Freeze Fest VIII (First Post for Updates)

[DiscGo]

THE DETAILS

Who: All are invited. If you like mild suffering and slot canyons, you belong at FF.


What: Best New Year's party around... Multiple days of canyoneering and nights of poker, bocce, chasing foxes and good company around the campfire.


When: Dec. 26th - Jan. 6th
Unorganized chaos will start sometime around the night of Dec. 26th, and end the 5th or 6th of January, with the bulk of the crowds being there the weekend of New Years


Where: Sandthrax campsite. Milepost 28.3 or so on Highway 95, north side of the road. Click here for map.


Why: Why not?


Logistics and Tips
(Will be updated as more questions appear in the thread)

For a quick rundown on all the Freeze Fest tips, take it from RAM, the guy who started it the tradition. Here's a bullet point list of all the things you should bring/know/want. (click)


FIREWOOD PLEASE bring firewood. Usually 1 bundle per day per person. Can never have enough firewood, and if the crowds are big this year, we'll definitely need to have more than 1 fire.

Wetsuit or Drysuit? For the black hole on New Years, a drysuit is nice, but not many have them. A layered wetsuit system can work. Anywhere from 5mm-7mm has worked, but be aware of how warm or cold you get. I (carpeybiggs) usually wear two full 4/3mm wetsuits, because I get cold easily. Others can do 4/3 and 2mm shorties. Consider neoprene gloves and thick socks. ZAC is selling nice socks for 40 percent off right now, 18 bucks a pair. (click for link)

Anyway, the big event is the New Year's black hole. For this people will need enough protection to swim in icewater for a couple hours. Generally double wet suits or a dry suit will do. Learning how to function in the cold and wet is an interesting challenge.

Very few raps in the Black Hole, as in zero. couple of downclimbs. Great fun had by all, usually canyon-gang-warfare.

The other big event is the sitting around the fire telling stories into all hours of the night, well, at least until 9 pm, the mandatory stay-up-till hour.

What canyons are on the agenda?
It's completely flexible. But here are some ideas.

North Wash
Shimrock, Shamrock, East Lep
No Kidding
Monkey B
Foolin' Around
Shenanigans
E Blarney, W Blarney
Shillelagh
Hog 1-4
Morocco
Piglet
Hogwarts
Trail
Maidenwaters
Trachyotomy
Upper stair


Poison Springs
Arscenic, Slideanide, Constrychnine - usually dry, half day a piece


Cedar Mesa -
Duckett, Short - two half day canyons, will be wet
Black Hole - many swims, full day, Jan. 1st
Cowboy, Gravel, Cheesebox - weather/road dependent


Burr Road -
Adobe Swale
Monoxide
Burr Slot


Roost -
Chambers - (I plan on doing it on the 26th, a travel day)


Bullfrog
Hard Day Harvey
Good Day Jim

And lots more to choose from...

When I was lunch last month with the Bogleyites in AF we were talking about Freeze Fest. It sounded AWESOME! I have only been repelling a handful of times and really only Canyoneering once. So I realize I should probably stick to the Noob Fests until I get better but my family is going to be out of town for the New Year and without inviting myself... I'm wondering what I would need to do in order to go to Freeze Fest.

Dude, everyone is invited. Anyone stupid enough to show up is more than welcome.

Second, you'll have to learn to rappel, not repel.

There will be some easy-ish canyons on the agenda for sure. As long as you can get on rappel on your own, you should be fine. Others will be happy to help you out.

Bring a harness, rap device, couple extra biners, and lots of old clothes for during the day, and lots of really warm clothes for at night. And lots of firewood. 1 bundle for each day you plan to stay.

If you are there for a wet canyon day, you'd probably want a drysuit. Or at the very least, 2 wetsuits layered.

[CarpeyBiggs]

See above....

[oldno7]

Dan
I have a technical canyoneering course scheduled in Moab from Dec. 4-6.
Usual course fee is $395, I would be happy to extend a 20% discount to any bogley "bigshot's". I would need a minimum of 4 student's and class would be capped at 8. We have an incredible training area in Moab. More info here: http://www.redrockcanyoneering.net/i...es/Page341.htm

Weather could definetely be iffy, but if your planning on freezefest

This is in no way shape or form related to the ACA.

The course is designed to take beginner or near beginner canyoneers and make them self sufficient in a canyon.(ie. capable of doing basic canyon's on your own)

[Iceaxe]

I would be happy to extend a 20% discount to any bogley "bigshot's".

[forum8fox]

There is a decent chance I'm wrong but Moab isn't the exact best training grounds for north wash slots IMO (I'm assuming that's where freeze fest is usually held). Then again I've only been through the midevil chamber which I thought was pretty lame. Walk and rap style.

So I know the dates are the 26th of december through the 3rd of january, what's on the agenda? Personally I'd like to be challanged. Anyone want to run eqypt 4 or something else similar to sandthrax? I know ram offered to run psycho damage with me, but I'm not sure it will be challanging enough. a tough pothole canyon would be fun too but I only have a shortie wet suit which probly won't suffice if there is much water.

