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| Canyoneering | 4.50 Miles |
700 AEG |
| | Canyoneering | 4.50 Miles | | | |
| 700 ft AEG | | | | |
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| | Intermediate Canyoneering - Difficult or dangerous; Tech Climb; rope reqd; descent anchor; exit technical; | | A - Dry or little water; shallow or avoidable water; no wet/dry suit | | III - Normally requires most of a day |
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| no partners | | Day 4 - The Training Canyon
After attending the small Basic Skills Workshop the day before, it was time to put those Skills to the test...There were 10 of us, including the 2 Instructors, Steve and Clark. We couldn't go into Zion Park itself, as "Commercial Guiding" is forbidden, so the guys picked this one, for it's variety of Rappels and Skill Tests.
This one definitely requires a Shuttle, with the back end being 4X4 access only, unless you want to tack on a few more miles of uphill on the Road. So after setting up the Shuttle, we got started. We followed the Water Course of Birch down to the first Rappel. Talk about a great start! 120 Feet and a lot of that was Free...  After an hour or so of more instruction, it was time to get on Rope...  Loving it!
This was a great little Canyon. I don't think there was a Rappel under 50 feet and they averaged 80....and the first two had a lot of Free Rappel time... 8 Rappels in all  Some Downclimbs, including one that I probably would have done on Rope, but the Instructors showed us some Teamwork moves that made it efficient to do without...The name of the Game there was Thigh Presses...   I'm starting to get so comfortable on Rappel that I actually did one right-handed, although I took it much slower, since it felt as awkward as my first Rappel ever...But it's important for me to be ambidextrous in this Sport.
The Canyon was mostly dry until we started getting to the bottom and then we encountered some Mud from all of the Rains the previous week...And at the 2nd to last Rappel, there was a big Water/Mud hole...You have to find a way to get around it to get to a Keyhole for the last Rappel...Everyone had run around it using the Rope to keep from falling in...Then, it was just Clark in the Keyhole and Steve being the last to Rappel into the Chamber where I was...Steve got down and I lingered to help with the Rope...Steve pulled the Rope and that left us to negotiate around the Mud Hole without that Aid... Steve then says, "Trust Me" and sticks his foot against the Wall for me to use as a step to get up into the Keyhole where Clark was waiting...What Steve didn't take into account was the Wall that his foot was on, was wet... His foot slipped with the weight on it and I took him out with me on the way into the Mud....  The hysterical Laughing proceeded to commence, from all three of us...After I recovered enough from Laughing, I stepped into the Keyhole and proceeded to do the last Rappel covered in mud from the Hips down...Steve was in even worse shape....
And then we were through and heading up Orderville Canyon to the Truck...Nice easy level walking most of the way for about 1 1/2 miles and then just a little up to get completely out...This was by far, the easiest Exit I have ever done....Made even that much easier and shorter with the advantage of the 4x4....
This was a short Canyon, but we spent all day in there learning so it was great...We also learned from another Party's mistake...We had let a Party of 3 play through us and we ended up catching up to them about halfway through...Lucky for them...Instead of having enough Rope with them to pull, they were using a Pull Cord no bigger than a piece of Twine...That would really bite them in the pumpkin, as it broke on them after a 90 foot Rappel...They were stuck and weren't going anywhere until we came along and dropped their Rope down to them.... If we hadn't been behind them, they pretty much would have been screwed, as that was their only rope, and there was no one behind us....This is exactly why I'm taking this Training!
It was a perfect day with great Company and awesome Instructors...This Training was excellent and I'm really glad I took the plunge and spent the Resources to attend...It was worth every penny and second of time!!! This is just the beginning, as I plan on attending more Workshops in the future, as time and budget allows, and definitely plan on attending the Rendezvous again next year....
Photos
Most of these are mine, but if I'm in them, they were taken by another gal...  |
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Birch Canyon |
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| | | Just a couple of Mud Holes with standing Water. | | _____________________
| Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty & well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, totally worn out & proclaiming, "Wow What a Ride!" |
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