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This is a save the date with some preliminary info on an exciting opportunity. Canyoning is a relatively new alpine sport in the Canadian Rockies, with only a few guides and recreational canyoners in Alberta and Eastern BC, so it's your chance to get in on the ground floor of the sport. We have been working with Western Canyoning Adventures/Banff Canyoning Guide, Guillaume Coupier, to put together a special canyoning course for people who already have some experience with climbing and rope systems. Canyoning systems can be pretty different and there are critical safety differences because of the swiftwater component, but knowing how to rappel, build an anchor, and tie the key climbing knots can give a climber a higher starting point than someone who doesn't have that experience. This course will focus on giving climbers the basic ideas and tools they need to join on canyoning adventures in simple canyons with other folks of similar ability, or more advanced canyons as a contributing team member with a more experienced leader.
Although this isn't a club sponsored course, WCA has agreed to offer the course to ACC members at a discounted rate of $440 + tax for the course and all specialized equipment (Wetsuit, canyoning harness, canyoning hardware). It will run two days in the Abraham lake area and cover theory, ethics, differences between climbing and canyoning, rigging and rappelling for canyoning, canyon movement and progression, and group management and dynamics. There will be a few hours of theory, lots of cliffside practice, and a canyon descent to put all the learned skills into practical use under direct guidance and supervision.
There are some prerequisites for the course. Participants should know the key climbing knots like figure 8s, clove and girth hitches, water knots (webbing), alpine butterflies, and munter hitches. Some quick review can happen on the course but there won't be a focus on teaching knots. Participants should also have some experience rappelling, building anchors, and using prussiks.
Signing up for this event is to express interest in joining the course. Everyone who signs up will be contacted with info to register with WCA. Please only sign up if you confident you wish to attend.
The course will be around Abraham Lake. Participants are responsible for their own lodging and food. There is lots of provincial and crown camping in the area, as well as lodging options in Nordegg.
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Cancellation/Partial Attendance:
Please review our participant responsibility guidelines!
*Cancellation Policy*: If a participant is unable to attend a paid course or trip, there will be no refund unless the participant finds a suitable replacement that is acceptable to the trip coordinator. Acceptable waiting list candidates will have priority. It will then be the participant's responsibility to recover funds from the replacement. If the coordinator cancels an event, participants get a refund (less any non-recoverable costs). Note that ACC National does not refund hut fees due to weather, delay, closures, or any other reasons. The Calgary Section of the ACC is a not for profit club and we only charge attendees what it costs us to provide courses or trips.
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