Are you sporty and do you like being in the midst of nature (but above all in the water)? From April / May to September / October, when the rivers are full of water, the "season" of rafting, del canyoning (torrentismo), del kayak e dell’hydrospeed in many locations in Lombardy and neighboring regions, all of them easily reachable from Milan. You can take a beautiful trip out of town with friends in Valsesia, rather than in Valtellina or Garda, having fun doing sports and being in the midst of an often uncontaminated nature. I have done rafting (also in other parts of the world) and canyoning several times and I loved it! I emphasize (for the cowardly) that they are not necessarily extreme sports. There are different difficulty levels for all abilities and degrees of training. The only thing that cannot be missing is a good level of aquaticity (that is, you must know how to stay afloat and possibly know how to swim). But what exactly are these disciplines? AND where can you go rafting or canyoning starting from Milan?
Where to go rafting and canyoning near Milan
Rafting in Lombardy
- Water Rafting Lombardia (Valtellina)
- Rafting Lombardy (Valtellina)
- Aqua (Ticino)
- Garda Canyon (Lake Garda and Lake Idro)
Rafting in Piedmont
- Monrosa Rafting (Valsesia)
- Sesia Rafting (Valsesia)
What is rafting?
Rafting is a river descent on a particular unsinkable and self-emptying inflatable boat called "raft". The crew (made up of 6/8 people plus a guide usually) steers the boat between the rapids thanks to the paddles. There are different degrees of difficulty (and duration of the route) depending on the river you choose. The required equipment (which is always provided by the centers) are: wetsuit, helmet, paddle and rope. In medium and difficult levels, if you do some wrong maneuvers, you can also fall into the water, but it is quite rare.
What is canyoning (or canyoning)?
Canyoning (or canyoning in Spanish) consists in the descent on foot along canyons, crossed by streams. A canyoning route takes place inside gorges deeply carved into the rock, generally characterized by a certain slope. The obstacles along the descent therefore consist of waterfalls, rock jumps, slides, flooded corridors, and ponds, and it is therefore impossible to go back using the same route. The exit from the canyon occurs only at the end of the canyon or at some loopholes, if any. The route often includes jumps (in the lakes) or descents in double rope along waterfalls or small walls. Also in this case, there are routes of different difficulties. The required equipment (which is always provided by the centers) are: wetsuit, boots / shoes, helmet and neoprene gloves.
What is hydrospeed?
Hydrospeed is a discipline that consists in speeding down the rapids of a river with the help of a floating support (a kind of aquatic bob called precisely hydrospeed) and a pair of fins. You descend by swimming in relatively narrow streams (sometimes with a slope), following or contrasting the current of the river. However, you are accompanied by a guide who follows you along the way. The required equipment (which is always provided by the centers) are: wetsuit, helmet, fins and hydrospeed.
What is Kayaking?
Il kayak is a type of canoe originally used by the Eskimos and it differs from the canoe proper (or Canadian canoe) to be conceived for use in propulsion and to be maneuvered with a double-blade paddle. The kayaks that are used to descend the rapids of a river / stream are quite short (max 2,5 meters) so that they can offer maximum maneuverability. The required equipment (which is always provided by the centers) are: wetsuit and helmet.
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