You're Thinking About Canyoneering?

With the new 2014 year, you may be looking at trying new adventures and new things.  We all make resolutions whether we admit it or not.  Many have decided to become more active and feel that spending time outdoors would be good for their body and soul.  Have you considered Canyoneering at all?  What is Canyoneering you ask? What does it offer me as an adventurer?  How does one start Canyoneering safely?

Brett on Rappel Blarney West

These are questions that we often hear from potential clients.  Obviously it's hard to get into a sport if you are not sure what it is, and even harder if you're not sure where to start.

Canyoneering is an adventure sport that has been around for several decades, but only begun gaining traction and notoriety in the last 10 years.  Canyoneering is a hybrid activity combining disciplines from many other outdoor sports - Rock Climbing, Rappelling, Caving, Hiking, River Running and Swimming to name a few.  We hike into narrow slits in the earth's surface.  Areas that have a rock density conducive to millions of years of wind and water erosion creating canyons and cracks.  Some of which are often times hundreds of feet deep. 

While in these canyons we climb up and over obstacles, rappel past drops, swim through pools and channels of water (sometimes ice cold which is great in the summer time), and stem our bodies between the canyon walls at great heights to make it past even narrower sections.  Canyoneering has become a huge draw in the desert southwest where many of these canyons exist.  These canyons are magical wonderful places with an awe and wonderment about them.  Every time I get to enter one it is nothing short of a spiritual experience.  

Brett Swimming Blarney West

There are several DVDs you can purchase to learn more details and get a visual understanding of the sport: Gorging and Canyoneering the Colorado Plateau. Of course YouTube has a plethora of homemade movies from individual trips.  We also have some resources here on our blog linking to some of our videos.  Click Here

 Now that you know a little about what it is, how should one start with this new adventure? Well, you're doing it right now by reading this.  Study everything you can find on the subject.  Make sure you have an understanding of what you will be getting into.  Research the web, books, friends and those that have been out there.  There are some really good online resources, and yet there are some really bad ones.  You have to be able to filter these out.  People have been seriously injured and/or died in canyons by using bad techniques and bad judgement.  Some resources can be found in Online Forums and groups.  Again putting your filter on, be careful, but some of the more prominent ones out there are: Bogley Outdoor Community and The Canyon Collective.  You may also find helpful information on Rock Climbing and Caving forums as well.

Aaron Rappelling Pleiades Canyon

For those looking to get a more hands-on technical study guide on the sport, don't expect to find a large library on the subject.  There isn't much out there in the way of Canyoneering specific technique books like there is for other sports.  I anticipate that this will slowly change as it continues to grow.  The best concept book you will find was written by my friend Dave Black.  It's really good and captures many of the essential techniques needed to travel through most of the moderate to challenging canyons.  He even throws in some rescue skills and other essentials.  Check out: Canyoneering: A Guide to Techniques for Wet and Dry Canyons.  Other books that cover a lot of rope techniques that translate over are: Climbing Anchors, How To Rappel, Knots for Climbers, Mountaineering-The Freedom of the Hills and The Complete Guide to Rope Techniques.

Jared Rappelling Fry Canyon

The best and safest method to really get immersed in the sport and start things off right is to take a class or  a day trip with a guide to see if it is something you are interested in pursuing further.  As mentioned, the sport has almost exploded over the last few years and there are a lot of guide services now offering to show you a great canyon.  Some things to consider when choosing a guide are: How long have they been in business? What qualifications do they possess? Are they insured? Are they permitted by the land agencies where they are guiding?

Jared and Aaron Teaching Ascending during

3 Day Technical Canyoneering Course 

(Photo Credit: Lynette Brewer)

In the state of Utah anyone can hang up a sign and advertise themselves as a guide.  All they need is a state sales tax license issued and a business license for the city they are in and off they go.  Whether they have any experience or not is never in question. Guides should be able and willing to share their experience and qualifications with a questioning client, after all you are going to be hanging on one of their ropes in a canyon.  Currently the only certifying entity in the United States for Canyoneering Guides is the American Canyon Guides Association (ACGA) and the only certifying entity for Canyoneering training schools is the American Canyoneering Academy (ACA).  While most companies have transformed their rock climbing guides into canyon guides, the AMGA (American Mountain Guides Association) is currently not offering Canyoneering specific training and certifications.  If you want more information about trips offered through North Wash Outfitters check out our website and click on the "Adventures" link at the top.

Jared and Aaron Teaching Ascending during

3 Day Technical Canyoneering Course 

(Photo Credit: Lynette Brewer)

If you're looking at taking classes, there is everything out there from one day introduction courses to three day Beginning (Technical) and Advanced courses to Rescue and Wilderness First Aid.  Look for something that is going to build with your current strengths and further expand on what you want to do to learn and grow your skills.  If you want more information about courses offered through North Wash Outfitters check out our website and click on the "Courses" link at the top.

I hope this intro has been able to give you some thought on how to get started in this exciting world of adventure.  We always love hearing what others have experienced in canyons and how they started in Canyoneering.  Whether you are already an accomplished Canyoneer or have only been in a few canyons, we would love to hear about your experiences.  Tell us how you got started or share some tips for the beginners and some advice on what some of your favorite pieces of Canyoneering gear is that you have discovered.  We hope the best for you in this new experience and look forward to answering any questions that you may have.