Test-piece

[Iceaxe]

Which routes do you consider to be a canyoneering test-piece? Which canyons did/do you aspire to be able to lead?

I think my list would be

Imlay
Heaps
and Sandthrax

When someone tells me they can lead these routes I know about where they rank in ability and skills. And when I list the canyons above I mean actually being able to lead the canyons on your own. I don't consider being lead through the canyons by an experienced canyoneer to carry the same status.

Kolob was on my test-piece list until I actually did the route. After that I considered it a great route to tick off your list but certainly not worthy of the status of test-piece.

Anyhoo.... I'm just curious what others consider a canyon test-piece. Having actually descend the route is not a prerequisite to answering this question. What canyon do you aspire to be able to lead some day?

:popcorn:

[Jaxx]

the canyons you have listed I think are the top of the ladder. I still think Kolob is a test peice. mainly because I haven't done it yet. But the reason I think it is a test piece is because you cant just jump in and go. It is one that you have to check on flow levels and be smart about.
Choprock is on the top of the list because of pothole trouble.
Right now my test pieces this year will include a lot of downclimbing and stemming. That is one thing I need to work on. I got a taste of it and want to try more and work up to sandthrax.
Quandry is another test piece I have in mind to test some pothole work.
I have been a kiddie canyoneer long enough. I want to add some beef to my resume. I think this year will be big in the north wash area for me. Lots of the zion canyons are the throw and go and I have graduated from that I feel like.

[AJ]

Which routes do you consider to be a canyoneering test-piece? Which canyons did/do you aspire to be able to lead?

...

:popcorn:

Boy, this could end up being someone's shopping list... I'll give my two cents on the top three in each category, as well as some tips on getting prepared for them. Of course, the best training is to do canyons that work your way up to the ones on the top of the list.

I'm sure there are other canyons out there that I haven't done yet too; so others feel free to modify the list...


I think we would need to put it in categories:

Water Exposure: (some with possible hard escapes)
Heaps
Imlay
Kolob (Maybe full left at high water)
(or some CO canyons, but that could be a whole new category)

How to train for these:
Do Capitol Reef canyons in High Water
Hit the swell in medium water conditions


High Stemming: (some with difficult upclimbs)
Sandthrax
Egypt 4
Glaucoma / Best Slot down to Powell
(This category is difficult, as Sandthrax and Glaucoma have some tough spots, but for instance I found E4 to have a lot of potential danger zones as much of Sandthrax pinches off.)

Training:
Stay high/off the ground in North Wash canyons; good ones are R Lep and R Blarney.
Upper Stair



Potholes/Escapes:
Cricket
Imlay
Holey Moley

Training:
Quandary Direct
Very Safe Option: Do Miner's Hollow in reverse, staying in the watercourse. This is challenging, and you can reverse direction if you need to.


Squeezing:
Shennanigans
Middle Fork Butler
Chambers

Training:
Do some of the other North Wash canyons that have tight areas, or do some caving.



Of course, Choprock is a good one too; but it spans categories. Has water exposure, some upclimbs, etc. Highly conditions dependent though; my last trip through was the easiest I have seen that canyon and it really wasn't that bad...


Take care,
A.J.

[jman]

I found E4 to have a lot of potential danger zones as much of Sandthrax pinches off.)


Yea, Egypt 4 sucks big time. I can't believe that place sometimes and what dumb people like me sacrifice my life just to climb some rocks - odd. Anywho,

I would say Heaps is the tougher route to lead than Imlay, though. Although, if you can do one, you can do the other. But if you can do Heaps, the party that person is with, should be pretty confident.

[mrbrejcha]

I would say Heaps is the tougher route to lead than Imlay, though.

I dunno, the potholes in Heaps aren't as tricky to me as Imlay's. Heaps is just a BIG day with a series of bigs raps at the end that can be really dangerous if you (or your group) is tired. There are no real tricky potholes, just LOTS of easier to escape holes. In Imlay, I can think of four tricky holes (first narrows..the first pothole with hook holes in it [had a log in last year], the pot shot/guided rap hole a little ways down canyon from the hooked out hole, the bigass pothole in the second narrows with hook holes and the final series of holes that hates pot shots).

To me, Imlay is more technical than Heaps, but less physical. Just my 2 cents, I'm sure some folks see it in other ways...

Either way, two amazing canyons...jeez.. typing this makes me want to be the now :naughty:

[jman]

I would say Heaps is the tougher route to lead than Imlay, though.

I dunno, the potholes in Heaps aren't as tricky to me as Imlay's. Heaps is just a BIG day with a series of bigs raps at the end that can be really dangerous if you (or your group) is tired. There are no real tricky potholes, just LOTS of easier to escape holes. In Imlay, I can think of four tricky holes (first narrows..the first pothole with hook holes in it [had a log in last year], the pot shot/guided rap hole a little ways down canyon from the hooked out hole, the bigass pothole in the second narrows with hook holes and the final series of holes that hates pot shots).

To me, Imlay is more technical than Heaps, but less physical. Just my 2 cents, I'm sure some folks see it in other ways...

Either way, two amazing canyons...jeez.. typing this makes me want to be the now :naughty:

I must of did Imlay twice in a row when the water in the pots were high then....cause Heaps when I did that 3x - everyone time except 1 was a pain in the butt - definitely more technical than Imlay was at the time. But yea, I know what you mean by the first potholes in Imlay though - they were tough but not too difficult just a long day, like you said.

[AJ]

I would say Heaps is the tougher route to lead than Imlay, though.
To me, Imlay is more technical than Heaps, but less physical. Just my 2 cents, I'm sure some folks see it in other ways...


My experience has been the same. Much trickier/technical stuff in Imlay but longer and more water exposure in Heaps; with the obvious end rap sequence...

[ratagonia]

I would say Heaps is the tougher route to lead than Imlay, though.
To me, Imlay is more technical than Heaps, but less physical. Just my 2 cents, I'm sure some folks see it in other ways...


My experience has been the same. Much trickier/technical stuff in Imlay but longer and more water exposure in Heaps; with the obvious end rap sequence...

It depends...

Both Imlay and Heaps are very condition-dependent. Both can be fairly easy (technically), and both can be rather difficult. While Imlay is usually "more technical", of the two, the hardest I had was one July trip in Heaps when the water was quite low.

YMMV

Tom