Starzlachklamm Allgäu: Canyoning beginner tour

Feel the gorge open beneath your feet. Starzlachklamm’s beginner canyoning tour turns a scenic Allgäu gorge into a natural playground, with waterfall abseiling, rock jumps, smooth slides, and clear pools. I like the careful, state-certified guiding, and I like that every challenge is optional. The main catch is that this is a real physical outing, not a gentle sightseeing walk.

You meet at the Starzlachklamm parking area near Sonthofen, receive a full set of canyoning gear, and spend about three hours in and around the gorge. The tour earns a strong 5 out of 5 rating from seven reviews, with special praise for friendly guides, competent instruction, and the sheer fun of the experience. Guide Tanja receives particular praise in one account. Still, you need to be comfortable with heights, cold water, wet rock, and a short uphill approach.

Key things to know before you book

• A 12-meter waterfall rappel provides the tour’s biggest vertical moment, with instruction before you leave the ground.
• Rock jumps reach 4 meters, but the guides offer another solution if you prefer to stay dry or lower.
• The final slide runs about 13 to 14 meters over smooth rock into the gorge water.
• Special canyoning shoes are included, an important help on wet, slippery surfaces.
• The tour suits confident beginners, but not non-swimmers, people with low fitness, or anyone uneasy with heights.
• The $124 price includes nearly everything on the activity, including gorge admission, equipment, photos, guiding, and a post-tour snack and drink.

Starzlachklamm, a gorge shaped by rushing water

The Starzlach begins at about 1,070 meters between the Wertacher Hörnle and the Grünten. Over time, the river cut the Starzlachklamm into the rock, creating the narrow gorge used for this canyoning route.

The name refers to jumping over rocks, which fits the activity rather well. You are not simply looking at the gorge from a path. You move through it by walking, scrambling, sliding, jumping, and lowering yourself beside waterfalls.

The gorge has been protected as a nature area since 1932. That matters here because the appeal is the setting itself: running water, polished rock, and a confined mountain gorge rather than a built amusement park. The canyoning adds controlled adventure without taking away the natural character of the place.

You should also know that the route is weather-dependent. The tour generally runs in rain, but not during storms or heavy rain, when water levels and conditions can become unsafe.

Meeting at Winkel 18 and getting fitted out

The meeting point is the parking area at the end of Starzlachklamm. At the far end, a bridge crosses the Starzlach to an additional parking area. Look for the Blue River Canyoning guide, since other canyoning companies operate in the same general area.

This is one place where a little preparation helps. The instructions say to find your way to the Blue River Canyoning team or contact your guide by telephone. Do not assume every canyoning van or guide in the parking area belongs to your group.

Your equipment includes the usual canyoning kit, with special shoes designed to grip wet rock. You must wear the provided gear, since the company wants every participant using equipment that is checked and tested in the same system.

Bring swimwear, a towel, and any personal medication you need. Leave jewelry at home. Alcohol and drugs are not allowed, and the activity does not permit touching animals. You also need to send each participant’s weight in kilograms, height in centimeters, and shoe size at least 24 hours before the tour.

That measurement request is practical, not busywork. Properly fitted canyoning equipment matters when you are being lowered beside a waterfall or trying to keep your footing on a wet rock slab.

The 30-minute safety briefing comes first

After changing and receiving your equipment, you begin with a safety briefing of about 30 minutes. This includes abseiling practice, so you learn how the rope system works before facing the waterfall section.

For a beginner tour, this is the right order. You do not need previous canyoning experience, but you do need to listen closely and follow directions. The guides explain the techniques used during the route, including how to handle the abseil and approach the water features.

I particularly like the company’s everything can, nothing has to approach. That means the tour has real adventure built into it, but you are not forced to make a jump or slide that feels beyond your comfort level. The guide can look for another way through.

That flexibility makes the outing more welcoming for mixed groups. One person may want every jump, while another may prefer the rope section and a smaller water feature. You can share the setting without everyone having to take the same risks.

A 25-minute walk to the gorge entrance

The activity is not three hours of nonstop canyon action. After the briefing, you walk uphill toward the gorge entrance for about 20 to 25 minutes. This approach is part of the schedule and should be treated as a real part of the physical effort.

You may find the walk easy if you regularly hike, but it could feel tiring in a wetsuit and full equipment, especially before the main route begins. Wear the supplied canyoning shoes for the activity, and arrive ready for a walk rather than expecting to step straight from the parking area into the water.

This approach also gives the guides time to keep the group together and explain what comes next. Once you reach the gorge, the route itself takes about an hour and a half.

The 1.5-hour canyoning route

The main guided section brings together the features listed as the tour’s highlights. You move through the Starzlachklamm by a combination of rope work, jumps, rock slides, and short sections in the river.

The waterfall abseil is the signature moment. The largest rappel reaches about 12 meters and runs through a waterfall. That combination creates the memorable part of the tour: you are handling the rope while water moves around you, with the gorge walls close by.

If you have never abseiled before, the height can feel serious. That is why the earlier practice matters. You should focus on the guide’s instructions, keep control of your position, and take the route at the pace set by the group.

The rock jumps reach up to 4 meters. The number sounds modest on paper, but jumping from a rock into a pool still requires a clear head. You need to be a swimmer, and you should not book this activity if you are worried about entering deep water.

The route also includes flat-rock slides of up to 14 meters. The final slide is described as about 13 meters, so you may see the length listed slightly differently depending on how the feature is measured. Either way, this is a long natural slide, not a small splash for children.

The water and rock are the attraction, but they also create the main practical challenge. Wet surfaces are slippery, and the special shoes help rather than perform magic. Move carefully, listen to the guide, and do not rush to keep up with the group.

