Canyoneering

What is Canyoneering

Put simply, Canyoneering (sometimes called Canyoning) is the sport of descending a canyon.  A route consists of navigating to the upper end of a canyon, dropping in where possible, following the canyon to the lower end (or suitable exit point) then navigating back to civilization.  Navigating to and from the canyon can involve driving (on or off road), hiking and climbing.

The canyons are generally carved from thousands of years of water erosion and vary greatly in geologic make up depending on what part of the country or world you are in.  They vary in width, depth, rock composition, vegetation and amount of water.  One of the more popular areas to canyoneer in the US is the Colorado Plateau and is popular for the beautifully carved sandstone canyons.  Even canyons within the Colorado Plateau vary greatly.  Each area will have a unique character that it very different from canyons not too far away.  Canyons in Death Valley, Red Rock, Zion, North Wash, Cedar Mesa and Capitol Reef all have very different characters from one another.

Canyons vary in difficulty requiring different skills.  On the easy end of the spectrum, a canyon route will involve hiking well established trails to and from the canyon and offer an easy hike through the canyon.  On the difficult end of the spectrum, a canyon route will involve navigating to and from the canyon in remote areas that may or may not have established routes or trails.  This makes map reading or GPS use mandatory.  Passage through a difficult canyon may require tricky scrambling or sections of free climbing (some of it quite slick), rappelling, abseiling (ascending a rope), squeezing through tight sections, swimming long narrow slots of water and techniques for escaping potholes.

Canyoneering is a dangerous sport.  Extreme temperatures make hypo and hyperthermia possible dangers on the same route.  Extreme heat can exist in the surrounding areas, while extreme cold can exist in the lower shaded and water logged sections of the canyon.  Technical Canyoneering involves rope work for rappelling and occasional climbing, which obviously adds the danger of falling.  Some of the potholes are referred to as keepers.  These are generally full of water, too deep to stand in, and sides that are too high and slick to climb out of.  Without the specialized gear, training or teamwork, you could find yourself trapped in a keeper.  If this happens you swim there until help arrives or you go hypothermic and drown.  Another danger is getting wedged between the walls of a tight section in the canyon.  If this happens you may need to stay there and wait for rescue, which may be next to impossible if you are in a difficult to reach area.  Flash floods are yet another danger to be aware of.  Keeping a watchful eye on the weather before going in is important as is knowing when to abort a trip.  Some canyons involve running water with strong currents and water falls which require different skill set to navigate.  Before getting in over your head in the dangerous sport of canyoneering seek out experienced canyoneers or take canyoneering courses.

Canyoneering uses specialized gear.  Some gear is similar to climbing like harnesses, helmets and rappelling / abseiling devices.  Some gear is specialized for the sport like canyoneering shoes, wet suites, ropes, ruggedized back packs, rope bags and modified aide climbing gear.  All this stuff has to be packed in with you so it is there when you need it.  If doing a long technical canyon you will also need overnight gear adding to the load of what needs to be carried.

Canyoneering can be a rewarding sport to those that get involved.  The scenery is unlike anything you will see elsewhere.  Some of the more technical canyons offer the opportunity to get far from the reach of civilization.  The mental challenges and camaraderie developed between canyon partners are very rewarding.

You can find a brief story of how I was introduced to canyoneering here.