We went canyoning with Desafio last month and thought it was one of the best activities in all of Costa Rica. Having tried Pure Trek Canyoning a couple years back, we decided to try Desafio on our last trip so that we could compare and contrast the two. We are very glad that we did, as we ended up liking Desafio more. This is not to put down Pure Trek, as we also had a great time with them. However, Desafio offers a more traditional canyoneering experience --- while Pure Trek is mostly about repelling, Desafio combines repelling with hiking, swimming, etc, much more a true canyoneering experience similar to Interlaaken, Switzerland. The other advantage of Desafio is that the hike out of the canyon at the end of the tour, while uphilll and steep, is not nearly as grueling as Pure Trek.
The Desafio tour consists of a number of climbs down waterfalls with a rope, as well as two very large rapels. The instructors warn you at the beginning that you won't have fun if you are not willing to get wet. That was very true, as there are a few parts where you essentially have to jump into the water to pass. The rapels are set up so that the highest one is second, and well into the tour. This is another advantage over Pure Trek, where the very first rapel is the highest. Even though we have done a few rapels, you always get a little nervous on the first one. Therefore, it is harder to enjoy the first one at Pure Trek, which of course is the best one.
The instructors were all great. While safety came first, they also made the tour incredibly fun. They were some of the best in Costa Rica.
Overall, a great experience. While I made the comparison to Pure Trek, I do not want to discourage people from doing it, as it is also a ton of fun. However, on a relative basis, if you can only do one, I would recommend giving Desafio a try!
