Canyon Forums - Foro de Cañones http://www.canyoneering.net/forums/ ACA Forums on canyoneering.net Official web site of the American Canyoneering Academy en Thu, 17 May 2012 11:08:39 GMT vBulletin 60 http://www.canyoneering.net/forums/images/styles/TotallyPro/misc/rss.png Canyon Forums - Foro de Cañones http://www.canyoneering.net/forums/ Tips/Techniques - Rapides and how to carry them http://www.canyoneering.net/forums/showthread.php?5042-Rapides-and-how-to-carry-them&goto=newpost Wed, 16 May 2012 03:57:57 GMT So how is everyone lugging around their Rapides? Do you throw them in your pack? Do you have a loop of cord that you have attached to a gear loop. Sorry for the noob question, just wanted to see what everyone else is doing. So how is everyone lugging around their Rapides? Do you throw them in your pack? Do you have a loop of cord that you have attached to a gear loop.

Sorry for the noob question, just wanted to see what everyone else is doing. ]]> Technical Canyoneering Beowulf http://www.canyoneering.net/forums/showthread.php?5042-Rapides-and-how-to-carry-them Tips/Techniques - Marking our Gear http://www.canyoneering.net/forums/showthread.php?5041-Marking-our-Gear&goto=newpost Fri, 11 May 2012 06:18:47 GMT What is the best way to mark all my carabiners and other equipment? I know this is a noob question, but wanted to see what others have done. I'm guessing colored electrical tape is one method. Then there are markers, or even paint. Maybe nail polish. ]]> Technical Canyoneering Beowulf http://www.canyoneering.net/forums/showthread.php?5041-Marking-our-Gear Accident Report - OZ accident. Cross-post from Yahoo Canyons http://www.canyoneering.net/forums/showthread.php?5040-OZ-accident-Cross-post-from-Yahoo-Canyons&goto=newpost Mon, 07 May 2012 13:24:44 GMT Watta accident report
On 24th Dec two of us decided to do a trip through what is most commonly known
as Watta canyon which is located behind Robertson in the southern highlands.
Although not as well know or popular as others in the area I hadn't done it for
a few years so thought it would be a good option for the day as it normally only
takes around 4 – 5 hours. (Please note this is NOT Carrington Falls)
After making our way through the horizontal section of the canyon and down the
first waterfall of approx 15m we made our way to the anchors for the final drop
of approx 60m.
The normal way to descent the final waterfall is just off to the side in two
drops, 10m to a small ledge followed by another abseil of approx 50m from bolts
on the ledge to the bottom (also possible to split in 40m to slippery ledge and
10m to bottom). Upon arrival at the small ledge after the first 10m abseil we
found the bolts were in good condition but the slings were very sun bleached and
although there was about 10 of them we removed them all and replaced them with
new section of rope and 3 maillon rapides (one through each bolt and another for
the rope to feed through). We rigged the anchor as equalized but slightly off
set due to the bolt placements and the natural direction of rope over the edge.
The natural way over the edge is through a small valley that has been created by
water flow in high water, what I could best describe as a small water carved
dish with a rolling edge which also has a few small tufts of grass.
Once the anchor was ready we rigged the rope through the anchor in a blocked
single rope system and tossed off the rope bag which just landed next to the
pool at the bottom. My friend set himself up on abseil did a quick check before
removing his safety line and proceeding to abseil over the edge. After a short
period of time (approx half what I would estimate it should take to get to the
bottom) the rope that was running over the edge whipped up and landed is a loose
coil in front of me on the ledge, I quickly picked up the end and realized the
rope and "cut" and my friend had fallen a large distance.
After a few minutes of yelling and no reply I rigged the rope end I had on the
ledge as a long safety line so I could get near the edge to see down. I could
see he was lying face down on the slippery ledge approx 10m from the bottom
slightly under the spray of the waterfall with no movement. After yelling for a
further few minutes he slowly started to move his arm which was incredible
considering the distance he fell (15-20m). At this point I pulled out our epirb
and started to document the times of events as things occurred.
At this point my main concern was to get down to my friend to assist him but all
I had on the ledge was approx 15m of the 9mm static that has been "cut" and a
65m of 6mm pull cord. After a period of time I managed to drop down a small dry
bag right next to him on the end of pull cord with few basic emergency supplies
for warmth and a note on waterproof pad asking him to tie on the end of the rope
so I could pull it up. After major difficulty (and extreme pain) getting to the
end of the rope he tied on the end and I pulled it up which enabled me to get
down to him.
Once I got down I carried out a quick check and moved him off to the side of the
ledge where we were more sheltered from the spray and could set up a shelter
with emergency blankets and plastic sheets. Main symptoms were extreme lower
back pain(later confirmed to be a broken back), excessive shivering/very cold
and pain to left foot. During this process I had seen the ambulance helicopter
on a few occasions but on all occasions it departed without lowering anyone or
landing, the first time was approx 90 minutes after I had set off the epirb.
At some time later in the evening there was a second innocent involving the
helicopter which is still under investigation, there may be a time at a later
date when this information is available for those who are interested.

