Arches New Canyoneering and Climbing Management Plan

The inevitable has happened now in Arches.  With the growth of Canyoneering we will undoubtedly continue to see other areas and land management agencies start following suite, most especially if there is a continued rise in the the accidents and rescue calls for these activities in the future.  Here is the statement from the NPS regarding the permit system along with some links to more information:

Officially starting Friday March 7, free day use permits, required for canyoneering in Arches, will be available outside the visitor center at an information/permit kiosk. With the exception of canyoneering in the Fiery Furnace, all canyoneers must fill out a permit, drop the copy of the permit in the box provided and attach original to their person when canyoneering in the park. Group sizes for canyoneering in the park are a maxium of 10 persons per group, except in Lost Spring Canyon (6 persons or less are required). There are no day use limits on permits.  A kiosk will be placed out near Lost Spring Canyon on BLM land for canyoneers to acquire permits for these routes without having to go to the VC in the near future.

For those canyoneering in the Fiery Furnace, groups sizes are required to be 6 persons or less, and must obtain their permit for a fee through the front desk and normal Fiery Furnace process. There is no change to the Fiery Furnace process except canyoneers must be in groups of 6 or less. The canyoneering permit for the park is different than the one required for the Fiery Furnace. 

Rock climbers are not required to obtain permits but we are encouraging these users to stop by the VC at the outside kiosk to check on updates to route closures, read the new regulations and to fill out a permit for safety reasons and to help the park obtain better visitor use data. Rock climbers are now required to be in groups of 5 persons or less.

A free online permit system will be up and running by the beginning of summer for both activities. We will let everyone know when this goes live too.

The park website has now been updated with both a Canyoneering page and Rock Climbing page, both under "Plan Your Visit/Things to Do". 

http://www.nps.gov/arch/planyourvisit/canyoneer.htm

http://www.nps.gov/arch/planyourvisit/rock_climbing.htm

These pages list the new regulations, group size limits, permit process, established routes and new route establishment, updates on route closures and overall information on conducting these activities safely while practicing Leave No Trace ethics.

We are also compiling an email list of interested rock climbers and canyoneers to help the park review new route applications which require fixed gear. If you or someone you know would be interested in this process, please contact 435-719-2220. When the new route application process starts and applications are received by the park, I will post the applications online for your substantive comments. The park will then take these comments into consideration when completing the environmental analysis and approval process.

We appreciate your patience as we work through the phases and kinks of implementing these new requirements. If you have any questions please call 435-719-2220.

Between a Rock and a Hard Place

"He who fails to plan is planning to fail"

Planning for the unknown is always, well, unknown.  When you head out into the back country we hope and anticipate for the adventure of a lifetime.  However, what do we do if that is not the case and the un-anticipated happens?  Were we too busy planning for the fun stuff to not want to think about the unthinkable?  Let’s face it, accidents happen.  This is why they are called accidents.  When we start putting our efforts in to create the ultimate trip, we should throw in some time to consider the plans and options available to us if something happens that would turn our world upside down.  

In Canyoneering and most back country excursions you are going to be miles from help and resources.  Heck, as hard as it may be to believe in this day and age, you will probably be out of cell phone range as well.  So what do you do now?

With each of our entry level Canyoneering courses we always touch on risk assessment and management, planning, first aid, and evacuation considerations.  These are all concerns that any back country explorer should contemplate in their trip planning process.  A couple years ago I wrote an article here on our blog with 10 steps/suggestions of things to consider when planning your trip.  Check it out for the full listing, I’m going to re-expound on a few of those items here.

As often times as it is overlooked, it is vitally important to let others know where you are going, when you plan to be back, and have a check in time/SAR call out deadline point.  Leave maps and GPS coordinates with your contacts as well as phone numbers to the authorities for the area you are travelling.  This will help to ensure that they can get help to you as fast as possible.  We have been in canyons where we were slower moving than we expected and getting out of the canyon was taking us longer than our check in time.  We had left a time we expected to get out of the canyon based on past trips, and had created a SAR buffer zone in there of 3 hours before the Posse’ was to be mobilized.  We pushed right up to the 3 hour mark and still hadn't quite made it out yet, but knew we had to check in.  Out comes the SPOT personal locator beacon to hit the home base and let them know we are still moving forward. 

