Description

UBERFest: Capitol Reef 2024

Wednesday, September 25 – Sunday, September 29

Note: This event is full and registration is now closed. You have the option of putting your name on the waitlist. If space becomes available, I’ll start moving people off the waitlist on September 1st. Also, remember that this is not an event for beginners. You must have significant canyoneering experience to attend. If you have any questions about whether or not your skills are sufficient, please call us before registering. 855-727-7353

Welcome to the 2024 Capitol Reef UBERFest, a gathering of canyoneers from near and far who wish to explore the natural beauty of the Capitol Reef National Park area. There are significant changes to the way this Fest is being organized, so please read all of the event information before registering.

What’s the purpose of an UBERFest?  The obvious answer to that question is to have fun descending beautiful canyons, but those of you who have attended these events in the past know that there’s so much more going on. This festival will include workshops, a Park Ranger talk, a full meal on Saturday night, and much more. UBER Adventures hosts these festivals and plans activities with the following objectives in mind:

1. Education and Skill Development: Provide opportunities for participants to learn and enhance their canyoneering and leadership skills.
2. Environmental Stewardship: Foster a sense of responsibility for the preservation of the natural environment where canyoneering takes place. Promote Leave No Trace principles and sustainable practices.
3. Community Building: Create a sense of community among canyoneers, allowing participants to network, share experiences, and build connections with like-minded individuals.
4. Safety Awareness: Emphasize the importance of safety in canyoneering.
5. Inclusivity: Foster an inclusive and diverse environment, encouraging people of all ages, backgrounds, and skill levels to participate in the festival.
6. Fun and Recreation: Provide a platform for participants to enjoy the thrill of canyoneering in a festive and supportive atmosphere.
7. Partnerships: Collaborate with outdoor organizations, governmental agencies, and others to enhance the overall success and impact of the festival.

THE EVENT

As canyoneering is an inherently dangerous activity, this event is only open to those with professional canyoneering training or significant canyoneering experience. Priority registration will be given to those who have completed an UBER Adventures course within the last 3 years or who volunteer and are accepted to lead canyons during the event. If you have never taken an UBER Adventures course or have never attended an UBERFest before, you must call and speak to me directly for permission to attend before registering.

• The event is limited to 90 participants.
• The first 60 spaces will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.
• The rest of the spaces will be held for canyon leaders, assistant leaders, volunteers, staff, and recent UBER Adventures students.
• When registration closes, you may place your name on a waitlist. As cancellations come in, names will be taken off the waitlist in the order they were received.

COST: This event is full and registration is closed. The fee options are for a tent space included ($95) or find your own accommodations ($75). The fee includes workshops, Saturday evening meal (bring your own beverages), hot bottomless coffee provided every morning by 6am, and some cool swag. (NOTE: Registration fees are non-refundable and non-transferable.) Also, remember that this is a National Park, so you will need a National Parks Pass (one for each car entering the park) or you will have to pay the park entry fee.

CANYONEERING IN CAPITOL REEF NATIONAL PARK

UBER Adventures has obtained a Special Recreational Use Permit from Capitol Reef National Park for this festival to ensure a successful event for everyone. This means that the event will be more structured than in the past in order to abide by park rules and regulations. This includes acquiring the required Day-Use permits for technical canyoneering and observing group size limits and numbers in the canyons. By participating in this event, you are agreeing to follow all park rules and regulations. Anyone who violates park rules will be removed from all group activities for the remainder of the festival.

PARK CANYONEERING REGULATIONS:

Permits: Permits are required for canyoneering in the park. Permits are free. If you descend more than one canyon in a day, you will need a permit for each canyon. Do not get your own permits. We will have special permits for this event, and we will provide them for you at basecamp.

Group and size limits: We are limited to one group in each canyon per day. Group size is also limited but varies depending on the canyon. While this might seem somewhat limiting, there are over 25 canyons in the park to choose from, so there will be plenty of choices for everyone.

For more information on park regulations, go to the Capitol Reef National Park website here.

