Canyoneering is the sport of exploring canyons using techniques such as down climbing, rappelling, swimming, scrambling and hiking. Canyons can be non-technical and require only that the participant walk, or they can be technical meaning they require ropes and hardware to get down.
We recently returned from a family trip to southern Utah where we went canyoneering. In the canyon a small group of 4, 2 guides and 2 women, caught up to us. It is canyon etiquette to let faster, smaller groups play through.
I watched with interest as we let them play through. The guides did not set up a contingency and they were not tethered when very close to the edge. These things got me thinking about what I would want in a guide if I were to ever hire one to take my family. I put together these simple questions you can ask the guide company to be sure that your family will be kept as safe as possible.
- Is the guide ACA certified?
- The American Canyoneering Association teaches techniques that are specific to canyoneering. I would personally only go with a guide who is ACA cerftified. Many guides hold AMGA, American Mountain Guides Association, certifications. These are great for people wanting to summit peaks or climb for instance. My husband was a climber and although he was skilled, he learned several different techniques from the ACA that have proven to make a big difference.
- Do the guides rig with a contingency?
- A contingency is a type of rigging that allows the person on rappel to be lowered if the need to rescue arises. For example, on our last trip one of the newbies had her hair pulled back, but she turned her head to talk to her belayer. In doing so, her hair was caught in the device and she could no longer descend down the rope. As we always set with a contingency, the person at the top was able to simply let the rope out and lower her safely to the ground.
- Do the guides hook in at the top of the rappel?
- People act a bit crazy at times when they get frightened. Standing at the edge of a cliff can be one of those times. When a person gets scared trying to go over the edge, they will sometimes grab for whoever is close. This is fine if the person they are grabbing for is securely hooked in, but could be disastrous if they are not.
If a company answers yes to these 3 questions I would feel confident and comfortable hiring them to take us canyoneering.
As a note, canyoneering is not for the faint of heart. It is not for those with a fear of heights. It is an adventure that will never be forgotten. It is beautiful and it is something few get to experience. I highly recommend it if you ever get the chance and have a desire for adventure.