There is never a lack of action entertainment in Zell am See-Kaprun. The cable cars on the local glacier run from early October to June, a dense network of bike lanes wraps around steep mountain slopes and around lakes, and a wild river with sparkling momentum begs them to be rafted. However, this time our mission chooses canyoning.

At the areitXpress cable car rental shop, we pack strong suits, climbing seats, waterproof non-slip shoes and helmets. Then we jump in the van and guide Tom leads us to the beginning of the route – to a gorge under a rock wall, from which flows a wild stream of a mountain river.

This is followed by a lightning “safety training” focused mainly on the jumps, which are waiting for ten of us on the route. Above all, it is essential not to shake your hands during the impact, but to keep your arms crossed on your chest.

Everything is clear and we are going down. At the beginning we go to the rock, after a while we walk on our ankles in the water, on our knees, in the middle and finally comes the first part where we swim. The water is icy, but the neoprene is heated and also acts as a lifeline and rises reliably.

After a while, it was time for the first jump – from a rocky plateau about five meters above the surface to a small pool with crystal clear water. Tom jumps first to prove to all the unbelieving Thomas in our mission that there really is enough depth in the pool. So we take a deep breath and gradually jump behind him. A short “flight” that ends with an impact on the freezing of the water is a fantastic experience, we immediately climb back to the rock to repeat it. And again.

Then we continue on the route. We take turns climbing rock ledges and securing ourselves with a carabiner and a Ferrata seat, walking along a riverbed among strangely shaped stones that have formed water in recent centuries, and swimming in places that are too deep to walk. .

At a height of about 10 meters above the current level, there is a path that was trampled by lumberjacks in the past, when it was necessary to release the blocked tree trunks, which were transported along this river from the mountains to the valley. Today, the trail serves only toy, according to Tom it is used by goats or mountain goats. We do not see these animals, but a mouse flickers on the shore several times and we see frogs and even a crab in the shallows.

Gradually jump from a height of seven to nine meters until it is time for the most difficult jump – 12 meters above the water. Most of us have been thinking for a long time, but fortunately the lake with the “landing area” is quite large and the rock below us is receding, so you can not land in the wrong place.

The flight from twelve meters is endless, as are the following moments underwater before we emerge, but the adrenaline that accompanies them all is not wrong. We already understand why it is good to have your hands on your chest – if they remain outstretched during the impact, hitting the surface at crazy speeds will easily shift your shoulder.

The adventurous journey through the gorge takes about three hours, during which we cross a route of more than one kilometer with an altitude of about 150 meters. We are excited and will be happy to repeat this experience immediately. When we take our uniforms to the final, Tom has a well-chilled beer ready for everyone. Excellent service.