3-Day Technical Canyoneering Course (ACE-L1) – Las Vegas, NV

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:  Klaus Gerhart, and team

The cost of this course is only $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.)  Please read more course/company policies here.

This class will begin at the Boulder Beach Picnic Area near the Boulder Beach Campground on Friday evening from 7:00pm-9:30pm and will reconvene each morning (Saturday-Sunday) at 7:00am and will finish around 5:00pm each afternoon. You’ll need to arrange for your own camping or lodging  and transportation for this course.

Required gear for this course is a harness and a helmet (we can loan these out if you don’t have them … and we will 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.

If you have Monday free, stay and join us for a descent of a local canyon to put your new skills to immediate use!