40
Mar/Apr 2015
in tandem with the Kerankali canyon,
would be our playground for the next
few hours.
2. Lie back,relax:
Just another way of
getting downriver
Without further ado we set off on our
adventure, strolling down the river, by which
we mean actually strolling in the river. Paths?
Who needs them? Not us, that’s for sure. Our
first obstacle was a small slide that in retrospect
feels like it was a mere speed bump compared
with some of the others we would face. As
we’ve hinted, canyoning is basically a trip
along a canyon using gravity to make your
way down the bigger drops. Whether gravity
is utilised by sliding down the rocks, by jumping
from or abseiling down them is dependent on
the particular hazard.
The slides were anything from a couple
of feet to one brilliant natural incline that
catapulted us a few steep metres into a deep
pool below. As for the jumps – well they also
come in various shapes and sizes, from small
ledges that you can dive from, to bigger
ones where you have to pull your knees up
to your chest to avoid hitting the bottom, to
knee-knocking leaps of faith from heights that
more sensible people than us might deem
a bit stupid. If you do think they are a bit
stupid and would rather not step off,
don’t worry, there’s always the option
of abseiling down knowing that
you’re safely connected to terra
firma. But there’s little need to worry,
these canyons have been scouted
out over many years and our brilliant
instructor, Pii, knows them like the back
of his hand, to the extent he can predict the
consequences of different weather conditions.
It’s certainly an adrenalin rush, but at the same
time it gives you an opportunity to enjoy some
natural beauty way off the beaten tourist path.
The rock formations and foliage are wonderful,
but the best part for us was the way the sun
penetrated into various parts of the canyon
creating some wonderful effects. Looking into
a grotto and seeing shafts of bright sunshine
fight their way through the foliage above to
create beams of natural light was enchanting.
But it was the reflections that eclipsed even
that in terms of natural beauty. Such was the
sculpture of the earth here that under certain
conditions the light reflected off the water onto
the rocks and they would appear to have a
floating surface as a result of this curious trick of
the light.
On occasions our reverie was such that it took
us out of the moment, but more often than not
www.essential-bali.com
2