3-Day Technical Canyoneering Course (ACE-L1) Boulder, CO

Learn to Canyoneer!

Canyoneering and Canyoning are terms used to describe an adventure sport that combines hiking, wading, swimming, jumping, sliding, boulder-hopping, scrambling, rock-climbing, sometimes packrafting and always rappelling — often over waterfalls.

Canyoneering is an emerging adventure sport in the US, and has grown significantly in popularity over the past decade.  This sport has unique risks and requires a very specific set of technical skills to enjoy it safely.  Rock-climbing, caving, mountaineering and swift water training teach related skills for your ‘toolbox’, but Canyoneering has become highly specialized, and much of the gear and many of the techniques of Canyoneering are distinctly different from those of the other sports …and, that’s where we come in!

Prerequisite: None

This is a beginner to intermediate course which teaches the skills necessary to safely descend canyons as part of a group (being a competent participant and the knowledge to recognize and implement safe canyon practices). This course is designed to quickly get the beginner up-to-speed on basics, to give both the rookie and intermediate canyoneer new tools for his/her toolbox, and will help intermediate cayoneers refine their current skill set!  The topics and skills covered will include:

• Knots, Bends and Hitches
• Canyon Rating System
• Rules, Ethics, Style, Communication and Courtesy
• Specific Gear Choices, Requirements, Use and Care
• Belays, Lowering and Handlines
• Natural, Artificial, Transient & Human Anchors
• Static and Contingency Riggings
• Rope Deployment, Coiling, Bagging and Etiquette
• Rappelling Techniques & On-Rope Skills 
  (Adding Friction Pre-rappel, Mid-rappel, Locking Off, etc.)
• Specialized Rappelling Techniques 
  (Hard Starts, Soft Starts, Free-Hanging, Over-Hanging, etc.)
• Basic Climbing & Down Climbing Skills 
  (Bridging, Stemming, Partner Assists, Partner Captures, etc.)
• Safety Checking and Basic Self-Rescue
• And, within each of these broad subjects are a myriad of skills and tools.

Host:  Klaus Gerhart          Instructors:  AJ Pastula,

The cost of this course is $395. (The course fee is non-refundable, but may be put toward a future class during the same calendar year if 30 days notice are given, cancelling your participation in this course.  If 30 days notice are not given, the remaining balance will be due whether you attend the course or not.)  Please read more course/company policies here.

This class will begin on Friday evening (6:00pm-8:30pm) at the large parking lot on the left at Elephant Buttress off Canyon Road, with an orientation, introduction, and presentation with an emphasis on the canyon rating system, gear, weather, canyon topography … and getting to know each other.  The class will reconvene on Saturday and Sunday at Elephant Buttress and will run from 7:00am-5:00pm both days.

Required gear for this course is a harness and a helmet (We can loan these out if you don’t have them … and we offer a 10% discount for any gear bought before/during/directly after the course), and we’ll also be loaning out carabiners, descenders, tethers, foot loops, prussiks, etc.  Feel free to borrow our gear for this course, until you determine what your needs will be.