U Turn Canyon--Arches National Park--Spring Break 2012--April 10th
It was Spring Break time again, and time for our annual trip to Moab to play. We took a break from the usual atv/motocross riding and hiking to try out our new family activity.
We've been collecting gear and getting educated for the last 9 months and it was finally time to try it out. I had seen the excellent TR's on U Turn and wanted to see it for myself. We invited my brother-in-law Doug who had experience as a climber and was able to help out considerably. Before I proceed any further, I fully realize Doug is not wearing a helmet and although I don't agree, that is a decision he can make on his own. Doug mentioned that he is considering purchasing one and I fully support him on that.
This was our first time in any canyon that required ropes and we certainly learned a lot. First of all, when the time needed says 2 to 4 hours, I will plan on 6--at least until we get better at it. We ended up rigging the last rap as the sun was going down and rapped it in the dark. While my kids seemed to enjoy it, it was a bit unnerving for me. I also wished we had practiced on a gentle slope beforehand to get the basics down...just didn't work out that way and as a result, we ended up using a tandem rappel which actually worked out pretty well in this situation.
Overall, we had an incredibly fun time and my boys talk about it all the time and are already asking about next time.
Headed up the approach crack.
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-E...5201-01.01.JPG
View of bowl from top.
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-s...5201-01.02.JPG
From the ridge line looking south.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-W...1-01.03.02.jpg
My brother-in-law Doug.
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-g...5201-01.03.JPG
Walking along the natural sidewalk around the 1st dome.
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-R...5201-01.04.JPG
Gorgeous day! Love the evening sun on the Entrada.
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-6...5201-01.05.JPG
We arrived at the first rappel and found a single anchor under this large boulder.
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-Q...25201-01.5.JPG
Rigging the first rappel.
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-K...T%25201-01.JPG
My youngest son Trevor (just turned 5)--I think that's supposed to be a "hook'em horns" (my wife's from Austin).
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-8...T%25201-03.jpg
From L to R--My other two sons Brandon (almost 9) and Justin (11).
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-8...T%25201-06.JPG
Doug went first.
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-9...T%25201-09.JPG
Brandon on his first rappel ever.
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-_...T%25201-10.JPG
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-q...T%25201-11.jpg
Justin wasn't quite ready to solo, so I decided to lower him with a top belay. Ended up not working so well.
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-j...T%25201-12.JPG
Trevor wasn't ready to solo either, so I clipped him to my harness and down we went. I soon realized that we needed to do something different.
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-m...T%25201-13.JPG
My wife Nancy was the last to rap. We were now all down the first rappel and ready for the next.
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-7...T%25201-19.JPG
The second rap was from 2 bolts on left (LDC) with good webbing.
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-U...5202-01.01.JPG
We cut some webbing into short slings and tried our first tandem rappel. Doug took Justin down first. Worked very well.
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-x...5202-01.02.JPG
So far so good.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-T...5202-01.03.JPG
Now it was time for Trevor and I. Trevor was very nervous but didn't cry at all.
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-D...T%25202-10.JPG
He managed to get out a "see ya at the bottom mom". Tandem rap worked very well again and confidence level went way up.
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-Q...T%25202-11.JPG
Brandon sailed down the 2nd rap.
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/--...T%25202-15.jpg
He went down double strand and it was just too much friction. He had to feed the line in all the way down.
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-Q...T%25202-16.jpg
Nancy followed everyone and we pulled the rope.
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-t...T%25202-20.jpg
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-r...T%25202-21.jpg
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-I...T%25202-22.jpg
Everyone having a good time.
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-E...T%25202-30.JPG
Looking for the 3rd rap.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Z...T%25203-02.jpg
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-3...T%25203-03.jpg
Brandon about to experience his first free-hanging rap.
We couldn't find the anchors described in the beta, so we wrapped a sling around a large boulder and rapped down the waterway that had a 15' free-hanging drop. By this time the sun was going down pretty quick.
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-j...T%25203-05.JPG
Tandem rap again in action. Thanks to those in other posts for the suggestion--it worked great and felt very safe.
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-k...T%25203-06.JPG
Justin's first free-hanging rap.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-9...T%25203-07.JPG
Got to the 4th rap just in time to rig it before the sun went down. We rapped down from the anchors by the large boulder that goes over the gentle slope to a two tier free hanging rap. Webbing looked good. Beta says 65', but it seemed longer than that...
Nancy and Trevor tandem rapping in the dark.
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-p...T%25204-01.jpg
Trevor seemed a lot more comfortable on this last rap.
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-5...25204-02.5.jpg
Brandon descending solo again. I blocked it off with a biner block so he could go down single strand. He tried double at the top and with the weight of the rope couldn't even move.
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-o...T%25204-03.JPG
Thank goodness for the headlamps.
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-4...T%25204-04.JPG
Justin and I tandem rapping to the canyon floor. Justin was by then a lot more comfortable and having a good time.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/--...T%25204-06.JPG
We pulled the rope and in about 20 minutes of laughing and talking about the great time we just had were back at the Tahoe and on our way to the Moab Diner.
What a fantastic day! :2thumbs:
