Heaps Advice for First-timers?

[xxnitsuaxx]

We're going through Heaps for the first time on Friday and I'm looking for any suggestions to help it go smoothly. We're a well-prepared crew - we can do Keyhole in less than 4 hours and I know a guy who's done Pine Creek...

Seriously though - we're starting at 3:30 from Lava Point and planning on stashing our 300 footer at Emerald Pools the day before. There are 5 of us and we're all strong canyoneers. Is there anything you wish you had known the first time you went through? (suggestions for handling the last raps, what to bring\not to bring\etc.?)

Thanks,
Austin

[ratagonia]

It is in awesome shape right now: relatively easy, fast, somewhat cold. For next time, don't assume it will be so easy.

We carried through an 8mm x 300'er, and pulled up a 9mm.

Folks need to be ready for that 300' rap - meaning, know how to add and subtract friction while in 'combat'. Since you are free-hanging from 10 feet below the anchor, it is important to have that dialed.

The longest raps are the final (290 feet), the second to last (150 feet), the second entry rappel (210 feet, if the landing is chosen carefully) and the first entry rappel (65 feet). Figure out how to manage these in advance. The first in-canyon rappel is 60 feet. Otherwise, all raps are less than 60 feet, so 120 foot "working ropes" are what works in the canyon, with the longer ropes stacked in their own dry bags, in the bottom of someone's pack.

Only 4 people fit on the Bird Perch. Better and faster to have less people there, if you can get the ropes to work. Especially in these easy conditions, I'm not sure carrying less rope is all that important. Strategy depends on how many people you have.

Family band radios work great on the last rap sequence. Have whistles as a backup plan. If you have 5 or more people, 3 radios would be a big help.

Bring lots of cookies. Fats and protein keep you warm, carbohydrates do not.

Don't get too worked up about it. It has challenges, but it is still a canyon. Display competence.

Tom

[Brian in SLC]

Less is more. If you're overnighting, take a very minimal kit. Maybe no sleeping bag (as my friend Steve says, "if you're not sleeping in all your clothes, you brought too much stuff").

The more weight you don't carry, less bulk, the easier it will be.

[Scott Card]

What they said.

If you are foggy, fuzzy or exhausted prior to the final rap sequence, take the time to re-hydrate and fuel up with food so that you are clear headed and feel as good as you can. The last raps ARE the bizness for most canyoneers and after an exhausting day you can't afford to be off your game.

I agree, less is more, to a certain extent. I do like ropes and a lot of them. I don't think I will ever do Heaps as an overnight again. My first time through we did an overnighter. By the middle of the third narrows I was seriously contemplating leaving half my junk in the canyon because I was so tired of lugging my heavy overnight pack in and out of potholes, and I had one of the lighter packs. My arms and shoulders were spent.

As for radios they were helpful. However, if you drop one, you will not even find the pieces. I know. One in my party dropped one of my three radios and we couldn't even find a single piece of it at the bottom. It must have exploded or else one of you canyon booty folks caught it and ran off with it.

As for the bird perch, I think two is a really good number there. Three is pushing it for my liking. Four??? I better like you a whole lot to be that close to you.

[wasatchghost]

What they said.

It must have exploded or else one of you canyon booty folks caught it and ran off with it.

[ratagonia]

What they said.

If you are foggy, fuzzy or exhausted prior to the final rap sequence, take the time to re-hydrate and fuel up with food so that you are clear headed and feel as good as you can. The last raps ARE the bizness for most canyoneers and after an exhausting day you can't afford to be off your game.

As for radios they were helpful. However, if you drop one, you will not even find the pieces. I know. One in my party dropped one of my three radios and we couldn't even find a single piece of it at the bottom. It must have exploded or else one of you canyon booty folks caught it and ran off with it.

As for the bird perch, I think two is a really good number there. Three is pushing it for my liking. Four??? I better like you a whole lot to be that close to you.

Yeah, put neck strings on your radios. The clips work until you knock it off and it plummets 250' to land next to your partner below (if lucky).

If really wasted, bivy before the last rap sequence. Our one death there was due, as much as anything, to exhaustion. Better to do it in the morning, even hungry. Bring plenty of food, and a little bit of warm clothing, in case you need to bivy there.

