Bogley

[Iceaxe]

Ten Canyons for Noobies

OK, since I'm always asked about canyoneering routes for novice I thought I would put together a list of 10 recommendations. All of these routes should be safe for fit and experienced outdoor people exercising commonsense. All can be done without technical gear, but having at least one experienced canyoneer or rock climber in your group is considered a nice safety measure to have along. Some require navigational skills, some do not. These are all great routes that I have done more then once.... if others want to post a similar Top Ten list feel free... I put this list together just for giggles....

And for fun..... how many canyons on this list have you all done?

Zion Narrows - Zion National Park
http://climb-utah.com/Zion/narrows.htm

Orderville Gulch - Zion National Park
http://climb-utah.com/Zion/orderville.htm

Subway - Zion National Park
http://climb-utah.com/Zion/subway.htm

Buckskin Gulch - Vermillion Cliffs Wilderness
http://climb-utah.com/Escalante/buckskin.htm

Black Hole of White Canyon - Cedar Mesa
http://climb-utah.com/CM/blackhole.htm

Lower Black Box - San Rafael Swell
http://climb-utah.com/SRS/lbb.htm

Little Wild Horse - San Rafael Swell
http://climb-utah.com/SRS/lwh.htm

The Chute of Muddy Creek - San Rafael Swell
http://climb-utah.com/SRS/thechute.htm

Sulphur Creek - Capitol Reef National Park
http://climb-utah.com/Capitol/sulphur.htm

Moonshine Wash - Robbers Roost
http://climb-utah.com/Roost/moonshine.htm

[DWayne27]

i like this- what about a top 10 list of beginning canyons that are technical, but easy?

[Iceaxe]

Ten noob Technical Canyons

I selected these because they are fun, can all be done with one 200' rope or less, all contain multiple escapes or can be reversed if you run into any major problems. All have several sources of well written beta available... All of these routes should be safe for novice tech canyoneers exercising commonsense.... but having at least one experienced canyoneer or rock climber in your group is considered a nice safety measure to have along. Some require navigational skills, some do not. These are all great routes that I have done more then once....

Baptist Draw - San Rafael Swell
http://climb-utah.com/SRS/baptist.htm

Blarney Canyon Left Fork - North Wash
http://climb-utah.com/Powell/blarney1.htm

Leprechaun Canyon Right Fork - North Wash
http://climb-utah.com/Powell/leprechaun1.htm

Bluejohn Canyon Main Fork - Robbers Roost
http://climb-utah.com/Roost/bluejohn1.htm

Arscenic - Poison Springs
http://climb-utah.com/Powell/arscenic.htm

Dragonfly Canyon - Arches National Park
http://climb-utah.com/Moab/dragonfly.htm

Keyhole Canyon - Zion National Park
http://climb-utah.com/Zion/keyhole.htm

Misery Canyon - Zion National Park
http://climb-utah.com/Zion/misery1.htm

Yankee Doodle - Zion National Park
http://climb-utah.com/Zion/yankee.htm

Das Boot - Zion National Park
http://climb-utah.com/Zion/boot.htm

[rockgremlin]

Baptist Draw might get some folks into trouble if exiting Upper Chute out the "fault line canyon." There are a number of obstacles that could get one into trouble if not anticipating water, and your route finding skills better be reasonably good. A certain broken leg/near death experience in Upper Chute comes to mind here....

[Iceaxe]

Many of the canyons noted see a high number of Search and Rescues.... cause these are the canyons novice gravitate towards....

Been at least one death in Subway and the Black Hole and two deaths in the Lower Black Box... probably a dozen death's in the Zion Narrows over the years.

Flash Flood - Zion


Flash Flood - Black Hole

[abirken]

Is there a certain time of year that flash floods are more prevalent in Utah canyons? :popcorn:

[shaggy125]

abirken wrote: Is there a certain time of year that flash floods are more prevalent in Utah canyons? :popcorn:

Yea starting around... now. July and August are the wettest months in Southern Utah, the monsoon season kicks in and it rains just about every afternoon some weeks. The amount of moisture air can hold depends on the air's temperature. In the morning the air is dry, then it gets hot as the afternoon wears on and moisture evaporates into the air, as late afternoon wears on the temps start to drop and suddenly the air can't hold all that moisture it picked up so clouds form and thunder storms develop and the water dumps back on the land and the whole cycle repeats. Monsoon starts at different times each year and is off and on. It will be bad one week and then not so bad another. Rumor has it that it seems to be starting now. Lot's of people still do canyons in the summer, but you have to watch the weather close and keep an eye out for exits if the thunder starts. Early starts are a good idea so you are out of the canyon before the rain starts.

[ajroadtrips]

My list for beginners would be:

Black Hole
http://www.outdoorzen.org/site/beta/cedar-mesa/blackhole.html

Conundrum
http://www.outdoorzen.org/site/beta/north-wash/conundrum.html

South Maidenwater
http://www.outdoorzen.org/site/beta/north-wash/southmaiden.html

Dragonfly
http://www.outdoorzen.org/site/beta/moab/dragonfly.html

Upper Black Box
http://www.outdoorzen.org/site/beta/san-rafael-swell/upper-black-box.html

Professor Creek
http://www.outdoorzen.org/site/beta/moab/professor-creek.html

Peekaboo/Spooky
http://www.outdoorzen.org/site/beta/escalante/peekaboospookbrimeston.html

No Mans
http://www.outdoorzen.org/site/beta/robbers-roost/nomans.html

High Spur
http://www.outdoorzen.org/site/beta/robbers-roost/highspur.html

YBR
http://www.outdoorzen.org/site/beta/north-wash/ybr.html

Not all technical, but all ones I think are great bang for the beginner buck!