Hi Everyone,
My my name is Chris and I am new to Canyoneering. I live in Utah County with my wife and kids. I got bit by the bug a year ago when a friend took me on a trip to Blarney Canyon in the North Wash.
I was really excited to get started, so I read a lot online, and I gleaned all the I could. Having little to no "outdoorsman" experience and I found the info a bit overwhelming.
A friend recommended Darkhorse Leadership's Intro to Canyoneering course, which I completed in April. I thoroughly enjoyed the course. Steve & Clark were great instructors, and I felt well prepared to get out and do some "beginner" canyons.
I bought some gear, set set my sights on the North Wash again, and prepared for Shillelagh Canyon this last weekend. I was disappointed when I got all the way there under mostly sunny/partly cloudy skies, only to see dark rain clouds looming in the Western sky. My group and I decided to abort due to flood risk, so we went on to Moab.
The next day, we set out for Cameltoe Canyon. My novice land navigation skills led to the approach taking 3 hours with a couple episodes of backtracking. We had a compass and topo map, but no GPS. The Beta from Climb Utah was accurate, but left out several key details.
We made it to the first rappel (50'). Because of rain the previous day, the dryfall was a small water fall. Not too much water, but the trouble was that the Beta said nothing about the nature of the rappel, other than there were bolts.
The rappel turned out to be a very sharp overhang. Not cut-your-rope sharp, but sharp enough to crush your hand or break a bone. I was the only person who had rappelled using the slide-over-the-edge technique (thanks to Steve & Clark's excellent preparation). My group was trying to be brave, but I could see significant apprehension on their faces.
I rigged the rope, but I/we ultimately decided to retreat because the group was too weak/inexperienced to handle this obstacle safely. We all made it back to Moab in one piece. Sunday's weather turned ugly, we packed up and headed home.
So, my first "Canyoneering" trip ended as an extended hike through slick rock country with no canyons completed.
I would like to hear feedback and suggestions for "straightforward" canyons in the future.