfall (Murder Falls) in Deer Canyon, Kusatsu. This is a unique waterfall with the water hitting a bump halfway down creating an impressive "rooster tail" to rappell under.]

[Below - Half way down Awadachi Taki (Foaming Falls)]

[Below - At the top of one of the larger slides in Deer Canyon]

Deer Canyon has both half day and full day options with over 7 large waterfalls descended on the full day.

The full day offers more challenges; rappelling by yourself (safety backup in place) down some BIG waterfalls (35m+), BIG slides (15m+) and BIG jumps (10m+).
Kusatsu full day canyoning

For those with not enough time to spare the half day offers ample adrenaline with 4 waterfalls varying from 7m - 30m, slides, jumps and some nice swim sections. If you are not so good with heights or have someone in your group that wants to take it easy, then the half day can be customized to make each option easier. Instead of rappelling yourself, you can be lowered down slowly, instead of jumping you can be lowered down slowly.....you get the jist.

Kustatsu 1/2 day canyoning

Saturday 20th / Sunday 21st June

CANYONING SEASON IS HERE!

After a few days of rain late last week the water level in the canyons were perfect for canyoning over the weekend.

A combination of sun and great water made for plenty of huge smiles over the weekend, as our guides made the most of the conditions.

FOX CANYON
Fox Canyon was pumping on the weekend! Big water and Big smiles everywhere.

Fox is our most popular half day canyoning tour and with good reason. It has a little bit of everything that makes canyoning great. Jumps, slides, swims, rope-work.... It is a great fist time canyon for groups of varying abilities and thrill levels. Those that want to push it harder have some more difficult options. Those who want to take it easy can be given easier options.

Full Day Canyoning
Recently we have seen a increase in people seeking a full day of adventure. Canyons offers a large range of different full day options, with 2 new courses added for the 2009 season. Info on these options can be found here on the web page.
Last week was a chance for the guides to visit one of the newer courses in Kusatsu and see what all the talk was about. Azur Canyon, named after the colour of the water, is a beautiful canyon with plenty of rope work and its was a great day out that we all enjoyed.

For more information on the new courses see the Fullday Canyoning page

Azure Canyons Pics

A series of different rope-work techniques are required to descend the Canyon.

Rafting continues...
Although canyoning season has hit, the rafting is still popular. Water levels were still good over last weekend with plenty of action on the river to keep our guides on their toes!

Hope to see you on the river soon!

Momiji Canyon

The water for rafting has dropped slightly in the 2 last weeks, allowing us to now run the infamous Momiji (Maple) Canyon. This is one of the best whitewater rafting sections in Japan. Continuous grade 3-4 rapids in a picturesque canyon that can only be accessed by raft.

All the guides are always phyched when all of the conditions fall into place to make for the ultimate tour. These photos were taken last weekend capture one such tour. The sun was shining and the water was the perfect level (3.1m). 7 boats loads of excited customers letting out screams of excitement as they negotiated the 3 main canyon sections of the Tone River.

Check out Minakami Rafting on the Canyons website.

The following sequence was shot at "Dynamite Rapid", the first of the big rapid section in Momiji Canyon.

If you haven't yet made it up for a Spring raft trip then get in quick as the water is likely to drop around late June. No worries if June isn't possible, as the canyoning season is really starting to crank up now with nearly all of our 16 courses up and running.
Half day Canyoning

The Guides in Yamanashi

So with the first Yamanashi Canyoning Tour of the season coming up this weekend, the guides headed down there yesterday to run the course and make sure it still lives up to its hype. It's a stunning walk in, with a path that meanders along the course so you can check out all the features you are due to face.

The start point is about an hour and a half in, when you reach the top pools, a stunning section of five waterfalls, all with perfect sliders. A dream start to a canyoning course. The falls get progressively bigger with the fifth one being a huge 20 metre drop.

Below is the fourth waterfall and slider which is at the bottom of the picture above. You get swept down the face and over a smooth lip that launches you out into the pool.

After that you come to the big one. As you sit atop this one you can't see the bottom of the waterfall but can definitely hear the water pounding down into the pool below you. You slip in to a natural chute, straight into the main flow which fires you out into the pool, and after a decent dunking, washes you out to the safety of the far bank. When you're sitting at the top you'll be wondering what you have let yourself in for and why you're doing this. By the time you are washed up at the bottom, you'll fully understand.

That is a guide's foot in mid-plummet in the picture above.

This is only the first few minutes of the tour. There is plenty more river to run after this with loads more jumps, waterfalls and sliders. We don't want to give away too much. You'll just have to give it a go yourself. Definitely big thrills and a full-on canyoning experience guaranteed.