The access itself from Cola de Caballo to Potrero Redondo is not for the faint of heart as it is 1.5 hours on very rocky terrain with lots of switchbacks on sometimes a very narrow road, sometimes with huge drops without guardrails. We encountered vehicles going the other way that had to back up until they found a wider spot on the road (luckily not us). I’m glad it was nighttime so I didn’t see the huge drops just mere feet away.
Hiking to access the canyon is a moderate but kind of intense 1.5 hours and is the first test to see if you are ready for the Matacanes challenge.
The second test is a 2.5 meter jump into freezing water. The third test is the 27 meter rappel into the canyon. After the rappel, there is no turning back and you have to finish the excursion to exit the canyon.
The water is cold year round but summer air temperatures does help you not experience it as cold. I went in March (right at the beginning of the season) and despite the neoprene suit was shaking from the cold at various points throughout the day but the cold was overall manageable.
Definitely bring gloves, which help not only for the rappels but also the rocky terrain. For snacks you are given a tuna pouch and a granola bar. I brought some chocolate and for me it was enough but if you need to eat more then plan accordingly and bring in a waterproof bag. Keep in mind it’s an 8 to 10 hour adventure with no bathrooms and there aren’t really places where you could go so it might be best to eat light.
The guides did a good job explaining what we were going to face both the night before and that morning and a couple decided to switch tours at the last minute and choose a less challenging one.
Various companies state it is for 12-14 plus (even saw 9+ on another company website) but I doubt I would take even late teens. Of course this is a case by case evaluation and you know your kids best. There were 2 other groups and I only spotted one child.
There are more than 20 jumps but some like the 12 meter one are optional and the maximum required is approximately 4.5 or 5 meters.
We had 3 guides (Omar, Ram and Lili) for our group of originally 21 but in the end 17, which was a good number.
I experienced firsthand how knowledgeable and experienced Omar was when I injured my knee in a jump. Omar was extremely knowledgeable about the terrain, indicating exactly what to do and where to step, providing support with his arm and shoulder and was even prepared to carry me out of the canyon if necessary (thankfully it wasn’t). He remained calm and was able to calm me down when I was starting to panic because we were not even halfway through (30 minutes from the half way point so we had roughly 5.5 hours to go). Miraculously we ended up arriving only about 20-30 minutes after the group. Omar even set up an extra rappel for me to avoid me jumping a 7 meter jump, which was awesome because the rappels were amazing. I felt incredibly safe with Omar and I highly recommend him. You could tell he has done this hundreds of times, knows the canyon inside out, and really enjoys his job.
The excursion out of the canyon ends with a 45 minute hike on flat but rocky terrain that follows the river.
At the end there was a glitch in logistics because we were tired, wet and hungry and had to wait for around 1 hour/1.5 hours for the van to arrive to pick us up with our belongings and dry clothes. No apologies or explanation were provided when the van finally showed up. We had another logistics issue when the van broke down on the way up the mountain the night before and clients had to coordinate and follow up to call for another van to come and get us and we also waited for over an hour.
Overall really incredible experience best reserved for very fit and intrepid adults