Atlas › Catalan Pyrenees - Alta Garrotxa
Sant Aniol d'Aguja
verified
Ungraded
High flood risk
Sadernes, Girona
The marquee technical descent of the Alta Garrotxa: limestone gorges, salt-bearing flow, and a 40 m rappel. Best run in winter or early spring when the water is up.
Alt names include Salt del Brull and Gorges de Sant Aniol. Permit logistics are the actual gating constraint, not the canyon difficulty. Las Canals sits in the same drainage cluster and uses the same Montaña Regulada permit pathway, but the two are distinct descents.
Logistics
| Manager | Espai Natural de l'Alta Garrotxa (Generalitat de Catalunya) under the Montaña Regulada framework |
|---|---|
| Permit | Permit required. Request through the Montaña Regulada portal in advance. The Alta Garrotxa zoning has access caps and seasonal restrictions; verify the current rule for the descent date. |
| Distance | 0.5 mi descent (4 to 9 hr round trip with approach) |
| Elevation | ~820 ft gain on approach, descent loss not separately stated |
| Time | 4 to 9 hr (2-2.5 hr approach, 2.5 hr descent, 1 hr exit) |
| Technical | FFME 4C2 III (v4a5 IV). Maximum rappel 40 m (131 ft). Limestone. Strong continuous water in season, multiple committing rappels, swift water hazard. Full wetsuit mandatory. |
| Season | Winter and spring (high water makes this canyon's reputation; summer flows drop) |
| Flood risk | High. Strong flow during the winter-spring window when the canyon is at its best. Cancel on any precipitation in the Garrotxa volcanic zone. |
| Vehicle access | 2WD to Sadernes area. No shuttle required. |
| Crowd | Permit-capped, so crowding stays controlled even in season |
| Coordinates | 42.3251, 2.5813 |
Sources
- montanya regulada: https://parcsnaturals.gencat.cat/ca/alta-garrotxa
- ropewiki: https://ropewiki.com/Sant_Aniol_(d%27Aguja)