Carry a PLB.  A Personal Locator Beacon costs a minimal amount and units like the SPOT come with an additional insurance plan for covering rescue costs.  A good PLB Unit will help ensure that rescuers can zero in on your exact location and get help to you faster. 

What if you do not need rescue, but just run out of daylight?  Plan for more time in there than what the route descriptions says.  Take extra food and water and have enough that you could go overnight if necessary.  Most Canyoneering routes are only day trips, so plan as if you may have to spend a night.  Carry an extra fleece jacket, an emergency bivvy sack or at least a space blanket.  For Christmas this year I gave all of our guys that work with us a headlamp, whistle, and fire starter set.  Two weeks later one of them ended up getting caught in a canyon with daylight weaning.   They ended up spending the night in there building a fire using brush they found and huddled up in an emergency blanket.  We located them at 3 am and communicated via whistles. We had located them by the GPS coordinates sent to us from their SPOT beacon.  Plan for the unexpected.

Know how to find your directions.  Know how to read a topographical map and carry one of the area with you.  You can print off maps on your computer and place these into your dry bag in case you need them.  Know how to use a GPS and understand the difference between Lat/Long and UTM coordinates.  Know how to use the GPS and Map in tandem to navigate into and out of a canyon environment.  Don’t forget to mark where you parked your car.  This will save some unwanted time wandering the area looking for your ride after you are tired and exhausted.

Planning for that unexpected then takes a turn into doing something when it does happen.  Are you prepared to be able to do something about your situation?  First thing to do is DON’T LOSE YOUR HEAD!  Stay as calm as possible - sometimes easier said than done.  Take stock of the situation, your surroundings – be sure no one else is in danger, that the victim(s) are done being in danger, your gear – what do you have to work with, and then move forward from there with your plan.  You better darn well have, at a minimum, a personal first aid kit with you.  You can never carry enough supplies to plan for all emergencies, but you had better plan for some.  With any kit that you carry, make sure you know what is in it, and how to use what is there.  While a kit from the store shelf is a great convenience and a really good place to start, it won't do you any good to go buy it and throw it in your pack if you don’t know what is in it and how to use it.  Don't buy anything that is over your personal skill level.  When I started Canyoneering many years ago with Dave Black, his first aid kit consisted of a couple packs of Ibuprofen and Duct Tape.  He could handle many tasks with those two items, but his skill level and experience had brought him to that point.

Here are a couple of examples of the emergency material I carry with me: 

GPS, SPOT, Headlamp, First Aid Kit, Chap stick/lip balm, eye drops (sucks to get sand into your contacts), Whistle, hand warmers, rain poncho, space blanket, duct tape (in Zip lock bag), Toilet paper (in zip lock bag).

Breaking down the first aid kit:  Manual, magnifying glass, personal prescriptions, ibuprofen, Imodium tablets, allergy and decongestant tablets, Ace bandage wrap, whistle, Tums, different sized Band-Aids, anti-biotic ointment, fire tinder packs, flint and steel, water purification drops, blister treatment patches, liquid/spray on bandage (awesome if your in and out of water), ointment cream (used for chapped lips to cuts and scrapes, etc.)  All of it in a water proof container (make sure the lid seals tight).

For the waterproof container I have seen everything from this type pelican case to Nalgene bottles to just a dry bag or keg used for containing these types of items in them. 

It is naturally a beneficial idea to improve the knowledge skills that you do have.  If you are not comfortable with First Aid then look into taking a Wilderness First Responder or First Aid course.  Don’t use the excuse that “I always have someone more experienced with me, they can handle it.”  What if it is that person that gets injured, what is your plan then?

I hope that these ideas and thoughts have helped to spark your ideas and thinking for this upcoming season.  I hope that we can mitigate problems and emergencies in the back country.  Most of us aren't willing to admit we may need help in this department, but most of us do know people we feel need help.  Share this article with your friends and family that periodically head out there in the hopes that there will be less problems this year.  With a little vigilance and forethought we can make this season the safest one yet.  Also give us some insight into what you carry with you.  What does your first aid/emergency essentials kit look like.

