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Rappelling Down Juan Curi Waterfall

July 24, 2012 by Arianwen Morris 18 Comments

San Gil is Colombia’s prime destination for adventure sports, and one of its most unforgettable experiences is rappelling down Juan Curi waterfall.

You can easily arrange a trip through most of the hostels and tour providers in town, although they tend to require minimum numbers, so if you’re travelling alone it’s best to book ahead.

JUAN CURI WATERFALL

rappelling down Juan Curi - San Gil first view

A local bus will take you to the falls and, in fact, even if you’re rappelling down Juan Curi you’ll still need to make your own way to its base.

The bus only costs $4,000 COP and you’re greeted with a fantastic view. It’s beautiful if you’re simply spectating, but a little daunting if you know you’re about to descend it on a rope.

HIKING TO THE TOP 

rappelling down Juan Curi - San Gil other group

It’s a 30-minute hard slog to reach the top of Juan Curi falls, and at times you need to use a rope to pull yourself over large rocks.

If there are other groups up there, your guide will let you catch your breath before introducing you to a 70-metre drop that will take it away again in an instant.

AN ANXIOUS WAIT

rappelling down Juan Curi - San Gil about to go over

There’s a brief safety and technique briefing before you work your way down one by one.

Keep your knees straight and your feet far apart for stability, feed the rope through with your right hand, take one step with each leg – then repeat.

Also, do yourself a favour and volunteer to go first. There’s nothing worse than the built-up anticipation if you’re already scared of heights.

GOING OVER THE EDGE

Rappelling down Juan Curi - San Gil the edge

Getting started is probably the hardest part. Once you’re on the rock face with the harness supporting your weight, you feel somewhat secure, but lowering yourself over the edge requires a high degree of trust in your equipment.

There’s also the small matter of stepping over the metal pipe at the top.

THE DESCENT

Rappelling Down Juan Curi on the way down

If you’re scared of heights, rappelling is a particularly difficult task. If you do a skydive or a bungee, you may be petrified, but all you need to do is fall. When you’re rappelling down Juan Curi, you have to watch your footing on a slippery slope, at the same time as feeding rope through your harness.

It’s also very unnerving that you slide down the rope so easily as soon as you release its tension.

Somehow my trembling legs managed to support me as I inched slowly towards my friends who were now distant specks on the ground below.

At one point I slipped and smashed against the rock face, having to find small foot holds so I could lever myself back into position.

A QUICK SHOWER

Rappelling Down Juan Curi San Gil almost there

The lower you descend, the closer you get to the waterfall until it’s splashing down over your head and making every step more treacherous.

I was relieved when my feet finally touched solid ground and we all hi-fived each other. In the aftermath, we were all buzzing with adrenaline, but I couldn’t have done it again if I’d wanted to because my hand had frozen into a cramped claw.

COST OF RAPPELLING DOWN JUAN CURI

At the time of writing, rappelling down Juan Curi cost $45,000 COP, plus a local bus ride at $4,000 COP each way. For what you get, this is a steal. I booked the trip through my hostel, Sam’s VIP, which has a lot of information on local activities and can book them on your behalf.

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Comments

  1. Bex says

    July 24, 2012 at 6:23 pm

    That looks amazing!!!! Well done lady. I want a go!

    Reply
    • Arianwen Morris says

      July 25, 2012 at 10:28 pm

      Come and do it! :)

      Reply
  2. VickyFlipFlop says

    July 25, 2012 at 10:08 pm

    Ari! You’re doing it in sandals! Your friends have got trainers on and you’ve got strappy shoes. You be careful! Xx

    Reply
    • Arianwen Morris says

      July 25, 2012 at 10:31 pm

      They are deceptively sturdy Merrell sandals with a good grip – although no shoe would have gripped the side of that wet rock :)

      Reply
  3. Scarlett says

    July 26, 2012 at 4:53 pm

    Oh my god this looks terrifying an amazing at the same time – you’re so brave!! PS. can’t believe you did it in sandals lol, you’re just like me! x
    Scarlett recently posted..Brighton Beach, Melbourne ‘v’ Brighton Beach, UKMy Profile

    Reply
    • Arianwen Morris says

      July 26, 2012 at 5:15 pm

      It was them, flip flops or big walking boots, which would have got very waterlogged. I think I made the right choice under the circumstances, but they definitely weren’t ideal! :)

      Reply
  4. Les Petits Pas de Juls says

    August 9, 2012 at 4:50 pm

    Go girl, go! I’ll definitely want to do that when I get there! I’m so happy you went first so I can have all that useful information and most importantly your insight! ;-)
    Cheers to your rappelling!
    Jul’
    Les Petits Pas de Juls recently posted..Vida aquática en los arecifes de CozumelMy Profile

    Reply
  5. Pilar V says

    December 16, 2012 at 6:28 pm

    Thank you! I am going to San Gil in January and needed this kind of encouragement …

    Reply
    • Arianwen Morris says

      December 16, 2012 at 6:58 pm

      Have a fantastic time! It’s a great little town with plenty of fun things to do. The paragliding was great too! I skipped the rafting and caving but heard only good things. Let me know how you get on!

      Reply
  6. Darren Hoehne says

    September 12, 2017 at 8:50 am

    Now that is cool, awesome photos!!

    Reply
    • Arianwen Morris says

      September 12, 2017 at 5:38 pm

      Thank you! I still regard this as one of the scariest things I’ve done!

      Reply

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