Advice for first trip... canyons / guides

[Colin]

I'm posting without looking around as much as I should have, so forgive me if this has already been discussed ad nauseum elsewhere.

I'm going on a week and a half long trip starting in Tucson AZ and ending in the Bay Area, CA, and I was hoping to get in some (or a lot of) canyoneering. I have zero experience in canyoneering, so I'm hoping for some advice. I've done a fair bit of scrambling, and I'm a pretty good climber, so I'm not without skills, but from what I've read the fastest way to get into trouble is to assume that good at climbing means good at canyoneering.

My dream scenario is to hook up with a guide somewhere in Arizona relatively close to Tucson and get some basic canyoneering experience, then work my way to Utah. In Utah I'd like to hook up with a guide again to get some more experience and then set out on my own on some easier routes.

Any suggestions on guides or guiding companies in the AZ or southern UT area? Any ideas on good canyons to check out? Anyone looking for another to add to their group for a trip anytime between May 22nd and June 1st? :)

Thanks in advance for any help.

-Colin

[rcwild]

Welcome to our forums, Colin. In the black bar at the top of the page is a link to "Guides/Schools". The listings include ACA certified guides and accredited guide services, plus all known reputable guide services in the U.S.

There are a couple technical canyons near Tucson, but I don't know of any canyoneering guide service there. Contact 360 Adventures (http://www.360-adventures.com) in Phoenix. The canyons they guide are within a couple hours of Tucson. You could also contact someone at the Summit Hut (http://www.summithut.com) in Tucson. Perhaps they'll have a recommendation.

There are several guide services in Utah. Most are concentrated in the Zion, Moab and Escalante areas. Contact the services on our list to compare services available.

Good sources for beta when you're ready to set out on your own include the canyon database (http://www.canyoneering.net/content/index.php?categoryid=43) here on our site, Todd's Desert Hiking Guide (http://www.toddshikingguide.com) (Arizona) and Tom's Utah Canyon Guide (http://www.canyoneeringusa.com) (Utah).

Finding partners on the internet is fairly easy, but exercise caution. It's easy to claim expertise, but keep in mind that your safety is at stake. In addition to your post on this forum, consider posting on the Canyons Group (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/canyons/). It is dominated by Utah canyoneers, many of whom are quite active. If you are contacted by anyone from your internet posts and would like an opinion about their competence, contact me by email (rcwild@wildernessmail.net). If I know them, I'll be happy to give you my opinion.

[Colin]

Thanks Rich. I appreciate the help.

-Colin

[beccapolglase]

Hi Colin,
If you're going to Zion (which you should!) hook up with Zion Adventure Company. They're located right in Springdale - they own Zion Outdoor (a new gear store right next to Pizza Noodle) and they guide both from that store and from their Guide Store just down the road - it's on a side street but there's a sign that says "Narrows Outfitting" in a giant font. They're incredibly helpful there - they usually guide in Water Canyon (the park service won't let guides into the park itself) but they also rent gear and give you all the beta you need for canyons in the park. they'll recommend canyons for you based on your knowledge and experience.
Enjoy!
Becca

[Colin]

Thanks for the recommendation Becca. It's starting to look like I might be getting in quite a few canyons while I'm up in that area. Do you (or anyone else) have recommendations for places to buy cheap 2nd hand wetsuits? Or, is that not a problem for most places in late May? My original plan was to rent as needed, but it seems like it's quickly going to become worth it to buy something cheap.

Thanks for the help!
-Colin

[jkern15674]

Colin give me a buzz and i'll see whats up. 480-855-6119. jason