Canyoning!!!

Although I had buckets of fun showing Kathleen and Zack around Lausanne and Interlaken, by far the most exhilarating part of their visit was our morning spent canyoning.  

So what is canyoning?

In a word: fun! In a few more words: amazingly fun! And in even more words? Adrenaline-pumping, crazy-exhilarating, somewhat freezing fun!

More precisely, canyoning involves hiking, jumping, sliding, swimming, and climbing along a canyon. Precipitants are given wet suits, helmets, and water shoes and proceed to scamper and slide as they traverse a majestic white water canyon.

To be frank, canyoning is not something I would normally be super excited to take part in. While I love the outdoors, I usually prefer hiking, running, and skiing-- nothing scary or dangerous and definitely no extreme sports. While I'll happily climb a mountain or run a marathon, the thought of jumping off a waterfall gives me shivers. 

Back in October, when a few friends from lab mentioned they were going canyoning, I was definitely skeptical. While I love hiking beside waterfalls, actually jumping off them sounded kind of crazy (not to mention cold). However, when my friends returned with crazy stories and exciting photos, I was definitely intrigued. What finally sold me, however, was my friend Kate's going away dinner. Kate had lived in Lausanne for nearly a year, and had traveled extensively throughout Europe. Towards the end of  her dinner, I ask her, "What was your favorite experience from the past year?" Without hesitation, Kate replied, "Canyoning!"

I was sold. A few weeks later, Ben, Kathleen, Zack, and I reserved our spots for Outdoor Interlaken's canyoning trip, and proceeded to enjoy an amazing, exhilarating adventure. 

van ride to the canyon start. excited! 

ben's ready-to-jump face.

....and ben's jumping! 

zack's first slide

I love kathleen's expression.  just a little scared?

kathleen sliding down a waterfall. so fun!

getting ready for my first big slide-- super excited! 

my first big slide! woohoo!

ben climbing.

me rappelling. this might have been my favorite part :)

at the bottom of the canyon. after a few hours in the canyon, we were pretty
cold and tired, but super happy to have had such a wonderful day!

(Sorry the photo quality is so bad-- the "photos" are actually screen shots from the video of our trip!)