As one of the founder of Extreme Canyoning Team Serbia, I am very happy that various magazines are promoting this extreme sport that is still expanding world wide. Canyoning is breathtaking activity that every person should try at least once in a lifetime, and our team would be very glad to provide support during canyon tours. Astonishing pictures combinig rough ground terrain and bodies of water can be seen in February issue of Travel Magazine.

ACTIVE HOLIDAYS IN NATURE

Spring is ideal time for adventures in nature. So in this issue we are presenting you a young sport which attracts more fans in Serbia and all over the world – both professionals (mountain climbers, cavers, and extreme sports) and amateurs of all ages and level of physical fitness. Many of you probably never heard of canyoning and, if you think you know what this sport means, the first association will be rafting (rafting) or walk along the riverbed in a beautiful gorge. Canyoning is actually a sport or extreme sport which involves technical passage through the canyon, mostly with climbing, caving and diving equipment.
But do not let these words scare you. Canyons can be extremely difficult to pass, but also extremely easy, and the emphasis in the canyoning is primarily in aesthetics, fun and adventure, not a technical difficulty. If you have experienced guides who will adjust the intensity of challenges to your affinity and opportunities, recreational tours of the canyon will be the ultimate winning experience. In winning the minor canyon you will not need any professional equipment. As the most inaccessible and out of reach of most people, the canyons are an oasis of untouched nature, that water is formed over a long period of time. Fascinating scenes of stone sculptures, waterfalls, kettles, basins, traps, sinks, narrow corridors and gaps, an amphitheater and terraces, will leave you speechless. Due to the specific micro ecosystem of canyons, you’ll be able to see unusual and rare plant and animal species, most of which are frogs, lizards and fish. If you look carefully, you’ll see the occasional bird of prey in their hidden nest. The trees, which often grow on rocks in the middle of impossible places, will serve as the most reliable support (anchor) for equipment setup.
Techniques used in this sport are: controlled descent down the rope (abzajl), walking in the water and exposed ground, climbing, swimming, jumping into the water and squeezing through narrow gaps. Orientation is extremely important to find a route and enter the canyon, but also to exit the canyon, because they are mainly found in hidden and remote places outside the groomed trails. This is why beginners should not be encouraged to engage themselves in the adventure of the conquest of the canyon unless they are accompanied by experienced climbers and cavers involved in canyoning. You must never forget that in addition to the natural beauty of breathtaking canyons, they are also characterized by numerous dangers which can properly confront professionals only.

In these dynamic environments weather conditions are changing rapidly and unforeseen situations occur, so be aware of freezing injury, jamming the rope, losing pieces of equipment and things alike. That’s why are recommended only guided tours. Canyons in the region until recently were completely unknown, but past several years, with increasing popularity of canyoning, the situation began to change. The most popular is the spectacular canyon Nevidio, located on the slopes of Durmitor in Montenegro, which is available only during certain periods of the year. In Serbia, the most important canyon is Tribuca near Bajina Basta, which will be available in spring for commercial tours.Also known by the canyons in this region are Macedonia and Slovenia. In the rest of the world those are France (especially Corsica, whose nickname is Canyon Island), Greece, Italy, New Zealand, Australia, USA, Jordan and other countries.
For information about canyoning in Serbia and abroad, as well as the equipment required for this sport, you can visit the site of the Extreme Canyoning Team: www.extremecanyoning.com, where you can find information on commercial expeditions, which will be organized from spring 2012.
Extreme Canyoning Team is a team of specially trained people, specialized in the field of the mountain climbing and extreme sports, who decided to pass all their knowledge to a wider range of people in Serbia for promoting this young and increasingly popular sport. They are trying to make as many high-quality video and photo materials on every expedition, which enable them to present us the extreme adventure and beauty of canyons in the best way, especially the hardly accessible locations. Therefore, the advice to all those who want to conquer some canyon this spring is: “Do not forget your camera!”

ABOUT THE PHOTOGRAPHER – PREDRAG VUCKOVIC

A professional photographer is one of the occupations that are related to travel to all possible and impossible places. Predrag Vuckovic, from Belgrade, is already more than a decade a professional photographer, mostly for extreme and underwater photography which takes him in unique locations around the globe. Predrag faithfully relayed to us many stories from different parts of the world such as: Antarctic, the jump to the active volcano on the Kamchatka Peninsula, the Caribbean Sea, Cayman Islands and adrenaline pleasure of diving with sharks, the United States – from East to West coast, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and the top of Mont Blanc. His photos have been published in numerous magazines worldwide. Currently working with over forty magazines and more about his work can be found on his website www.extreme-photographer.com.