Newbie eager to learn some canyoneering chops!
Hello all!
I'm originally from northern IL, but after having gone to school in Gunnison, CO, I was sure I belonged in the west. Fast forward a few years after trying to stick it out in the Midwest for a career and I'm moving back to Gunnison in October 2015 and eager to get my adventure on!
I joined this community hoping to find some folks who could show me the ropes (no pun intended) and the ins-and-outs of canyoneering. I spent a week in Zion this past July wherein my brother and I descended the Subway, Pine Creek, and Keyhole. My brother had zero experience, so this was my first true canyoneering test where I got to call all the shots. We had a successful trip in all 3 canyons, I learned a ton and want to keep that trend going. I have a stable grasp of canyoneering basics and basic set of gear (200ft rope, 140ft rope, 75ft rope, slings, webbing, rapides, rappel rings, many carabineers, prussic loops, etc, harness, helmet, wetsuit). Rather than continue to wing it on my own and with inexperienced groups, I'd like to tag along with some canyoneering veterans and learn what I can learn. I'll be in Gunnison beginning in October and should be free to travel to Utah canyon country with enough heads up.
Also, I'm an avid hiker/summiter. I've got 18 14er summits to my name currently with several class 3/4 routes under my belt. I'm comfy as a mountain goat on sketchy terrain and can happily hike all day. I've got a full backpacking setup for long trips. Let's go climb a mountain together or backpack into some place amazing!
Also also, I've got a rock/ice 200ft rope, climbing shoes for summer, axes and crampons for winter ice climbing. I typically hit Ouray Ice park a few times a winter. Wanna climb?
Also also also, I ski....but not terribly well. Wanting to get better though. Happy to meet up for a day on the slopes anywhere in CO or Utah.
Bottom line, let's go adventuring!