Grindelwald Canyon Swing – How to Make the Leap
I still can’t believe I willingly jumped off a 90-meter canyon cliff! Who in their right mind free-falls towards rocks and a rushing river below, letting your life hang by a rope? The Grindelwald Canyon Swing was one of the hardest things (mentally) I’ve ever done in my life. It’s also one of my proudest moments. I am writing this blog specifically for anyone who was like me and clung to watching and reading everyone else’s experiences (reviews, blogs, YouTube videos, IG reels, etc.) in order to get the confidence to take the leap. Trust me when I say if I of all people can do it, you can too.
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Here’s the full video of both Thomas and I doing the Grindelwald Canyon Swing:
A Seed is Planted
I had no idea canyon swings existed until I saw the canyon swing at Glacier Canyon (Gletscherschlucht) in Grindelwald, Switzerland presented as a Road Block on Season 31 of the Amazing Race. This meant only one of the two team members had to complete the challenge of jumping off a 90-meter cliff and free fall at 120kph until a rope catches you and swings you between narrow canyon walls.
Seeing that episode years ago, I said out loud “there’s no way I could do that. My partner would have to do this one or we’d lose out on the million-dollar prize.” The Amazing Race is known for crazy challenges similar to this on every season, and I have always written them off as things I couldn’t do and usually the episodes fade from my memory.
For some reason though, this one never did. I always remembered the Grindelwald canyon swing. Maybe it was just that it’s a unique thing you don’t see very many places. Regardless, last year when I was watching my favorite YouTubers Kara & Nate’s video on their trip to Interlaken, I saw them complete the same canyon swing jump as was on the Amazing Race.
A large part of the narrative of that video was how scared Kara was of all the activities they were doing, but then she did them anyways. That was really inspiring and combined with a lot of other factors, it made me want to do it too.
Booking the Grindelwald Canyon Swing Excursion
We booked our trip to Interlaken about 5 months in advance. I built this trip on the idea of doing some of the high adrenaline activities that make Interlaken famous. I chose paragliding in Interlaken and the Grindelwald canyon swing. This was all my decision. In fact, I was the one trying to convince Thomas we should book it, despite my fear. We booked this excursion via GetYourGuide for $142.45/person. GetYourGuide does allow you to cancel for a full refund up to 24 hours before your activity. That’s perfect for if you’re not totally sure you can do it. Though the jump lasts only a few seconds, the whole excursion lasts 3 hours roundtrip from Interlaken.
From the time we booked our tour to the day it happened, my anxiety slowly increased and I found it harder and harder to get my mind off the jump. I would have some “brave days” interspersed where I would think “bring it on! I got this”, but that was generally overshadowed by thoughts of my own death at the bottom of the canyon, hitting the canyon wall, or soiling myself.
Coping Mechanisms
There was nothing physically I could really do to prepare for the canyon swing – all the prep was mental.
Mantras
Sometimes Tik Tok sounds are extremely annoying and others just might worm their way into your head and change your life. There were several that I leaned on and just repeated over and over in my head. Here are my favorites:
- Elyse Myers: “People ask me how I manage my nerves and I tell them I don’t. I don’t. I just do it scared.”
- Trending sound: “I want to live my life full of more moments where I saw ‘I can’t believe I did that’ rather than ‘I wish I would have done that.'”
- “You can do hard things.”
Additionally, on the most recent season of the Amazing Race, one contestant helped his wife prepare for the bungee jump by telling her that the Amazing Race isn’t going to let her die, implying they do their research to make sure all the activities they choose are safe and that they won’t get any blood on their hands. This ended up being very comforting to replay over and over in my mind because this exact canyon swing was part of Season 31, so if it’s true for the bungee, it’s true for the swing.
Mindfulness and meditation are something else that have also helped me manage my anxiety. I like the short 10 minute meditation sessions offered by Peloton. (Click here for a free 60 day guest pass to the Peloton app).
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Learn to Trust the Equipment
I’ve been rock climbing for a couple of years now and anytime I take extended time off, I find myself scared that the rope won’t hold me when I’m high on the wall. It takes a few times up the wall for my confidence to return and the anxiety to subside.
Trusting the equipment and the guides at the canyon swing is essential to being able to step off the ledge. Thankfully, Switzerland is one of the safest countries and has higher safety standards than a lot of other places around the world. Remembering this fact and spending time at the rock-climbing gym just reminding myself that the equipment is doing it’s job in keeping me safe.
Slowly Pushing Your Comfort Zone
I heard a great analogy about comfort zones in that they’re like a rubber band. The more we get out of our comfort zone, the more the rubber band gets stretched. If it’s stretched enough times, it gets (and stays) bigger. Then you have the ability to stretch it just a little further than before (and so one and so on).
If jumping off a cliff feels impossibly far out of your comfort zone right now, start with something that feels scary but attainable. Rock climbing used to be outside my comfort zone until I did it. Upside-down roller coasters have scared me my entire life, but I went on my first one at the end of last year and ended up LOVING it and rode it 3 more times that day. It was only my brain that was holding me back.
When you’re trying to push yourself and it’s scary, remember that growth comes from outside our comfort zones. You become a version of yourself you didn’t even know was possible.
I also strategically booked a paragliding flight the morning of the canyon swing. I’d never paraglided before, but weirdly I didn’t have anxiety about it. I was hoping to use the rush I got out of paragliding to get me through the Grindelwald canyon swing. I think it helped at least a little!