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.

Changes to Zion Wilderness System

While we don't guide or take part in much of the Canyoneering going on in the Zion National Park area, we know that many of you do and that this information would be of great interest to many of our customers.  Zion National Park has changed the permit system for drawing out canyon permits and it seems like it is a step up from the older system that would cause long lines at the back country desk and really tired/drowsy trips through those canyons.  Here posted is the news release from Zion NPS located at this link here:  http://www.nps.gov/zion/parknews/changes-to-zion-wilderness-permit-system.htm

 

March 1, 2012
Ray O'Neil, 435-772-7823
Backcountry Desk, 435-772-0170

Zion National Park has changed its wilderness permit system to allow visitors to reserve last minute slot canyon day use permits via an online reservation system. This new system will eliminate the need for visitors to wait in line at the visitor center for permits. Reservations for popular day trips such as the Subway (Left Fork), Mystery Canyon and The Narrows are now available at www.nps.gov/zion/planyourvisit/backcountry-reservations-and-permits.htm.

In late fall of 2011, the park requested comments from visitors about possible options for upgrading the wilderness permit procedures. Over 150 comments were received and the vast majority of respondents indicated a preference for an online system to replace the current system. The previous system required visitors to arrive early in the morning and wait in long lines to assure access to the limited number of available last minute permits.

The last minute drawing is held at 1:00 pm MT, two days prior to the requested date of the trip. Entries for the last minute drawing are available seven days prior to the drawing until noon MST two days before a trip date. Applicants are immediately notified of the status of their request via email. Procedures for advance reservations have not changed. Visitors are most likely to secure their desired reservation if they use the advance reservation system up to three months prior to their trip. The process for obtaining overnight permits has not changed. Half of all back country campsites are available online, the remaining sites are offered as walk-in permits that become available the day before the beginning of a trip. Please visit www.nps.gov/zion for more information.

Canyoneering Hype and Mishaps!

Leprechaun Canyon Accident - Climb-Utah.com
Escaping the Subway- Climb-Utah.com
No Man's Tragedy- Climb-Utah.com
Stuck in Chambers- Climb-Utah.com
Cheating Death in Blue John- Climb-Utah.com
Woman Seriously Injured in Canyoneering Accident- Mountain Rescue Blog
Oak Creek Canyon Accident- Examiner.com Article
Tourist Trap - Outside Magazine Online Article

I have been contemplating a post along the lines of accidents for a long time now and after an article I read this morning, it all seemed to surge back to me that there are a lot of outdoor adventurer's who are not quite taking the recreational sport of Canyoneering as serious as it should.  After all, Canyoneering is simply rappelling right, it's not like Climbing where you have to rely on belayer's and multiple tie in points and your own strength to get you out.  Right?  Wrong!

Canyoneering entails many of the same skill sets required for Climbing, just in a different use or setting.  As I began to look for articles to link to regarding Canyoneering, a lot of old memories came flooding back to me as I re-read stories that impacted me in an emotional way the first time I read them.  Every time I hear of an accident regarding a Canyoneer, I cringe a little at the same time as I am mourning with the friends and families of those devastated by the incident.  There have been many accidents and some deaths over the past decade inside canyons.  Many of these canyons were visited before these tragic moments and have been visited since.  Regardless of what some may say, a huge / vast majority of Canyoneering accidents are avoidable and / or preventable.

I linked a couple of articles at the beginning for a perusing few that want some reading time.  I am not going to comment on any specific accident or article.  I understand that every situation has many variables and there are many ways to look at things in hindsight.  I simply provide them as a basis to start researching for those interested in some of the past incidents.  What I do want to do is offer 10 pointers to make sure that your next Canyoneering adventure goes a little bit smoother and is enjoyed by all participating.

#1 Let others know where you are going, when you plan to be back, and have a check in time/SAR call out deadline point.  Leave maps and GPS coordinates with your contact people so that they can get help to you as fast as possible.

