Canyoneering

So this isn't a climbing question, but a canyoneering question. I am a pretty avid climber (see account) and just recently had a conversation with a friend regarding canyoneering (he doesn't climb). He said he did some research and looked into classes. He mentioned something around 3-4 classes with each costing around $300-$400 each. I have never really looked into it, but I would assume knowing how to build anchors, rappelling, and overall being safe is all it really takes? Or am I way off, and these classes are pretty important to take?

Jan Tarculas wrote:So this isn't a climbing question, but a canyoneering question. I am a pretty avid climber (see account) and just recently had a conversation with a friend regarding canyoneering (he doesn't climb). He said he did some research and looked into classes. He mentioned something around 3-4 classes with each costing around $300-$400 each. I have never really looked into it, but I would assume knowing how to build anchors, rappelling, and overall being safe is all it really takes? Or am I way off, and these classes are pretty important to take?

I don't know that 3-4 classes at that rate are necessary, but canyoneering is different enough that some instruction is a very good idea. Doesn't mean you can't directly apply your climbing knowledge, but using some of the specialized canyoneering techniques can definitely make things easier. Others can save your life - how to rig your rap so you can get out of it rapidly when you hit the pool filled with 10' of 55 degree water that you need to swim for 200'; how to escape from a keeper pothole without drilling a line of aid bolts. Stuff like that.

There's also some ethical, LNT considerations that can cause ire. Canyoneers are also willing to rap off of some incredibly sketch anchors in order to not "litter" the canyons with bolts.

Start here: canyoneeringusa.com/

Jan Tarculas wrote:So this isn't a climbing question, but a canyoneering question. I am a pretty avid climber (see account) and just recently had a conversation with a friend regarding canyoneering (he doesn't climb). He said he did some research and looked into classes. He mentioned something around 3-4 classes with each costing around $300-$400 each. I have never really looked into it, but I would assume knowing how to build anchors, rappelling, and overall being safe is all it really takes? Or am I way off, and these classes are pretty important to take?

Really depends which canyons you want to descend.

Technical canyons can require specialized technical skills which are best NOT learned by trial and error.

There are easy canyons you can certainly manage with book learning or less.

Know about and watch out for floods in any canyon.

depends on how serious you want to be about the sport. For the easier canyons if you can sport climb you can canyoneer. If you can trad climb and build you own anchors your pretty well set for most canyons. That being said, if you want to get into the longer harder more technical canyons the classes are probably pretty worth while(I haven't taken the classes but have done a bunch of canyons).

Although the sports are pretty related because of the use of ropes, they have some significant differences in hazards and tricks to excel. Climbers tend to freak out at alot of canyoneer anchors. Or methods to escape pot holes.

If canyoneering is something you want to get into I would say start by going to zion and doing some of the easier and more traveled canyons(pine creek, keyhole, subway, mystery, echo) preferably find a mentor for you first trip or two. If you want more take the classes.

I would say that canyoneering in general is much easier then climbing, but I feel the environment is for more dangerous then your normal day at the crag.

I hope this answers your questions.

thanks for all the replies. I believe he was just talking about simple canyons in our area (southern California) that are easy access with a rappels.

I remember talking with a few new-ish climbers at my gym that went with a friend of theirs. They were all new to sport climbing and just said they took their rope out, a few slings, quicklinks, and went down some canyons they head about. I figured it seemed pretty simple from that conversation, but then again I never really looked into the different categories and difficulties of technical canyoneering. I doubt I would get into technical canyoneering since climbing takes up majority of my time. I just wanted to know about simple easy canyons that probably only anchor building techniques to get down.

Your climbing skills are highly transferable - anchor building, rappelling, route finding, judgement, scrambling - I say go for it. One thing, though, is that the common climber technique for retrieving the rope (pulling one side of a doubled line) will and does cause damage to soft rock (like around Moab). If you can find a source, it's worth it to learn about retrievable sling anchors like the keyhole before venturing onto the soft sandstone. Oh, and bring an extra rope.

Agree that you should be fine doing some
Of the easier ones in Zion without any special instruction. I did subway and mystery canyon and didn't feel the need for any special instruction beforehand. However both are pretty straightforward and both are well bolted. I'd do something like subway canyon and see if the sport
Is for you before taking any classes. Or maybe you will get lucky and find a good mentor.