What the guiding adds to the experience

A state-certified canyoning guide leads the tour in German or English. You are not left to work out the rope techniques or route choices alone.

The strongest praise in the available feedback centers on the guides. The comments describe them as friendly and competent, and one particularly warm account names Tanja as the guide. The experience was described as a vacation highlight and something worth repeating.

That praise fits what you need from this kind of outing. A good guide has to explain safety in plain terms, keep the group moving, notice when someone is uncomfortable, and offer a different option without making that person feel like a problem.

The route’s optional approach is especially useful. You may be eager for the 4-meter jump but less happy about the 12-meter waterfall rappel, or the other way around. Ask early about alternatives. The stated policy is that nothing has to be done, but you should still tell the guide where your limits are.

Photos are included, taken by the guide during the tour. This adds value because you can concentrate on the activity rather than trying to protect a phone near moving water. The number and style of photos are not specified, so consider them a welcome extra rather than the main reason to book.

Returning to the parking area

After the canyoning route, you walk back toward the parking area for about 15 minutes. You then change out of the supplied equipment and receive a small snack and beverage.

That simple finish is useful. Canyoning involves cold water, physical exertion, and a fair amount of concentration. Having something to eat and drink before leaving means you do not need to organize a recovery stop immediately.

The end point is the same as the start, at the Starzlachklamm meeting area. Hotel pickup and drop-off are not included, so you need to arrange your own transport to Winkel 18 and back to your accommodation.

Is $124 a fair price?

At $124 per person, this is not a cheap gorge walk. It is a guided outdoor activity with specialist equipment and a trained leader, so the price needs to be judged against what is included.

The fee covers:

• Entry to Starzlachklamm
• Complete canyoning equipment
• Special canyoning shoes
• A state-certified guide
• Photos taken during the tour
• A snack and drink afterward

That package makes the price easier to justify, particularly if you would otherwise need to rent equipment or pay separately for gorge admission. You also receive instruction and supervision for the rope sections, not just access to a natural swimming area.

The value is strongest if you want a proper first canyoning experience in a half-day format. You get a clear start and finish, a 30-minute safety session, a 25-minute approach, about 1.5 hours in the gorge, and a short walk back.

The price is less attractive if you mainly want to see the gorge from a path. In that case, a standard gorge visit would be a better match. This tour is for someone who wants active participation and is willing to pay for equipment, guidance, and access to features that ordinary walkers do not use.

Who should book this beginner tour?

I would recommend it to active adults and older teenagers who can swim, handle a moderate physical outing, and feel reasonably calm around heights. The minimum age is 14, and unaccompanied minors are not allowed.

You should also be comfortable being outdoors in changeable weather. The activity operates in rain unless conditions become stormy or bring heavy rain, so a dry forecast is not guaranteed.

This is not suitable for pregnant women, people with back or heart problems, people afraid of heights, non-swimmers, or anyone with a low level of fitness. There is also a maximum weight of 280 pounds, or 127 kilograms, and a maximum age of 70.

The word beginner describes the technical level, not the amount of effort. You still need to walk uphill, move over wet rock, enter pools, and manage the emotional challenge of a waterfall rappel.

For a couple or small group looking for a memorable Allgäu activity, the format works well. The available feedback from a husband and wife describes the outing as exciting and fun, while another account calls it a vacation highlight. That gives you a fair sense of the tone: active, playful, and more thrilling than a standard sightseeing stop.

Booking details that matter

The tour lasts three hours, but starting times depend on availability. Check the schedule before planning other activities around it.

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund. A reserve-now, pay-later option is also available, which helps if your Allgäu plans may shift.

The tour uses a separate entrance for the gorge, so you do not need to join the ordinary entrance line. Still, arrive with enough time to find the correct meeting point and identify the Blue River Canyoning guide.

English and German guiding are available. If you have questions about a jump, the abseil, or your fitness level, ask before the tour begins rather than waiting until you are standing beside the feature.

Should you book Starzlachklamm canyoning?

Book it if you want an active introduction to canyoning, can swim, and like the idea of combining a protected gorge with rope work, jumps, and long natural slides. The price is reasonable for the equipment, guide, gorge entry, photos, and snack, especially if you would otherwise need to arrange those pieces separately.

Skip it if you want a relaxed walk, dislike heights, have back or heart concerns, or do not feel comfortable in deep water. The best reason to choose this tour is its beginner-friendly attitude: you get serious canyon features, but the guide can offer another solution when a particular challenge is not right for you.

FAQ

Where does the Starzlachklamm canyoning tour meet?

The tour meets at the parking area at the end of Starzlachklamm, at Winkel 18. A bridge crosses the Starzlach to an additional parking area. Look for the Blue River Canyoning guide or contact the guide by telephone.

How long does the canyoning activity last?

The full activity lasts about three hours. This includes the safety briefing, the walk to the gorge entrance, the guided canyoning route, and the walk back to the parking area.

What language does the guide speak?

Guiding is available in German and English.

Is previous canyoning experience required?

No previous canyoning experience is required. The tour includes instruction in canyoning techniques and an abseiling practice session before the route begins.

What equipment is included?

The tour provides complete canyoning equipment, including special canyoning shoes for better grip on wet rock. All participants must wear the supplied equipment.

What should I bring?

Bring swimwear, a towel, and any personal medication you need.

Are children allowed on the tour?

The activity is not suitable for children under 14. Unaccompanied minors are not allowed.

Can I skip a jump or slide?

Yes. The tour follows an everything can, nothing has to approach. If you do not want to attempt a feature, the guides will look for another solution.

Does the tour run in bad weather?

The tour is intended to operate in rain, but not during storms or heavy rain. Conditions can affect whether the activity takes place.