Canyoneering Blog

The ACA Guide Leader Aspirant Rendezvous is coming up!

Here’s a look at the 2024 GLAR General Schedule and some important information to help things run smoothly. Please read the following items carefully and arrive prepared to contribute to all of our success.

Basic Q & A:

How do I check-in to GLAR?
Find Host Amie or Alex and they will have some basic paperwork to fill out AND a swag bag with some treats, courtesy of the ACA and Excursions of Escalante.

• If you have not RSVP’d for this event and would like to attend, please CLICK HERE to RSVP and submit payment.

Where do we stay?
The town has many great options….BUT, this year we are offering free camping at Excursions of Escalante / ACA HQ. There is ample space for tents and a few spots for camper vans / small trailers. We will have bathrooms, hand washing stations and a kitchen-dining area to use. Maybe a shower too….we’ll see how that project goes:)

Who Drives to the canyon?
To minimize impact and potential vehicle issues, we highly recommend carpooling to the training areas. Good clearance and good tires are required to get to most of our training sites.

What time will we be returning to the Shop, approximately?
Typically, returning sometime between 4-5:30pm. Instructors will not rush to “make it back”, so bring plenty of water-food for a full day. Sunday will have shorter options.

Best ways to communicate?
When people arrive I propose that we start a WhatsApp or Text group to pass pertinent info and updates quickly-easily. There are privacy issues that play a role, no problem for those who want to opt out. Let’s coordinate when folks arrive.

What if I miss the First Meeting (8am, Oct 4)?
No problem, getting here safely is most important. Check in with Host Amie upon arrival and we will get you set up.

What training activities will be appropriate for my skill level?
There will be a variety of technical skill training available and many opportunities to apply new skills in a canyon environment. Review the simple requirements below and the full schedule of activities to begin considering your best options.

How do I make my Group Selection?;
Group 1: Those here for assessment (L1 – L2)
Group 2: Open to certifications levels (L3 – L8)
Group 3: Open to Assistant Canyon Leaders – Pro Guide (L4 – L8)

How do I sign up for a Group?

Each morning there will be a sign up board to use.  It will have listed the name of the instructor, skills being taught and any other pertinent information. Please sign-out and back-in each day using these boards.  They help us track where people are and IF they have returned.

Schedule of Activities:

Thursday:

4:00pm camp spots open
6:00pm Early check-in / meet and greet
8:00pm Meeting for Instructors / Assessors

Friday:

7:30am Shop open / check-in
8:00am Opening Meeting / Safety briefing
8:30am Organize into Groups/Depart

Group 1: Aspirant Assessment Prep
Group 2: Mechanical Advantage Intro / Converting static to dynamic
Group 3: Advanced Anchors

Evening Workshops:
7:00pm Weather / Flood Assessment. Open to ALL Levels (L1 – L8)
7:00pm Assessors Training. Open to Assistant Canyon Leader – Pro Guide (L4 – L8)

Saturday:

7:30am Pro Pancake Breakfast
8:15am Daily meeting / safety briefing
8:30am Begin Training / Assessment.

Group 1: Aspirant Assessment
Group 2: Rescue Intro / Natural Anchors
Group 3: Advanced Rescue. Pick Off’s including top down, bottom up, guided rappel.

Evening Fun:
6:00pm Catered Dinner
6:30pm Guest Speaker
7:00pm Technical Games / Challenges

Sunday:

7:30am shop open
8:00am Daily meeting / safety briefing
8:30am Begin Training

Option 1: Pot hole Intro ½ day
Option 2: Pot hole Intro ¾ day
Option 3: Pot hole “Big Day”

That should be enough to get us started.

Stay tuned for updates,

Rick Green, ACA President

• If you have not RSVP’d for this event and would like to attend, please CLICK HERE to RSVP and submit payment.

It’s September!  What a great canyoneering season so far 🙂  The ACA has held canyoneering Assessments, Courses and Workshops, with a few more to go on the schedule before the end of the season.  There were a couple of fun Summer season canyoneering events too.