Results of rope testing
After testing was carried out by Australia authorities the results show that the
most likely reason for the failure of the rope was due to vertical abrasion.
Although it seems very unusual and hard to believe a near new rope could fail
like this testing of similar vertical abrasion shows very similar results. Other
possibilities such as load failure, sideways sawing and rope contamination were
dismissed during testing.
(My best guess is a combination of bounce in the rope and extremely unlucky
placement of the rope?)
To the best of my knowledge I can't find any other similar abseiling / canyoning
accidents worldwide but if anyone knows of any I would like to hear of them.

Other points-
-The fall taken was approx 15m onto boulders of different sizes. Main injury as
result of the fall was broken back at L3 which required surgery with pins placed
around the spine.
-Rope was a commonly used Tendon 9mm static rope, a type which I have used for
approx 3 years both recreationally and professionally in variety canyons / rocks
without issues.
-The rope used was approx 1 year old and only used 3 or 4 times before the day
of the accident. Rope was always stored clean / dry in a dark location.
-Weight of person on rope was approx 90kg
-The rope was inspected by both people on the morning of the trip and several
meters were cut off one end due to a small section of damage on the outer
section of the rope. It was them remarked for length at the ends and new middle
mark, at this point no other damage was clear.

-The edge seemed to be a good placement for the rope with a short length of
contact with the rock before having a totally free hanging abseil for another
35-40m.
-The rope placement was in a similar location to other parties before us. This
is clear due to the off-set nature of the slings on the anchor.
-The rock in this area is mostly sandstone.
-Both members of the group have done a large amount canyoning and practice
caution when placing ropes over edges to reducing "sawing" over the edge. Care
was also taken not to "bounce" to much while abseiling.
-We feel that one of the items that helped to reduce the amount of injury was
wearing a large pack with dry bag and other items inside. The helmet was also an
important item in protecting the head.
-Anchor placement is very important. Although we are lucky in Australia having
most canyons in a soft rock like sandstone an anchor placed in a position where
there is little or no rubbing on the rock is best as commonly seen in caves or
European canyons. Often this may require a short traverse or difficult move to
reach but it reduces the chance of these incidents.

-Carrying extra supplies was very important. Without the emergency blankets,
balaclava, neck muff, rain jacket and large plastic sheets to stabilize the
patient the outcome may have been very different. Other things that were very
useful were waterproof pad and pencil, head-torch, matches and of course the
epirb.
-Carrying a pull cord for emergency was useful but if we had a slightly thicker
rope which I could have abseiled on (eg, 8mm) then a lot of time could have been
saved.

Comments welcome.

Scott Hall ]]> Technical Canyoneering charlybldr http://www.canyoneering.net/forums/showthread.php?5040-OZ-accident-Cross-post-from-Yahoo-Canyons Photos Video - Canyoneering - The Early Years http://www.canyoneering.net/forums/showthread.php?5038-Canyoneering-The-Early-Years&goto=newpost Wed, 02 May 2012 11:15:59 GMT Kolb brothers in the Grand Canyon. Early 1900s. Attachment 4109 (http://www.canyoneering.net/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=4109) Kolb brothers in the Grand Canyon. Early 1900s.

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]]> rcwild http://www.canyoneering.net/forums/showthread.php?5038-Canyoneering-The-Early-Years Accident Report - Rap Anchor Failure; fortunately nobody hurt. http://www.canyoneering.net/forums/showthread.php?5037-Rap-Anchor-Failure-fortunately-nobody-hurt&goto=newpost Mon, 23 Apr 2012 05:25:55 GMT Anchor failure 4/6/2012 - Fortunately nobody hurt. Location: 60 foot rappel near the lower end of Tank Canyon (drains into Cibicue Creek)-- the last rap before entering Cibecue. 8 of us from the Canyoneering Rendezvous (we camped at Roosevelt Lake, AZ) with our Apache leader had hiked and... Anchor failure 4/6/2012 - Fortunately nobody hurt.

Location: 60 foot rappel near the lower end of Tank Canyon (drains into Cibicue Creek)-- the last rap before entering Cibecue. 8 of us from the Canyoneering Rendezvous (we camped at Roosevelt Lake, AZ) with our Apache leader had hiked and rapped down the 5 or so miles of Tank Canyon, from its top.

