Canyoneering: A Guide To Techniques For Wet And Dry Canyons

by David Black

Overview

In David Black’s Canyoneering: A Guide to Techniques for Wet and Dry Canyons, readers learn the hazards and risks of canyoneering, the skills required to gain mastery of canyoneering style and technique, and simple, effective ways to negotiate hazardous terrain. This completed updated, thorough, and to-the-point guide will provide easily understood descriptions of skills used by leading-edge canyoneers and promote simple techniques for solving complex problems. The purpose of this book is to equip canyoneers at all levels with the technical skills they need to enjoy a clean canyoneering experience and avoid dangerous mistakes. This full-color book is the only guide endorsed by the American Canyoneering Association.

Includes information on:

• The right way to apply climbing, caving, and whitewater skills to technical canyoneering
• An explanation of technical canyon ratings
• Simple, effective ways to negotiate hazardous terrain
• Twelve classic canyons in North America and their ratings
• ACA-certified instructors, guides, and guide service

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780762782734
Publisher:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	09/17/2013
Series:	How To Climb Series
Edition description:	Second Edition
Pages:	216
Product dimensions:	7.30(w) x 9.20(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

David Black is the author of Falcon's Ice Climbing Utah and has published climbing and canyoneering articles in a number of magazines. He's been climbing, canyoneering, and guiding internationally since the mid 1960's. He's an ACA-certified canyoneering guide, and is currently guiding for Maui Canyon Adventures in Kahului, Hawaii. He resides in Wailuku, Maui, Hawaii.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments ix

Introduction xi

Chapter 1 Canyoneering Basics

Canyons, Canyoning, and Canyoneering 1

Reading Canyons on Maps 2

Gear 3

Clothing 14

Wet Gear and Clothing 18

Accessories 21

Personalizing and Sorting Gear 22

Climbing Technique 25

Knot Fundamentals 34

Anchor Fundamentals 37

Chapter 2 Safety

Understanding and Dealing with Basic Hazards and Risk 41

Common Hazards 42

Rockfall 43

Flash Floods 44

A Word on First Aid 48

Chapter 3 Belays

Spotting 51

Handlines 52

Belaying 52

Modeling and Sequencing 58

Chapter 4 Deploying Rope and Rappelling

Packaging and Carrying Ropes 61

Single or Double Strand 68

Rappelling Basics 70

Contingency Anchors 81

Blocks 85

Wet Canyons 89

Essential Physics of Friction and Forces 89

Rappel Anchors 90

Friction and Rappel Devices 91

Locking Off on Rappel 98

Rebelays and Deviations: Changing the Fall Line 101

Chapter 5 Anchors and Anchor Systems

Natural Anchors 105

Alternative Anchoring 111

Human Anchors 114

Retrievable Anchors 117

Bolts and Pitons 122

Climber's Chocks 126

Equalizing and Load-Sharing Multiple Anchors 126

Load Multipliers 130

Chapter 6 Suspended Techniques

Ascending 133

Transitions 135

Passing a Knot 137

Passing a Rebelay or Deviation on Ascent 140

Guided Rappels 141

Multipitch Rappels 144

Rigging an Exposed Traverse 145

Chapter 7 Navigating Potholes

Preparation 149

Going Around or Over a Pothole 150

Entering a Pothole 150

Exiting a Pothole 150

Chapter 8 Wet Canyons

Swift-Water Terminology 157

Preparation 160

Swimming 160

Wading and Crossing a Stream 162

Jumps and Slides 163

Ropework in Current 166

Chapter 9 Canyon Rescue

Self-Rescue 171

Buddy Rescue from Above 174

Buddy Rescue from Below 184

Piggyback Carries 184

Litter Evacuations 184

Rigging Piggybacks and Litters for High-Angle Evacuations 189

Water Rescue 190

Appendix I Eleven Classic Canyons in North America and the Pacific 193

Appendix II The Dirty Dozen of Canyoneering 197

Index 199

About the Author 203