Sila Papadopoulou: The woman behind the first International Canyoning Festival in Greece
A graphic designer by profession, born for adventure. Sila Papadopoulou organized the first International Canyoning Festival 2023 in Greece, she loves nature and extreme sports, describes her most difficult but also her favorite routes, and explains the demanding conditions of canyoning, which she admits is her passion.
- 05/09/2023
Sila Papadopoulou is what we call an inspiration. As soon as you listen to her describe what she has experienced, she immediately puts you in the hole to want to start something new, something extreme. She has been involved in canyoning for the last twenty years, she has covered countless kilometres in nature, in narrow passages and on trails, she has swum in the coldest waters, she has seen landscapes that others only dream of and she has created her own experiences always based on her love and passion for the sport.
Sila talks to NouPou about the demanding sport of canyoning, explains the difficulties and the demanding conditions she has to cope with, describes the most beautiful images and some surprises she has encountered on her routes, explains that it is not difficult for anyone to start learning this sport, while she also talks about the first International Canyoning Festival, which took place last May in Corinth and was organized by her.
What exactly is canyoning?
Canyoning includes many sports. What do I mean by that? I mean that in order to do canyoning you have to do hiking, climbing, rappelling (which is essentially mountaineering, where we use technical means to get down the rocks), and then to climb up you need climbing and trekking. In the middle of it all, it also requires swimming and jumping in lakes, sliding, rappelling down waterfalls, and always wearing a Neoprene suit. Essentially it’s a mix of many different sports together.
When did you first get involved in the sport?
About twenty years ago I first came into contact with mountaineering and through it I was introduced to canyoning. In the last few years I’ve been very involved, although for a while I had stopped. But it’s my passion, something I love very much, so I couldn’t let it go. I’m a graphic designer by profession, and have been since 1986, but I’ve always been a sporty person.
Is canyoning a sport that can be done by anyone or does it require specific training?
Canyoning can in no way be done by just anyone. If someone wants to start the sport, they should first of all not be afraid of heights, have no health problems, because the areas we are in are extremely remote and difficult, have a moderate physical condition and go through some basic training. There is the so-called initiation to canyoning, which is a three-day process, followed by training at various levels. There are schools that teach this.
Is it a sport that is done within a team or can it be done on an individual level?
You can’t do it on an individual level. There has to be a minimum of five of us to go canyoning. It is an individual sport only in the sense that you always need to be alert with yourself, to know your limits, your strengths, your knowledge, but nevertheless you are part of a team and only then you will be really safe.
What equipment is needed?
We need special shoes, which have non-slip soles and holes to let water out – they are specially designed for canyoning. We also wear socks and a neoprene suit, helmet, gloves and of course a harness so we can descend safely. You generally need a lot of protection for the sport. We always carry airtight containers with all the necessary pharmaceuticals. We never enter a canyon unless we have our own medicine kit and of course a head torch, extra windproof and waterproof clothes, batteries, aluminium blanket, lighter, candle. We have gone through basic first aid training and the pros usually have a team pharmacy that has all the essentials.
How much does the weather affect the sport and when is the ideal season for it?
Weather conditions have a huge impact on the sport. That’s why we never enter a canyon unless we have seen the weather first. In Greece we are generally lucky enough to be able to go canyoning all year round, however, severe cold, rain or wind play a very important role and we have to pay proper attention to them. For example, there can be some rain that can create flooding phenomena, which can endanger our lives. And the truth is that there have been such accidents in our country by professionals. So special attention is needed.
Is it a widespread sport in Greece?
It’s a sport that is gaining more and more followers everyday. If someone does it for the first time, they usually decide to follow it. It feels like being in a playground, just out in nature. It’s also a playful sport, when done properly and safely, of course. The interesting thing is that you challenge yourself. You experience a physical and psychological development as you cope with the demanding conditions of nature.
Where can someone start to learn the sport?
In this day and time, we can find everything on the internet. With a short search, one will find the right websites, with professionals who can teach him. There are also associations that do trainings, so it’s not that difficult. If you like it, it’s worth looking into it and trying it out.
Is there a route in Greece that is your personal favorite?
I have a particular love for Crete and its canyons. There are routes I’ve done and I really can’t get enough of them. I have singled out the canyon of Ha, Portela and Arvi, and also in northern Greece, the Orlia. The interesting thing is that you can do a route more than once, as you see completely different scenery in spring or autumn for example. And this actually gives canyoners a lot of options.
What is the most difficult route you have taken?
The most difficult was in Switzerland, in the Cicino region. In this particular area, because the Alps are above, where the snow melts, large water flows are created and there are often flooding phenomena. Water is, in short, the most dangerous thing in the canyons. Its speed, its power. I have had a hard time on several routes, but there was always a way to overcome each difficulty.
What does this contact with nature mean to you?
For me, canyoning is something unique. The fact that I can feel the trees, the water, the sounds, the smells next to me. It’s an amazing feeling. And it’s very different from any other sport. You’re in nature and you know you’re in very remote places. You become one with the environment.
What is the biggest “surprise” you have encountered on any of your journeys?
Here I have an unpleasant surprise, but it’s part of the sport and I’d like to mention it. At the Gate of Paradise, which is a canyon in Tzoumerka, while walking through the water, I stepped on something that felt like a rock, but then discovered it was a dead cow. Unfortunately, many times on our routes we encounter such incidents. On the other hand, of course, we are able to come into contact with very beautiful animals, such as frogs and especially the beautiful purple dragonflies. These are the small, pleasant surprises.
In May 2023, the first International Canyoning Festival took place in Chiliomodi, Corinthia, which you organized.
After participating in various canyon descent meetings, I had the desire to do something of my own. So I decided to organize the first international festival, using this term as it included not only the sport, but also other activities, for example documentary screening, a visit to the village of Stefani and the observatory of the region, a music evening with sound therapy. I started thinking about organizing it at the end of August 2022, prompted by a book published at that time about the canyons of the Peloponnese. So, in collaboration with many people, we got to do it on May 12, 2023.
Through the Festival, a workshop was held on Sunday 14 May to inform people about the sport, about safety protocols, about rescue in the canyons, but especially about air rescue in Greece, which unfortunately does not exist. And this was done on the occasion of the accident of Theofanis-Hermis Theocharopoulos in Tzoumerka about a year ago, while the main speaker at the conference was his father, Yannis Theocharopoulos, who through his team is trying to push the country’s policy for the creation of air rescue in Greece.
About 200 people from six countries participated in the Festival and the workshop. The 82-year-old German Wolfgang Streicher, a legend of the sport, took part in many of the descents. Do you think that in such extreme sports age is still just a number?
This man is a phenomenon. Before coming to Greece he was in Albania, at another similar festival and before that he had been to other festivals. He can go to 100 canyons a year. He has a motorhome, an electric bike and he travels a lot. He’s tireless. My opinion is that the more we move, play sports and do any activity, from walking to swimming, the better we feel. And of course when you do a sport it matters to never stop, regardless of age.
Is it in your future plans to hold the festival again?
The festival was my first attempt and I would like to have it again in the future. Of course, I would like to organise various other activities in nature, such as reading fairy tales in the forest.