Anchor: One inch wide sling wrapped around 5 inch diameter (oak?) log; one end buried in sand on top of the high angle waterfall, around 6 feet back from its edge.

I arrived at the anchor first, checked the sling. It was slightly bleached and stiff, but in good shape for rappelling. I moved the sling a small amount to give a better wrap on the wood.

I put the rope through the quicklink, threaded it through as I lowered the rope down the 60’ fall. Then I put the rope in my rap device, gave it a hard pull (about body weight) to test the setup before going over the edge. It seemed solid. I saw that the rope ends reached the bottom.

I rapped down, two strands, waited for the next person and then he rapped, and the two of us moved on down canyon. We needed to keep moving because of time.

After waiting at the Cibecue intersection, our leader and the last of our group arrived and told us that the anchor had failed, but nobody was hurt. They gave us the details: 7 had already rapped down successfully before it failed. The 8th person rapped down just over the large chockstone at the top, about 5 feet down, when he felt the rope give way. He fell about 5 feet to a ledge below and stopped at the ledge, uninjured.

The 9th person, our Apache leader, said that he saw the anchor give way and put his foot on the log moving toward the edge, slowing its movement forward and preventing it from going over the edge. He may have saved our friend’s life. Below that ledge was high angle smooth rock. As I remember it, there would be nothing to stop a fall the remainder 50 feet before the bottom. A disaster almost happened but luck shone on us.

Our leader then rerigged, making another anchor farther back. The two then rapped down. He said that the sling had been placed and used last year, and that the log had apparently rotted underneath since then. It then failed under a repeated load of rappels. There had been winter rains, thus causing rot and/or displacement. We did replace a number of worn anchors in the canyon, so it seems that we may have been the first party to come through there in weeks, or months. At a previous rappel anchor I was again the first to arrive, and I found an anchor sling lying out unanchored. Our Apache friend told me that it had previously been attached to a buried anchor, but the water flow had displaced it, or the anchor had rotted. I should have been skeptical about the other anchors.

Lesson: do not trust anything in an anchor you do not see, particularly below the ground; especially wood. Always back up if possible, at least for all but the last rappeller. Redundancy.

Thinking about the whole incident is frightening to me. But then how lucky we were with what could have happened. I write this to add to the knowledge base, make us smarter, and hopefully prevent a failure and injury or death in the future.

I could have died because I was the first to go. At least I tested the anchor. I prefer to test with much more than body weight, but that should be done while tethered to a separate anchor, which was not convenient; barely possible here. Also, there was not enough space between the edge and the anchor to exert a real hard pull without risking lurching over the edge if it snapped.

A subsequent person, in our party, particularly the second one who is 30 pounds heavier than me, could have died. If the weakened anchor did not fail for #8, then our leader, who is perhaps the heaviest of all of us, could have been the one to fall, with no one above to notice anchor movement or stop it. If none of us were without incident that day, then the anchor could have more easily failed for the next party to come because it would be weaker from additional time to rot. So maybe lucky for someone else that it failed for us without injury.

Question, did one of our party exert much more than body weight (like leaning way back when going over the edge causing leverage) to yank the log loose? I don’t know. Rappeller # 8 said he did not. And he was one of the lighter members of our party. Anyway, another person later could do the same, or not, and die because the anchor was weak.

So what will I do differently as a result of this incident? And I recommend others do the same, to keep alive a long time.
* Don’t trust what you don’t see. Examine the entire anchor system. Make a new one if any potential flaws. I will be more careful and more likely to replace an anchor.
* Should be redundant. Two of everything. Unfortunately, the typical norm has been to have just a single sling.

The safe way for anchors and rappels:
* SERENE
* A strong anchor is one that could support the weight of as small automobile; that is at least what is the breaking strength of the hardware, rope, and slings we use. Although we do our best to avoid it, it is possible to have a sudden change in position or fall while rappelling, causing a dynamic force on the ripe and anchor much more than body weight.
* Start by duplicating the rappel direction with a greater than body weight force in a test, while safely tethered into a separate anchor.
* Do not exert any more force than necessary while rapping. Smoothly transition without leverage over the edge.
* Last person should not be the heaviest.
* You bear the responsibly for your anchor when you rappel. It is possible, as happened here, that the anchor may weaken with successive rappellers. Check it again -- your device, rope, carabiner, attachment, and harness.

Any comments, corrections, suggestions are welcome.

