Canyoning through Wadi Mujib was incredible. At the beginning of the trail, we donned life jackets and walked down the flimsy aluminium ramps and stairs, not knowing what to expect. Wading down the shallows into the gorge, we felt like we’d entered a Disneyland’s Pirates of the Caribbean Ride, except without the same safety precautions and with the potential to slip up badly.
Deeper in, when we could no longer walk on the river bed, there were ropes pinned in a zig-zag pattern through the gorge. These you grabbed onto and pulled yourself forward with, further into the canyon while floating on your life-vest.
No words, and no amount of GoPro videos, can accurately capture what it feels like going through that gorge. Floating on long stretches of calm waters before scrambling over gigantic boulders that break up fast and forceful rapids, which could well sweep you off your feet. The only thing to cling on to, these colourful nylon ropes nailed into the narrow rock face, and your life-jacket.
Because it was April, we only had access to the short trail, with a portion of the regular path having been closed off, due to a recent flood making some areas too dangerous to cross. Nevertheless, it was still stunning, and the reward at the end of the siq, a magnificent waterfall. On retrospect, I would say this adventure definitely looked harder than it actually was, and that everyone should give it a go. One can always turn back if the going got too tough.
