10. You should hire a well experienced tour guide.
Photo from happyjuanderer.com
Canyoneering, although fun, can be very dangerous. There are slippery slopes and rocks that first timers don’t know about. You need to hire a tour guide that is very well versed with the trail.
Our local trip leader is Paul “Aryong” Daryll Tapang. He knows the trail very well. How well? Well, he knows where ALL the rocks are and tells you where it is safe to walk, jump, or swim. He know when it will get slippery and he will tell you where to hold on to. He told me that this was his childhood. He grew up in this trail even before tourists started flocking. I literally owe him my life!
9. Wear the proper shoes
Of course I will talk about wearing the complete proper attire but I have to give emphasis to the shoes that you wear. You have to wear trekking shoes. Not aqua shoes and especially not slippers! You need a shoe that has a lot of grip but still feels light since you will get wet. Make sure your shoes won’t wear you down and won’t feel heavy when they get wet. Also, wear shoes that are strong and have good quality. You’re not here to “porma.” These shoes would either make you or break you and may even save your life. Also know that there is a big possibility that these shoes will get scratched or even broken!
A friend of mine brought old shoes and her soles were literally peeling off at every hike we took. Which is really dangerous. The trail can be slippery!
I also found A LOT of broken down shoes and leftover soles on the trail.
I was trying to imagine what the wearer had to endure! But thankfully our guides gave my friend THEIR OWN PAIR. We kept declining but they kept insisting “It’s for your safety ma’am”
If you don’t have the appropriate pair, please invest on one. If not, there is a place where you can rent shoes for Php 50.00! Super sulit! But make sure to talk to the Happy Juanderer team so that they won’t run out of sizes. They can reserve it for you before you get there.
Always be prepared.
Continue to the next page for more fun!