Have fun and be safe!
Ron Hudson ]]> Technical Canyoneering deephiker http://www.canyoneering.net/forums/showthread.php?5037-Rap-Anchor-Failure-fortunately-nobody-hurt Junkyard Canyon 3B III/IV R http://www.canyoneering.net/forums/showthread.php?5036-Junkyard-Canyon-3B-III-IV-R&goto=newpost Sun, 22 Apr 2012 20:44:35 GMT Junkyard Canyon 3B III/IV R A technical canyon just outside (or inside) of Page, depending on how you look at it. *Rating: 3B III/IV R Time Required: 6-12 hours (or more) Longest Rappel: 190 feet* * Required Gear: 7 rap rings, 90... Junkyard Canyon 3B III/IV R

A technical canyon just outside (or inside) of Page, depending on how you look at it.

Rating: 3B III/IV R

Time Required: 6-12 hours (or more)

Longest Rappel: 190 feet

Required Gear: 7 rap rings, 90 feet webbing, Edge Protection.

Special Considerations: Bolts are installed at the two drops requiring them. HOWEVER. The other 4 drops require the use of cairns, chocks, or slings. READ ALL BETA prior to attempting this canyon. If you have to dumb it down, stay out.

Permit Information
No special permits required, unless pack rafting to Lee's Ferry (12mi downstream)

Preferred Season
Winter, Spring, Fall

Approach
Park near the animal shelter just down the public road next to the Maverik Gas Station along 89 in Page. from there just dive off into the drainage that runs behind the gas station.

Option A
Plan your ascent out of the canyon either via the listed rappel lengths below, or by use of an unexplored fault; believed to be a steep, yet quick exit out of the canyon. this fault is immediately after the last power line on the treatment plant side of the canyon, and may require the use of fixed lines. the bottom of this fault deposits you just above the last two rappels.

Option B
Drop a vehicle at Lees Ferry and pack-raft the 12 miles to your car below.

Short Beta For Explorers.

Longest rap is 190 feet. take aforementioned gear.






Standard Route
Once in the drainage, there will be quite a few drops that you can avoid on either side, if you choose to stay in the drainage from the station, be prepared for 3 smaller drops and some serious mud. The first real drop is a 30 footer into a dry pothole from a cairn in the watercourse, requiring 20 feet of webbing. In wetter descents, a cairn can be built on the shelf on canyon right and the pothole may be bypassed, using 50' of rope. DC the next 50 feet or so to a small shelf. R2 60' from a large single bolt on canyon left. R3 150' from another large single bolt on canyon left ***exposure at bolt station in order to prevent rapid bolt erosion***. Rope stick concern on this one. Communication is labored in this spot because of the echo. R4 is from a cairn built one pothole up from the actual drop. Given the location, it requires 190' of rope and roughly 20' of webbing.

Once down this drop the canyon hits a wide spot. The fault mentioned earlier comes in on canyon right (if you look hard enough, there is a 2 bolt station and chains 60m up a splitter... which turned us on to the possibility of a rope-less escape). One can skirt far left and DC to the bottom below the potholes, do the watercourse, or rappel 60' from a boulder above a weakness on canyon right. I'm sure theres plenty of other options, but these seem the most obvious to explain. At the bottom of these options lays a crack; DC or rappel 30 feet to the bottom. Once here, one member of your team must stay high on the shelf within the crack while the others work their way down. The person up top must have about 30' of webbing. About 15' back from the drop, there will be two oreo sized rock chocks stuck in a crack. Sling and equalize these two little gems and manage the equalization from your perch while your team stretches the anchor in the right direction below.

***edge pro and rope pull issues are a big concern here, so plan well! Your start is from the top of an old car with "stuff" hanging from it.***

Rappel 100' into a pool of water that percolates up as a spring, and walk the remaining 150' to the Colorado River. For some, a long rope ascent is eminent. For others, 12 miles of Marble Canyon awaits. Enjoy!

Just a reminder. there is NO WEBBING in this canyon at the moment. please make sure you take enough. ]]> ARIZONA 84x4bronco http://www.canyoneering.net/forums/showthread.php?5036-Junkyard-Canyon-3B-III-IV-R Tips/Techniques - Courtesy Anchors http://www.canyoneering.net/forums/showthread.php?5034-Courtesy-Anchors&goto=newpost Wed, 18 Apr 2012 21:10:27 GMT I recall from Rich's ART class there are two types of courtesy anchors/rappels? One dynamic and one static? I remember practicing one type, the static? Can someone explain the difference and the appropriate use of these anchors/rappels? Thanks in advance. John ]]> Technical Canyoneering jcaffreyclu http://www.canyoneering.net/forums/showthread.php?5034-Courtesy-Anchors