In July the ACA Co-Hosted the Canadian Rocky Mountain Canyoning Festival in Abraham Lake, AB.  Aside from have an incredible adventure we were able to train and certify 3 new Pro Guides.  Special thanks to Guillaume Coupier and his crew of top notch Guides for all the extraordinary efforts!

August brought the 6th Annual Pothole Fest to the ACA Headquarters in Escalante, UT.  The weather looked daunting, but that changed and it turned out to be a fabulous weekend in the canyons with an awesome crew of canyoneers!

Coming up, the Annual ACA Guide/Leader/Aspirant Rendezvous (GLAR) is right around the corner scheduled for October 4th-6th at the ACA Headquarters in Escalante, UT.  LINK HERE for details and to RSVP.  We’re looking forward to a great event packed with training and canyon camaraderie 🙂  There are also a couple of spots remaining on the ACA Aspirant Assessment scheduled for October 5th.  LINK HERE for details and to RSVP.

Here is a LINK to September & October courses & assessments.

We hope everyone is geared up for a safe and epic Fall canyoneering season!

 

Another calendar year of canyoneering has come to a close and a new one has begun.  In 2022 the dedicated Team of ACA volunteers trained, assessed and certified more individuals than ever before.  The workshops continued to be an excellent source of skill building and additional courses have expanded training opportunities inside and outside of the canyoneering community.  As a group we worked within our established framework of standards, yet remained dynamic and adaptable as new opportunities arose.  Incredible.  So, on behalf of our ACA Membership and all who benefited from this generous gift of time and knowledge, I want to say a huge THANK YOU.  Every person who helped make this a reality shared much of their time and passion. Well played Team ACA!

Some quick highlights of the 2022 Season:

-Added New “Sovereign Canyoneer” Course:  For those who want to be active in problem solving, but are not aspiring for a specific Leader Certification.  Pure canyoneering training, one step up from Core. See link above.

-Updated Assessment Protocols:  Good feedback was received and adjustments were made to the Assessment process.  Initial response has been very positive.

-Assessment “Prep” Workshops:  Pre- Assessment training to address any remaining technical questions, clarify Assessors expectations and provide focused training to ensure the best chance to achieve a positive result.

-Performing “In-Canyon” CL Assessments:  Elevated this critical item by making observations of technical and Leader skills in a canyoneering environment.

-PHF: Wildest flood forecast in a long time!  We stayed flexible, made informed choices and became masters of radar, water vapor loops and watching clouds. Thanks Pros, Leaders and attendees for the extraordinary effort.  Awesome workshops too.

-GLAR:  The Instructors knowledge and experience continues to astound.  The student’s skills levels and enthusiasm are keeping pace.  Quality training and pancakes too, it has really become a fun event.

-Honduras:  Building upon previous successes, 2022 included SWR certification for local Fire fighters (Joe Storms), a day of working with 25 young school children (aka Monster Fest:) and the re-certification of Rawacala’s Single Site Pro Guides. The Travel Team worked smart, ate well and truly helped elevate the lives of many very kind people.  Made lots of great friends too!  Ya rock!!!

-Mexico:  The ACA completed two Pro Guide Courses and Assessments, resulting in 5 new certified ACA Pros!  This is turning into a convenient “off season” Pro cert option.

-Dominica:  Ten days of training and assessing an exceptional group of highly experienced canyoning Guides.  Full Pro certification for 6 and ACL for 1. Top notch Guides and epic canyons.  See LINK for more info.

Well, this is just a few of the many incredible and unique happenings of our year together.  One final THANK YOU to all Members for a great year.  Stay smart, strong and safe.  It’s a honor being the one to type this and play a small role in all we achieve together.  More fun ahead……

Safe Travels,                                           

The ACA has recently returned from certifying 6 Professional Guides and 1 Assistant Canyon Leader on the Caribbean island of Dominica.  Joe Storms, Bruce Shapiro and myself spent 8 days in a stunning jungle environment, training and assessing the guiding and technical skills of 7 fine gentlemen.  The company’s name is Extreme Dominica, and they have been in operation as a professional canyoning guide service since 2007.  They focus is on running high quality canyoning adventures for folks visiting the island via cruise ship.

LINK HERE for Facebook photos.