With all the anxiety I had around this, I never really allowed myself to entertain the idea of cancelling. Yes, we had free cancellations on GetYourGuide until 24 hours out. Yet in the recesses of my mind, I knew I had to do this or I’d always regret it.
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What to Expect at the Grindelwald Canyon Swing
On the day of our tour, we could either meet at the Outdoor Interlaken headquarters or make our own way to the canyon. We hadn’t rented a car for this trip, so we met at headquarters. A group of five of us got in a van and made our way about 30 minutes to the canyon. Along the way we were able to chat with our guides and learn more about the activity. They explained they offer the canyon swing excursion year-round and only rarely cancel due to severe weather.
I had an Insta360 X3 camera and Thomas had a GoPro. Each of us had a hand mount and we asked if we could bring it on our jump. That was allowed if it was secure and we knew it was at our own risk to take them. If they fell into the river, Outdoor Interlaken wasn’t liable. We left our phones in the van, so all the pictures are from these cameras.
When we arrived at the canyon, another seven people joined our group, bringing us to about a dozen total. We had one last chance to use the restroom and then stepped on a scale and got our harness. I am still not sure why they weighed us and wrote our weight (in kgs) on our hands. It didn’t seem to be relevant at any point.
The harness you wear for the jump is full body, going around your legs and over your shoulders, connecting at the front. This means there’s no way to fall out of the harness at any point!
Once we were all geared up, we got back in the van for a short drive to the top, followed by a short walk to the platform. We were instructed to stay behind the blue rope at all times until we had the safety rope attached to us. We stood and waited for a few minutes while our guide, Anna, set up the GoPros and other gear, including a bucket full of water I can only assume is a counterweight to get the rope back to the top after each jump.
I found myself at the front of the group. When Anna looked at me and asked if I wanted to go first, somehow my answer was yes. I’d mentally prepared for this possibility and I did like the fact that it gave me less time to (over)think and chicken out. In my ideal world, I would have gone 2nd (but still before Thomas), so going first wasn’t that much worse.
The Jump
It is shockingly quick between the time you’re attached to the safety rope and the time the guide says “3,2,1,GO.” Definitely less than 10 seconds. Once the guide attached the main rope via 3 carabiners, I felt it pulling me forward and towards the edge. This made sense given the weight, but it threw me off guard. However, I liked that it meant the rope was indeed attached to me.
And then I did what I thought would never be possible for me: I stepped off the platform. It really is just a step or jump, not a dive like with skydiving – you want to stay upright!
Gravity immediately takes over and it’s a terrifying free fall. I didn’t have control of the scream coming out of my throat and upon watching the video back, I saw that my legs started kicking involuntarily, in a desperate attempt to slow myself. You can keep your hands on your harness, the rope, or out to the side. Because I was filming on my Insta360 X3, I chose to have my arms out in a T.
The rope doesn’t start to catch you until about 2/3 of the way to the bottom. Those few seconds of free fall feel like hours. As soon as I felt the tug of the rope, the terror gave way to sheer elation. I felt on top of the world. I’d just conquered a huge fear and now I just got to enjoy swinging back and forth through the canyon until I slowed enough for the 2nd guide to pull up the guide rope for me to grab and pull myself in.
After pulling myself to the ladder, I got to the platform where the 2nd guide helped me out of my harness and sent the rope back up. Honestly, I was riding such a high I barely remember that part.
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After The Canyon Swing
After I returned my harness, I immediately looked up and watched Thomas jump. He was excited for the jump and doesn’t suffer from anxiety like I do. Yet even he couldn’t help but scream on the way down!
One benefit to going first is that we got to explore the rest of the canyon before everyone else was done. There is a net you can walk on stretching over the canyon and several waterfalls. Those who made their own way there were under no time constraints, but we needed to get back to the van in time.
Note: canyon admission was included in the cost of our jump, but if you’re only wanting to visit the canyon, there’s a 19CHF entrance fee for adults.
We’d pre-paid for the video package when we checked in, but we had to fill out a Google form with our order number and jump number (since I went first, I was jump number 1). Definitely make sure to note your basket number to avoid confusion! You can also pay for videos after your jump. The videos are professionally edited together from the 4 different GoPro cameras. They said it can take up to 3 days for the video to be emailed. However, I got mine the next day. The videos are expensive at 49 CHF/person, but if I’m jumping off a cliff, you better believe I want the tape!
We received a free drink ticket included with our experience that we traded in at the bar at the canyon’s base. It was only valid for beer, coffee, or soda.
Once we got back in the van, our guides offered to drop us off anywhere (within reason). One couple got out in the town of Grindelwald and we were dropped off back at our hostel. If you’re still looking for more adventure, you can do multiple activities in a day. In fact, one guy in our group was going to do a bungee jump right after the canyon swing!
I am still so proud of myself for overcoming massive (and fundamentally innate) fears and surviving the Grindelwald Canyon Swing. In fact, I came out of it thriving!
Overall
I know this post is fairly different from my others. If it can relate to anyone and help them conquer this fear, then it’s a win for me. I didn’t find nearly as many reviews or videos of the Grindelwald Canyon Swing online as I would have hoped (and the majority were several years old), so I clung to those few I could find. I’m the kind of person who likes to know every single detail of what’s about to happen, so if that’s you, I hope this helps! If you jump, let me know – I want to cheer for you!
Would I do it again? 100%! This really was one of the most amazing things I’ve ever done. The months of fear were immediately outweighed by the adrenaline rush and sense of accomplishment.
Don’t forget to pin this post for future planning!
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