Some Canyoneering History
Canyoneering in its simplest form has been around since prehistoric times. Ancestral Pueblo Indians, more commonly known as the Anasazi, were exploring the canyon country of the Colorado Plateau since before the time of Christ. In fact, evidence can be found of prehistoric people inhabitting canyons, not only in America, but also in Europe, Australia and around the world.
Canyoning, as it is known in Europe, has been a popular adventure sport for many years. Although a few Americans have been exploring the canyon country of the Colorado Plateau for equally as long, the modern sport of canyoneering, as it is called in the United States, has only become popular in recent years.
In May of 2000 the "Canyons Group" was started on Yahoo, the first on-line discussion group in the U.S. The Canyons Group was THE forum for discussion and consensus-building regarding important safety and ethics issues. Among the most productive results of this group were the publication of the information booklet "Canyons" (available in English and Spanish, free from our Training Resources Page) and the development of the ACA Canyon Rating System, now recognized around the world.
From the seeds planted by the ACA have grown more forums and groups, more schools, more techniques, more gear, more ideas. We've been copied, but never equaled.
Since our inception, thousands of people have received their training from the ACA directly or through our network of certified instructors. It isn't an exaggeration to say that the majority of canyoneers in America either received training from the ACA or from someone who received training from the ACA. We are extremely proud of the contributions we have made to the sport of canyoneering and are looking forward to continuing in our role as America's Premier Training Organization.
