Canyons in Aran: Bausen to Start, Unhola for the Technical

Descending a canyon means following a torrent from the inside: you walk through the water, slide down rock chutes, jump into pools and abseil the waterfalls that can't be jumped. Altisport Aventura, based in Vielha, descends several in Aran and in the Ribagorça. Two of them mark the levels well within the valley: Bausen, in the lower Aran, to get started, and Unhola, in the Naut Aran, for those who have done some already and want real rope work.

Bausen: a kilometre to learn on

The Bausen canyon is next to the village of the same name, in the lower Aran, above Les and almost on the border. It is a kilometre long and combines a bit of everything: chutes, down-climbs, jumps and some abseiling. The descent takes an hour and a half and is beginner level, for €45 per person. It is the one to choose if the group includes teenagers or adults who have never put on a wetsuit, or if you want to combine it with rafting the same day.

Altisport offers another beginner one at the same price, the Arlos one, also of an hour and a half.

Unhola: twenty-metre waterfalls

The Unhola one is in the Naut Aran, the upper part of the valley. It is also a kilometre long, but medium-high level and technical: several abseils down waterfalls of about 20 metres, down-climbs and a chute or two. In the price list it appears at two hours and €50; the canyon's page speaks of two and a half hours of descent, so allow the whole afternoon. It calls for physical fitness and not getting nervous hanging from a rope with water falling on you.

What the day is like

You meet at the Altisport shop, at Carrer des Arroquets, 3, in Vielha. There are two approximate sessions: departure at 10:00 and return around 14:00, or departure at 15:45 and return around 19:30. You go to the canyon in your own car, behind the guide, so organise the group's transport beforehand.

Altisport provides the wetsuit, helmet, harness, rope and descenders. You bring sports shoes that can get wet, clothes to wear under the wetsuit, and spare clothes and shoes. You must be able to swim. The company doesn't publish a minimum age: if you are going with minors, ask when booking. For €5 per person they take a photo report of the descent.

Booking and paying

Book with the form on its website or by phone. You pay half when booking, by bank transfer, and the other half in cash at the shop on the day of the activity. If you cancel more than 12 days ahead you lose nothing; between 7 and 12 days before you lose half of what you paid, and with less than a week, everything. In low season each departure needs at least three people; with one or two a supplement is charged.

The pack of rafting on the Garonne plus a beginner canyon costs €75 on the same day and €80 on different days, only if the second half is paid in cash. If you prefer air to water, the same pack works with the Arties via ferrata. To sleep near the meeting point, the Hotel Fonfreda is in the centre of Vielha.