OXO : following the great history of canyoning
Canyoning, as a sport, began to develop in the 1970s. In Haute-Savoie, a mountainous region in France, the first canyoning descents probably took place around this period as well. However, it is difficult to determine an exact date, since canyoning is the result of the evolution of different outdoor activities such as climbing, caving and hiking.
The first canyons explored in the area were probably the Gorges du Fier and the Gorges du Pont du Diable. Passionate guides and adventurers have contributed to the popularization of canyoning in the Alps and over the years many other canyons have been discovered and explored by the canyoning community.
In the Mont Blanc valley, it is Yannick Seigneur who has re-equipped and proposed the first to his customers canyoning descents as a commercial excursion. Yannick Seigneur, born on May 24, 1941 in Paris and died of cancer on November 28, 2001 in Passy (Haute-Savoie). He is a mountaineer with more than 500 lane openings. Considered one of the most brilliant guides of his generation, Yannick Seigneur was the first Frenchman to climb three «8,000».
BEYOND HAUTE SAVOIE, THE HOT SPOTS OF CANYONING
Sierra de Guara, Spain: Located in the province of Huesca, this region is often considered one of the best places for canyoning in Europe because of its varied canyons and spectacular scenery.
Reunion: Reunion Island, located in the Indian Ocean, offers impressive canyons with waterfalls, rivers and unique rock formations.
French-speaking Switzerland: The alpine regions of Switzerland, especially in the cantons of Ticino, Vaud and Valais, are also famous for canyoning.
New Zealand: The canyons of the South Island, especially around Queenstown, are prized by canyoning enthusiasts for their waterfalls, deep gorges and natural landscapes.
Sardinia, Italy: Sardinia offers a variety of canyons, especially in the Supramonte and Ogliastra regions.
INSTRUCTORS AND GUIDES THAT WEAR MANY HATS
Being a canyoning guide is a summer profession and each of us has several strings to his bow. Ski instructor for some, High Mountain guide and races in varied terrain during the winter for others, indoor climbing is also a refuge activity very popular for the pros of the OXO team.
Sylvain Langris has developed a film-making activity :
“I want to highlight the activities that I am passionate about and that have built me. Climbing, canyoning, and also men and women who have a course OF LIFE that I like and that I find remarkable!”
“I explored in the form of a report the job of the opener in climbing halls. NOUVEAU 7A tells the genesis of the creation of a path, from the idea of the opener, his vision, to the confrontation of a climber to this path that she must decipher, as an enigma and a choreography”
‘Beyond sports, I work with companies to promote them. Here, for example, this promotional clip highlights the work of the CRAG workshop which produces decorative paintings always in connection with sport and WITH mountain”