CANYON GROUPS: We will have canyon roster / sign-up sheets at basecamp (the pavilion). There will be one sheet for each canyon for each day of the festival.

PARTICIPANT RESPONSIBILITIES: You are responsible for making informed decisions about the canyon trips you choose to join, both ahead of time and on the day of the trip. You are responsible for supplying your own personal canyon gear and familiarizing yourself with the canyon beta. You should be prepared to be an active team member of each group you join (no passengers). You are responsible for contributing to a welcoming and respectful space throughout the event. This includes respecting camp rules, treating the campground with respect, and following Leave No Trace principles and practices. The following behaviors are prohibited and will result in the removal of the individual who committed the behavior from the remaining canyon rosters of the event: sexual or other forms of harassment, the use of illegal drugs or other substances, and the use of alcohol or marijuana while in canyon.

TRANSPORTATION: You are responsible for providing your own transportation to and from the event as well as getting to the canyons. All canyons are accessible via passenger vehicles. Please try to carpool to the event as parking space is somewhat limited. Two-three people to a car would be reasonable when you consider camping gear, coolers, canyoneering gear and shuttling to the canyons.

CAMPING GEAR and FOOD: You are responsible for providing your own camping gear/supplies and food – EXCEPT we will provide a full meal on Saturday night between 5:00-9:00 pm. Just bring yourselves and your own beverages. There is also a restaurant at the campground, and we will be near the town of Torrey, which has a variety of shops and restaurants.

BETA: Start thinking about which canyons you’d like to descend and/or lead. 
http://ropewiki.com/Capitol_Reef_National_Park
https://www.roadtripryan.com/go/a/utah/capitol-reef
http://www.bluugnome.com/cyn_route/cap-reef/canyon-routes__cap-reef.aspx

WEATHER: The average high/low for this time of year is 80°/42°, making it the perfect time to explore these canyons!

OTHER ACTIVITIES: The park has awesome hikes, petroglyph panels, arches, technical canyoneering, visitor’s center and scenic drives!

THE CAMPGROUND (BASECAMP)

I’ve reserved all the tent sites at a private campground in Torrey, 6 miles from Capitol Reef National Park, for a maximum of 50 people. The campground has water, fire rings, picnic tables, restrooms, showers, a pool, and a restaurant!  It also has a giant pavilion which we have exclusive use of for workshops, planning canyon trips, and socializing. A spot at the group campsite is included in your registration fee. Please note, however, that space is limited at these sites, so giant house-sized tents are not permitted.

The campground also has RV spaces and cabins available. If you want to go that route, you’ll be responsible for making (and paying for) your own arrangements at the campground, and your registration fee will be reduced. You do not need to stay at this campground to attend the event, but you may find it more convenient to do so. Do not make your own reservations until after your event registration has been confirmed. 

Thousand Lakes RV Park, Cabins and Campground
1110 W. SR-24
Torrey, UT 84775
(435) 425-3500

 

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

If you’d like to guarantee your spot at the festival, consider volunteering in one of the following ways:

• Be a canyon leader or assistant leader for 2 or more canyon days during the event. We’ll have brief leadership meetings on Wednesday and Thursday night to make sure you’re up to speed.
• Be a basecamp host. Help with registration or be on duty at least half a day during the event to help with any issues that arise. This is an easy task & we’ll provide guidance.
• Help with pre-planning by contacting vendors who might want to attend or donate gear for a raffle.

If you’d like to volunteer, please go here to find out more information and fill out the volunteer form.

 

Here is a brief schedule of the festival events:

SCHEDULE

• Wednesday
  • Arrival begins 12:00 noon
  • Set up camp, orientation & socializing
  • Greet friends, old & new, and plan canyon trips
  • Take a hike or descend a short canyon
• Thursday
  • Canyons
  • Evening workshops, Park Ranger talk, meet vendors, games & prizes
• Friday
  • Canyons
  • Evening free
• Saturday
  • Canyons
  • Evening feast (provided) – Just BYOB
• Sunday 
  • Canyons
  • Depart camp by 12:00 noon