Safe Canyoneering

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The rope is your friend.  Canyoneering ropes actually take abuse quite well, however, all possible precautions should be taken to minimize damage and protect the rope.  (Photo) Englestead Canyon 1st rappel. Don’t drop the rope.  Losing a rope in a canyon should always be a serious concern. Before setting out you are responsible to understand the consequences for partial and/or total rope loss relative to the objective canyoneering route. While it’s actually quite simple to thread the rope through an anchor and clip in to rappel there is absolutely no margin for error.

With a few exceptions canyoneering routes in the southwest do not involve swift water or strong water currents.  Canyoneering routes in Utah and especially Zion can involve very cold water.  Hypothermia is the #1 killer in all outdoor recreation.  In a deep dark canyon that never sees sun, the danger of hypothermia from exposure to cold water can be felt right through to the bone.  Wet suits and Dry suits are mandatory for some canyons.At least one death and several serious injuries have resulted from the incorrect set-up of a blocked rappel.  One of the best applications for a blocked rappel is setting the rope length for rappels into deep water.With or without a rope bag it is important to manage your ropes efficiently while in a canyon.

If your rope is stuck and you need it to get out of the canyon, ascending back up the rope becomes one of your options.  Setting up clean rappels and understanding what can cause a stuck rope will help to avoid this scenario in the first place, but in certain situations it can be the best option.  If you only have one end of the stuck rope and do not know what is anchoring the rope DO NOT ascend the rope.

Oppositional down-climbing (right photo) is accomplished by applying opposing forces to both sides of the canyon walls.  Friction down-climbing (left photo) is less secure and requires a combination of footwork and balance working together with proper footwear.

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