1st canyoneering trip Hogwarts Canyon

[gholt]

Did my 1st Canyoneering trip through Hogwarts Canyon with Guides. It was quite the experience. Wondering from those who have done lots of canyoneering, does the fear ever go away or diminish enough so that you can enjoy the experience?

My wife wan't fazed as much as I was. If I do more of these, will the fear end up going down, or if it is too bad, should I avoid these types of adventuring?

Just curious.

[Iceaxe]

The fear goes down as your experience level goes up. But I still occasionally feel a little anxiety before a trip and I've probably done 1000+ canyons. I believe a little fear is a good thing as it keeps you sharp which helps in avoiding mistakes.

[TommyBoy]

What iceaxe said, although for some people the fear never does go away. I would stick with canyons that only have short drops to start with and see if the fear lessens at all after a couple times, also maybe go somewhere local you can practice rappelling. If the fear lessens to the point you feel you can enjoy yourself great if not, unfortunately this sport might not be for you.

[dakotabelliston]

As your skill improves your confidence level will go up. Over time your fear will start to diminish, especially if your with fun & experienced people. I do find that if you go a long time without canyoneering the jitters can come back. I would recommend going to your local climbing areas & practice rappelling & various techniques. Glad you were able to get out & have a good time !!!

[gholt]

Thanks for the encouragement. Do you have any suggestion for the Ogden area, if you don't have any gear. Is it time to buy some or just go to the Front Climbing gym in Ogden?

[TommyBoy]

Thanks for the encouragement. Do you have any suggestion for the Ogden area, if you don't have any gear. Is it time to buy some or just go to the Front Climbing gym in Ogden?

I don't know the Ogden area, but as for gear its quite the investment to get started for someting you're not sure you'll continue with, especially since you'll need to buy a rope if you're going out without someone else. If you can find someone with a rope to go with then the rest, harness, helmet, and rappel device, isn't too bad of an investment. If you can't find anyone in Ogden then certainly there are lots of people in SLC and lots of places to practice, and its not too far of a drive for you.

[Scott P]

does the fear ever go away or diminish enough so that you can enjoy the experience?

The fear of Hogwarts may go away, but the more canyons you do, the more scary things you see, as least if you try harder canyons as you get more experience.

Actually, when I started canyoneering, we didn't have enough fear. We were probably lucky we never did get hurt since there was no beta back then and because we weren't familiar enough with proper techniques.

Overall though, I would say that I'm more afraid of canyons now (even easy ones) than I was when I started. It is because I am more cautious now.

[gholt]

I saw the thread that had the pictures for 2013. You guys go to some amazing places! Hopefully, I'll be able to find some easier canyons to practice on so that I can build up my courage to try some of those canyons you took pictures of.

[dakotabelliston]

I know there is some climbing up Ogden canyon. I have never climbed it, but have driven by multiple times. I would recommend looking on mountainproject.com to find local climbing areas & routes. Anything that you can top-rope you should be able to practice rappelling on. I believe there are some of these up Ogden canyon on the side of the road.

There are countless beginner canyons in Utah. If you want a fun easy trip I'm sure a lot of people could recommend some canyons. I did a trip in Escalante earlier today that was had some fairly easy canyons, some technical & some not so much.

bluegnome.com has a gear last on there site of everything that they recommend you bring on a trip. Obviously depending on the group, weather, time of year, & canyon that list will change, but I usually always carry extra gear with me. Better be safe then to be sorry. I would recommend doing 3-4 trips with someone who has stuff & knows their way before you go blow a small fortune on all your own gear.

[gholt]

Here are some pictures of the trip for your enjoyment.

I don't know how to embed the photos. Is there an easy way to do this with Google photos?

https://goo.gl/photos/5RwsifyqtZA4MjR47