Another Newbie Introducing Himself (I know "SIGH")

Hello, I am a landscape photographer from Grand Junction Colorado.. I have fallen in love with the canyons and am currently learning basic skills and safety... I have done some bottom up hikes and won't get to do my first canyon rappel until August 5th in Ouray with Canyoning Colorado group...

My fiancé and I are going to some other rappelling classes in GJ and more... Just wanted to say hello, and introduce myself (and my fiancé Leana Leach who will be starting an account here as well)...

Hoping to make some new friends, network, get advice and tips, and eventually give something back as well...

Any Do's and Dont's for the forum are appreciated and obviously canyoneering advice always welcome...

Welcome.

I highly recommend you take a 3-day basic/intro to canyoneering course. These courses are offered (at least) all across southern Utah -- from Springdale and vicinity, in/around Escalante, and even as far "east" as Blanding, UT (your southeastern UT option, http://www.northwashoutfitters.com/index.html). Jared at Northwash Outfitters taught me the ropes, literally; qualified instructors are in abundance.

The point of a course is to be given the foundation skills for safe canyoneering. These qualified instructors follow a basic curriculum and cover the topics a "beginner" needs to know. It's just the beginning of what you need to know, but a thorough immersion for three days allows repetition and making the same point more than once.

Thanks for sharing your photo skills with us. Play hard, but play safe and tread lightly.

Scott L.

Hey thank you very much and will do! I work in a safety sensitive industry so I take the safety part very seriously... Not to mention wanting to introduce my fiancé to the canyons without freaking her out...

I appreciate the feedback and advice...

Jared know his stuff, definitely worth checking out.

Thanks again

Are you planning on attending the Ouray Rendezvous this year? Aug 9-13th if you can make it, its a great way to meet canyoneers. This years snow pack was a little larger so the options for a beginner will be limited, but there are one or two canyons that might be open. Even if you don't want to sign up for the festival you aren't that far away you could just pop in one night for the social and meet people.

I would love to but I head back to work (out of state) on the 6th unfortunately.. I work away for two weeks at a time (then have two off).

I'm usually pretty easy to schedule with, but when I'm at work I'm in ND.

Probably will head down to Moab for the Crag Classic deal however..








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You have a top-notch canyoneering instructor in your own backyard, Steve Morga. But you might have to go to Moab to actually take a class...

http://www.intrepidadventuresports.com/?page_id=2

And another pro-tip: canyoneering is not rock climbing. You can take classes from rock climbers, but some of the stuff they teach you is done differently in canyoneering (even though they say otherwise).

Tom

Thanks! I'm actually doing a half down down angel creek in Ouray on the 26th (we got rained out on the original date), and then in late sept my fiancé and I will be doing the 3-day course from Uber Adventures with Klaus Gerhart... just purchased a critr2, BD harness, Imlay rope and some other gear... also have been taking some classes at REI and going o the local climbing gym to get a start on the classes


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Big Wash and its west fork ("Real Hairy")is a fairly easy and straightforward canyon combo right in your neck of the woods. Might still be too hot right now but good fall or spring canyon. Full day but 4 rappels and very beginner friendly.

http://canyoncollective.com/betabase/big-wash-real-hairy-wf-big-wash.77/

Ok thanks! I will do some research on those right away..


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I have also joint the Climb Utah Circle Of Friends so I should be able to get good info on most places from Shane and Co.


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It's looking like a friend and I may do leprechaun and/or zero gravity next week also... (with EXTRA CARE then at the end of of ZG of course!)...


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