#2 Plan for more time in there than what the route descriptions says.  Take extra food and water and have enough that you could go overnight if necessary.  Most Canyoneering routes are only day trips, so plan to spend a night.  Carry an extra fleece jacket, an emergency bivy sack or at least a space blanket.

#3 Carry a PLB.  A Personal Locator Beacon costs a minimal amount and units like the SPOT come with an additional insurance plan for covering rescue costs.  There have been many rescues in Blue John Canyon since the release of the movie 127 Hours, that the SAR teams are starting to charge for emergency services.  SAR budgets are limited in size and quantity, and once they run out for the year, you don't want to be the one left sitting there when you are hurt.  A good PLB Unit will help ensure that rescuers can zero in on your exact location and help to get to you faster.  (As a note, they don't work in deep canyon that don't have a clear view of the sky.  Units in this environment will need to be handed off to an able body of your group for them to continue down canyon to an adequate place to use.  Also, make sure that everyone in your group knows where the unit is located in your pack and how to operate it).



#4 Have a first aid kit with you.  You can't carry enough to plan for all emergencies, but you had better plan for some.  With the kit you carry, make sure you know what is in it, and how to use it all.  It won't do you any good to go buy a kit off the store shelf and throw it in you pack and not know what is in it.  Don't buy anything that is over your personal skill level.  If you don't know how to do stitches, don't buy a suture kit. It would also be beneficial to improve your knowledge.  Take a WFR or WFA class (Wilderness First Responder, Wilderness First Aid)

#5 Watch the Weather forecast.  Be mindful of the seasonal changes in the local weather patterns for the area and what the cloud movements are.  Know how to do some on site weather forecasting.  Know the signs of a potential flash flood or and impending one.  We had an article here on our blog several years ago written by Dave Buckingham.  It is a good read on flash flood awareness:  Flash Flood Awareness.

#6 Know your equipment, how to use it, what it's for, and how not to use it.  Have the proper, and proper amount of equipment with you.  That extra Carabiner may weigh another couple of ounces, but it doesn't do you any good when left in the car.  Know your equipment inside and out, forwards and backwards.  Know your equipment better than the manufacture that made it.  By this I mean that at times in your Canyoneering experience, you may get so exhausted and so tired that you became a bit delusional and or may become traumatized by others having problems.  I want you to be able to have the motions of clipping into a rappel so dialed in that you can do it in your sleep because sometimes that may be how you are feeling.  I want you to be able to rappel when you are not sure what is going on with the situation.  I want you to be able to set an anchor and throw a line with out losing the rope down the canyon and being stuck on the ledge.

#7 Canyoneering has two kinds of hazards:  Subjective and Objective!  The true risk comes when those two hazards meet in one place.  Know the hazards and avoid making them combine to create risk.

#8 Know the canyon rating systems!  When you plan a trip these will help you understand the risk ratings and the potential hazards at a glance.  Don't however rely only on the ratings when choosing a canyon to do.  Look at the route descriptions and the hazards and pitfalls outlined.  Understand what it takes to get through the canyon.  Evaluate your own personal knowledge / experience level and then that of your group.  Put them all together to understand whether or not that canyon is a good choice for you to attempt.  There are many great beginner canyons out there.  Don't' jump head first into ones that seem to be the most popular if you are not ready for it.

#9 Get some training.  While I might be a bit biased towards this, don't hesitate to seek out some expert advice and help.  A few hundred dollars spent is well worth bringing you home to see your family again.  Find a group of experienced Canyoneers to tag a long with.  As long as your not touting yourself as a self proclaimed expert and know it all and willing to carry the ropes on several trips, there are plenty of groups out there willing to let others join them.

#10 Know how to find your direction.  Proper orientation would have saved quite a few Canyoneers an unplanned night in the wrong canyon.  Know how to read a topographically map and carry one of the area with you.  You can print off maps on your computer now and place these into your dry bag in case you need them.  Know how to use a GPS and understand the difference between Lat/Long and UTM coordinates.  Know how to use the GPS and Map in tandem and navigate yourself in and out of a canyon environment.  Know how to find your way back to civilization and don't forget to mark where you parked your car at.  This will save some unwanted time wandering the area looking for your ride after you are tired and exhausted.