T

[Brian in SLC]

Yeah, put neck strings on your radios. The clips work until you knock it off and it plummets 250' to land next to your partner below (if lucky).

Hey, I resemble that remark!

The shower of parts was awesome! Damn, that was some big air. I think it bounced near your head once, then, all the way to the river.

Finding a chunk of the case floating in a little eddy in the NF of the Virgin was pretty funny too.

I hate those little radios...but...they are pretty handy for big drops especially over loud water (or whatever makes it hard to hear).

Yeah, keeper cord's are nice for most stuff.

[MarmotOnARock]

Forgive me for being a bit of a dummy here. But I have always heard of people stashing the final rope at Emerald Pools as is the case of the OP. But Im curious as to what is going on here.

As Tom mentioned he carried an 8mm 300' with him then had a 300' 9mm at the bottom.

Is whats happening that you hard rig the first rope to the anchor and rappel down. Then, while some of your group is still at the top, at some point unstash the other 300' tie to the end of the hanging 300' pull that up and re-rig in pull down configuration? So that way you end up with 300 for rappelling and 300 for pulling?

[Brian in SLC]

Is whats happening that you hard rig the first rope to the anchor and rappel down. Then, while some of your group is still at the top, at some point unstash the other 300' tie to the end of the hanging 300' pull that up and re-rig in pull down configuration? So that way you end up with 300 for rappelling and 300 for pulling?

Or, rappel double strand. That'd be sweet on that rappel.

Whew, that's a bunch of rope to carry through a canyon. Still, sounds like a good option compared to two 60m's and a 300 footer, though. Although, I guess you'd have to take care not to lose the single 300 footer. Only one brave soul would have to rap that skinny cord, too.

I guess I wouldn't care to volunteer to be lowered on the doubled 60m trick...

[Iceaxe]

Here is a fun thread to read before attmpting Heaps:

Tales from Heaps....

And this one is a must read:

A Sh***y Trip in Heaps

[ratagonia]

Forgive me for being a bit of a dummy here. But I have always heard of people stashing the final rope at Emerald Pools as is the case of the OP. But Im curious as to what is going on here.

As Tom mentioned he carried an 8mm 300' with him then had a 300' 9mm at the bottom.

Is whats happening that you hard rig the first rope to the anchor and rappel down. Then, while some of your group is still at the top, at some point unstash the other 300' tie to the end of the hanging 300' pull that up and re-rig in pull down configuration? So that way you end up with 300 for rappelling and 300 for pulling?

Yes.

This recent trip with 5 people, we brought 1 x 300' 8mm rope; 1 x 200' 8mm rope; and 2 x 120' 8.3mm Canyon Fire. With a 9mm x 300' stashed at the bottom.

Worked pretty well. The 200'er is for the second to last rappel, carried in a drybag. The 300' x 8mm is used for the second rappel, then stacked into a drybag, and put at the bottom of the strongest person's pack - Thanks Parker. The 2 x 120's are used in the canyon.

Tom

[MarmotOnARock]

Cool. Thanks guys.

Iceaxe that dog story is amazing. I thought surely they wouldn't bring it in the canyon...oh they did.

Tom that seems like quite a bit of rope to carry around, but I guess it's not a problem if you can put it in some one else's pack ;-)

About how many actual raps are in the canyon? (sorry bit of threadjacking) It's been on my to do list for a while, but my last Zion trip was with a group of beginners and definitely not suited for Heaps lol.

[Scott Card]

Tom that seems like quite a bit of rope to carry around, but I guess it's not a problem if you can put it in some one else's pack ;-)

My first time through Heaps we had around 1100 feet of rope. Spidey and his brother each had the honor, I say high and esteemed honor of carrying the 300'ers through the canyon. Needless to say, the last sequence of raps was not a problem. Why we had plenty of rope.

[spinesnaper]

Here is a fun thread to read before attmpting Heaps:

Tales from Heaps....

And this one is a must read:

A Sh***y Trip in Heaps

CPR on a frigging Papillon: What men do for women.

[Iceaxe]

Maybe he should have just let the dog die and went for the sympathy fu--

[spinesnaper]

Maybe he should have just let the dog die and went for the sympathy fu--

Of course that raises a natural question: Does the well prepared outdoorsman keep a condom in his "possibilities" bag?