The dates I will most likely be able to attend will be the 26-27th and the 2-3rd. Since I have some time to plan I might be able to score 3 day weekends instead of just 2 days.

[CarpeyBiggs]

So I know the dates are the 26th of december through the 3rd of january, what's on the agenda? Personally I'd like to be challanged. Anyone want to run eqypt 4 or something else similar to sandthrax? I know ram offered to run psycho damage with me, but I'm not sure it will be challanging enough. a tough pothole canyon would be fun too but I only have a shortie wet suit which probly won't suffice if there is much water.

The dates I will most likely be able to attend will be the 26-27th and the 2-3rd. Since I have some time to plan I might be able to score 3 day weekends instead of just 2 days.

26-28th will most likely be small gathering, won't be a large crowd yet. This year will probably be most crowded the 30th-3rd.

E4 is nowhere near where any of us will be camping. Psycho D is probably the most difficult canyon anyone will run at FF. There is talk of a Sandthrax group. Pandoras will probably be on the agenda.

I guess it depends on what you mean by being challenged. If you just mean you want to do tough stemming canyons, you aren't going to find many more difficult than Sandthrax that are landbased and reachable from north wash. There are some super tough ones in escalante, but at that point, you will be nowhere near "freezefest."

But challenging could be a variety of things. Difficult anchors, cold water exposure, long days, etc... But, maybe this canyoneering stuff is just too easy for you...

[Scott P]

There is a decent chance I'm wrong but Moab isn't the exact best training grounds for north wash slots IMO (I'm assuming that's where freeze fest is usually held).

It depends on which North Wash slots you do. There are both easy and hard slots in the North Was area. I don't know what they are doing this year (ask Tom or Ram), but when I've gone before they did a mix of easy and more challenging slots.

[Sombeech]

I have only been repelling a handful of times

I repel Mosquitoes almost every time I'm camping. How do you get so lucky?

[forum8fox]

You know I've been thinking that canyoneering is pretty easy myself lately. But then again I'm pretty new at this stuff with less then 3 years under my belt. I'm sure I've not seen the hardest stuff yet, but probly just about the hardest of what's published on climb utah and on tom's site. (minus canyons that require wet suits mostly). I sure hope I've not seen the outer edge of what's possible around me, I hope that there are canyons still that people think aren't possible to be quite honest. Gotta have something to work toward.

Yea I figured E4 was a bit of a drive, although I have no idea as I've never actually been over in that area.

That's too bad that there aren't many hard stemming canyons left for me in the area. I guess psycho D will have to suffice then. That's cool that there is a talk of a sand thrax group, but I might not want to get burnt out on it seeing as I don't have many other hard options left it sounds like. So it seems I'll be confined to this one for a while. 3 times in a years period could make the canyon a bit boring. Anyone ever thought about going up sand thrax? Now that could be a new twist....

As far as being challanged goes....
Yea tough stemming canyons are the easiest way to achieve this.

I do however like being challanged in the anchor department obviously, but isn't just about everything in the north wash fixed? BTW care to fill me in on just kidding if you know about it? are there many canyons that you know of in the wash that present actual tough anchor sittuations?

Cold water exposure I could handle if I had a real wet suit, as of now it's asking for hypothermia.

And I've done long days, they have to be good to be worth the death march attitude. The second day of canyoneering I had ever lead with a group of beginers was the high spur followed by alcatraz in the same day.
The squeeze was kinda a long day. I did old woman wash in the swell on my first canyoneering trip ever a few years ago which was like a 13 mile day or something like that. That's an example of a long day that wasn't worth it as we did mind bender the day prior(I had higher expectations for the canyon).

I could think of some long days in the wash that could be worth it, like one of the butler forks to one of the leprechaun forks, or multiple leprechaun forks (down one up another and down the last) never been through blarney or shelillegh so maybe both of them in a day. The days are shorter that time of year though so it'd be a matter of speed and most likely some time spent in the dark.

[Scott P]

That's too bad that there aren't many hard stemming canyons left for me in the area.

There are probably at least 100 stemming canyons within an hour radius of there. You've already completed all these and more in short span of three years? And at the same time you don't know where E4 is even located?

[CarpeyBiggs]

not much of anything in north wash is "fixed." you can ghost all sorts of canyons.

more challenging options -
pandoras - long and good
all 4 hogs in a day
up sandthrax
psycho d
just kidding - (has cold water exposure, long hike out though, could loop it with any of the leps, all of the butler forks get looped regularly)
hard day harvey
burr slot - (don't know anyone who has done it)
loop all 3 of the poison springs, ghost 'em.
up one maidenwater, down the other.


but, it's all a matter of why you want to do canyons. if you just want balls to the wall crazy high stemming shit, we can send you into it. but if that's all you're after, and it seems too easy, just stay home. go climbing, mountaineering, ski avalanche prone bowls, whatever. most people don't get into canyons because they find canyoneering really difficult, though there are a few canyons that i imagine you will find plenty challenging.

canyons appeal to me for a variety of reasons. good company, beautiful places, and moderate physical and mental challenge that forces a person to think in a variety of situations, and solve problems. if none of those are satisfying enough, this probably isn't your sport.

that said, escalante is probably the only other place that will get your blood pumping, if that's all you are after. long branch, big tony, bishop, e4, and at least 4 other ones that have probably only been done by a select few. at least a few of those are a step up from sandthrax. go do 'em. just don't die.

