Subway ain't no hand-line canyon
Yesterday, I had the pleasure of taking one of my childhood buddies and his family and two of his family friends along with my son through the Subway. Based on a brief search for beta, I was unclear as to whether the logs were gone -- gone but reestablished, or an alternative way was set up around the waterfall at the last obstacle by the waterfall room and at the pools. Well, let me be very clear: THE LOGS ARE GONE.....PERIOD. There is no bridge, no rope, nada. Since I wasn't sure and I knew I was taking newbies, I packed three harnesses and sufficient gear. Since I had the right stuff, no big deal to get everyone down safely in a harness. To be clear again, THE SUBWAY NOW REQUIRES FULL RAPPELLING GEAR (imho).
If the Subway was classified as a semi-technical canyon in the past (harness wasn't required) I would certainly consider it a technical canyon now. Only the strongest and/or most foolish would attempt to handline the rap on the right of the waterfall/pool looking down canyon (LDC). And in my humble opinion only the foolish with a death wish would jump the waterfall to obtain the left slope LDC. It is a pretty long jump with extreme penalty points, one that I was not comfortable attempting and I am 6'2". More importantly, I was with a fit group but I wasn't about to let my 12 year old son or my friend's 10 year old son or his wife even consider that jump.
One other note, the bowling ball is no longer a swim but a climb over. Fun!
Finally, we had the rare opportunity of watching one in or group propose to his girlfriend at the "Stairway to Heaven" in the Subway proper. Yes, I picked his spot for him since he had never been there before. That was awesome. So nice to see a young man get on his knee and pull out a diamond ring and to top it all off, in the Subway. Simply awesome. I told them that there were some spectacular photos of that spot that he needs to buy to put on his wall. They will both never forget the Subway. I was lucky to be a part of that wonderful proposal.
Sorry, I didn't have a camera. I will try to have my buddy email me a couple to post.
Subway ain't no hand-line canyon
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Scott Card
My real point in posting this info to begin with was that I do not believe that the Subway, in its present conditions, should be advertised as a "no rappel necessary" canyon. Can one do it without rappelling? Yes, but as you, Rockgremlin stated, "that jump over the falls isn't for everyone". I wasn't about to let my 12 year old make that jump. He is fit and athletic but the penalty points were too great and his legs were too short. Sounds like you made the same decision to rappel/lower you kids. So, yes, it can be done without rappelling but given the diverse and mostly newbie status of those doing the Subway, I would advertise it as "you should bring rappelling gear and know how to use it" type canyon. I would much rather be besmirched by the young and athletic telling me they didn't need the harness and that I am a wimp/wuss/weak/old/etc. for not doing the leap. It would cause me a lot of guilt if I advertised the canyon as "no rappel necessary" with the current conditions and someone got hurt trying to make the leap they had no business making.
One more comment, like most sports, canyoneering has a huge mental component to it. A six foot leap from one chalk mark to another on a side walk is mentally not the same if you dig a twenty foot trench between the chalk marks and put a few boulders at the bottom. The distance may be the same but mentally, that six feet now looks like 12 feet. In the case of the Subway, add slippery rocks, cold legs and feet, waterfall and rocks at the bottom, and an uneven surfaces to mess with the mind as it contemplates the six foot (or whatever it is) gap. If we advertise "No rappel necessary, only a 6 foot jump necessary" that seems to me to be a potential recipe for injury or worse. Now, I know I am going to take some flak from some of you with this opinion and that everyone needs to do their own research, be responsible for themselves, yada yada, and I generally agree. But the Subway is a different beast because of the permit system and volume of rookie visitors it receives.
Helmet on, fire away!
X2
I would like to think that as a beta writer/sprayer - you always write/tell it OBJECTIVELY....always, always, always. And I think both Shane and Tom do that well.
Subjective should remain for your own personal group. But the public is objectively.
I've seen numerous 60yr+olds descend the Subway and there is no way I would say "jumping the gap is easy" to my mom and dad. Even to athletic noobs. Sure some might jump it - but I'll let them decide it once they are there and have appropriate gear.
There's where people get in trouble is when we remain subjective.
