An Introduction to What is Canyoneering
Slot canyons are the best way to get closer to the people that you care about. It is impossible to go into a canyon with a group of people and not become closer to them. Things have to slow down so that clear communication among the group can happen. When safety is established then we can talk crap being sure that the entire time everyone in the group feels safe.
Modern life is all about rush, rush, rush to get things done. As the song says “I’m in a hurry and don’t know why.” This causes everyone to say “real quick” “let me do just one thing just real quick.” …and they move so fast that they do not understand what it is that they are really saying, or what it is that they really want. When you drive across town really quick you are in danger of killing yourself, killing other people, or getting a ticket. All of these will end up with more work and bills to be paid by you or your loved ones. Many people commute one to two hours to get to work and one to two hours to get back. This removes time that they could be spending with their family or people that they care about. To make up for this lost time they think that they just have to do things really quick.
When canyoneering in Zion it is important to stop and smell the roses, and feel the rocks. This makes the experience throughout the day more personal and rich. In the slot canyons in Southern Utah each canyon has its own ecosystem, personality, flowers to smell, and different movement on the rocks. You are traveling very far to gain this experience. We want to make sure that you have the time, and can absorb the beauty.
Canyoneering involves hiking, driving, and some require technical skills such as downclimbing, rappelling or swimming. Some canyons may require a jeep trip down the Right Fork of the Virgin River. Arriving at this location where 99.9% of park visitors do not go and are not even aware that it exists you can hike into a slot canyon with no rappelling required. Just east of the park is a two mile long slot canyon that will require a single 120 foot rappel. It will take a two mile hike to get to the rappel, and a two mile hike to get back to your vehicle. There are also other canyons where you can hike a long hike to the top, enjoy many rappels down, or you can hike into the canyon as far as you can and hike out without rappelling. Some of the canyons are very narrow, and require stemming, and scrambling to get up and down.
Zion Rock and Mountain Guides will be able to adjust the adventure to fit your energy and skill levels that you have. All of our guides have received training and instruction on ways to keep you safe and to make sure that the adventure is top notch for you. Our team is fantastic at helping groups with different levels of experience, endurance, and grit. They are trained to keep you safe and are Wilderness First Responders.
Whether you are a skilled canyoneer, hiker, or you would just like an introduction to the adventure. Zion Rock and Mountain Guides will be able to take care of your needs. Please call Larry at 435.772.3303 to discuss your needs and personal situation, and we will customize a canyoneering trip that you will remember for the rest of your life. We will help you get pictures, videos, or drone footage by request. We will help you send these pictures back to your friends. You will then have jealous friends. And as you know, the most important thing in life is jealous friends.