[CarpeyBiggs]

That's too bad that there aren't many hard stemming canyons left for me in the area.

There are probably at least 100 stemming canyons within an hour radius of there. You've already completed all these and more in short span of three years? And at the same time you don't know where E4 is even located?

Scott, he wants HARD stemming canyons. He wants stuff harder than Psycho D. Not many more in North Wash harder than 'thrax and psycho.

[jb]

Don't go to FF just to tick something off your list. It's a fun social event. Depending on when you go, you might do something new, or you might not . . . you might split into a few groups or just lay siege to a single canyon. You'll probably be exposed to some nifty little partner assist maneuvers that maybe you haven't seen. If you get lucky the Mapletonians might show up with their cast iron wizardry. And usually some interesting campfire fare. I wish I could go this year.

[Cirrus2000]

Interesting, it looks like FF is going to really hit a critical mass this year. Last year was big - I think this year will be huge!

And I'm not going. Again.

[forum8fox]

Man, I didn't mean to work you all up. I enjoy canyoneering, I'm not trying to say it's too wussy for me you know. I'm just saying, I like to do things to extremes as much as I can. On my snowboard I have made a few descents that are firsts on a snowboard and just a hand full of skiers most likely. Most people would consider them ice climbs, but not me after 17+ years on the thing. I wish I was that bad ass at climbing but I'm just a spec compared to the pros. Best out of most of my firends, and I made it up artist tears with just 1 day of desert climbing experience prior (5.8 A4 and I got the aid cruxes). I had only climbed 2 C3 routes prior to it.
I got into caving this summer and have already seen most of the best caves in colorado. I love all types of outdoor adventure and I'm always just trying to strive for my best and the best in others.

I can enjoy easy canyons, I liked the high spur, I liked mind bender, I liked shenanigans. If they are easy they better be super pretty for me to enjoy them though or I have to be with some friends that I'm intorducing to the sport. I mean I have to drive atleast 6+ hours to get to these things, it costs money and time to make it happen. Comming from my technical back ground I just like to be challanged or awed for what I put in to make the trip happen. The comroddarie is great, the team work is also a wonderful part of the game. I like building a solid bond with my partners and often the best way to do this is to be challanged so you have to rely on one and other to make it through.

To be honest mind bender was my first trip which wasn't too technical but I fell in love with the sport for the beauty mostly. When I started doing harder canyons I really started to enjoy the challange and wanted to strive for more of it. I want to know what I'm capable of and get better.

Having never been to freeze fest and being a noob I had no idea what to expect. I want to go to meet Tom and Ram mostly. I think I will be happy no matter what I end up doing if I get to hang with them.

Yea the north wash isn't fixed exactly with bolts per say, but untill no kidding the only anchor I was ever forced to build was a single drop in boss hog. kinda takes the fun out of it, even more reason to go do them and ghost them so they are better for everyone else I guess.

so what's the deal with the "burr slot"???
For me going places no one or very few people have been is a huge factor of why I like to do the things I do. That's what real adventure is all about.

could be a good project maybe...

Sorry for my lack of social skills, I didn't intend to upset or put down anyone if that's how it's taken. Sorry for the flaring ego I guess it would seem. The canyoneering being too easy thing was just mostly joking, I don't really think there's nothing left for me.

[Iceaxe]

You know I've been thinking that canyoneering is pretty easy myself lately.

The problem with canyoneering is its all pretty easy right up until it's not.... and than you are in deep shit..... just the nature of the beast.

While Sandthrax might not be the most difficult or dangerous canyon on the CP when considering the route as a whole, many canyoneers agree that it might have the most difficult crux.

But one thing I can promise you.... the canyons get more difficult when you get old.... dragging an extra 25 or 30 years through the slots is a real challenge, so at least you have that to always look forward to.

[Cirrus2000]

But one thing I can promise you.... the canyons get more difficult when you get old.... dragging an extra 25 or 30 years through the slots is a real challenge, so at least you have that to always look forward to.

Kind of sucks to start when you're carrying an extra 25 or 30 years! Wish I'd started this stuff decades earlier!

[Scott P]

He wants stuff harder than Psycho D. Not many more in North Wash harder than 'thrax and psycho.

Actually, I said within an hour of North Wash rather than in North Wash. Isn

[James_B_Wads2000]

Don't go to FF just to tick something off your list. It's a fun social event.

I would love to come and socialize if it wasn

[bruce from bryce]

I've got agree with you Ice that carrying around that extra 30-40 years is getting to be pretty lame.

But I'll be back at FF for the first time in three years doing a couple of canyons then taking a day off. Repeat that scenario. Then do the Black Hole on New Year's Day. Then home.

Hey Wads: what more could you want but dark and cold. Here's a photo back in February 2006. Lean forward and snow is getting on the seat behind you. Sit back and you are too far from the fire. The vertical streaks are snow. Yee Ha!