Canyoneering Utah - Route Ratings


Ratings are always controversial and challenging to assess. Each individual canyoneer has his / her own opinion on how easy or difficult a route may be. Most of this is based on past experience along with what they encountered during that day or subsequent trips. Because this is a canyoneering website and to help standardize ratings, we use the American Canyoneering Association (ACA) Canyon Rating System. Our ratings are based on our experiences with the routes and that of our clients. We carefully weigh the pros and cons of each route and conservatively assess each rating. If you have any questions or concerns whether you or your group can effectively accomplish any given route, please Contact Us so we can discuss this with you in detail. Please don't underestimate the difficulty of these ratings or overestimate your or your groups abilities. This will only prove frustrating and may dampen your fun and enjoyment of the trip. One last note on ratings. The ease or difficulty of any route can change without notice. Ratings refer to descents in normal conditions, during what is considered the normal season for the route. Factors which may change a routes rating at any give time include but are not limited to: (1) flash floods, (2) higher or lower than normal water volume, (3) hotter or colder than normal water temperatures, and (4) hotter or colder than normal air temperatures.
Climbing Terrain & Technical Climbing / Rope Work	Water Volume & Current	Risk Seriousness	Time Length of Trip	Navigation Skills
1 Canyon / Rim / Desert Hiking Non-technical; no rope required. may involve some easy scrambling requiring the occasional use of hand for balance and support.	A Dry / Wet Normally dry or very little water. Dry falls. Water, if present, can be avoided and/or is very shallow, waist deep at most. Shoes may get wet, but no wetsuit or drysuit required.	M Minimal Minimal risk with an experienced canyoneer and proper equipment. Not for first time canyoneers by themselves without climbing experience and proper equipment.	I Short Day Short. Normally requires only a couple of hours.	+ Established Trails Easy to find and follow. Little or no map / compass / GPS skills required.
2 Basic Canyoneering Scrambling, easy vertical or near vertical climbing and/or down-climbing requiring frequent use of hands. Rope recommended for hand lines, belays, lowering packs and possible emergency use. Exit and/or retreat possible without ascending fixed ropes	B Water / Deep Wading / Possible Swim Normally has water with no current or light current. Still pools. Falls normally dry or running a a trickle. Expect to do some deep wading and/or swimming. Wetsuit or drysuit may be required depending on water and air temperatures.	R Risky One or more extraordinary risk factors exist that could complicate the descent. Solid technical skills and sound judgment critical. Not recommended for beginners or those with little or no experience. Low experienced canyoneers should have an expert canyoneer as a guide or in the team.	II Half Day 3-6 Hours Normally requires a half day.	++ Few Trails Recognizable trails moderately easy to find / follow. Basic knowledge of map / compass / GPS skills required.
3 Intermediate Canyoneering Exposed technical climbing. Down-climbing could be difficult and dangerous; most people will rappel instead. Rope required for belays and single-pitch rappels. Obvious natural or fixed anchors. Retreat up canyon will require ascending fixed ropes. Basic pothole escape techniques (i.e. partner assist, counter-weights) and specialized equipment may also be required.	C Deep Water / Current / Lengthy Swims Normally has water with strong current. Waterfalls. Expect to do some deep wading and/or swimming in current. Wetsuit or drysuit may be required depending on water and air temperatures.	X Extreme Multiple risk factors exist that will complicate the descent. Errors in technique or judgment will likely result in serious injury or death. Descent should only be attempted by expert canyoneers.	III Full Day 6-10 Hours Normally requires most of the day.	+++ No Trails No established trails or extremely difficult to find and follow. Skillful in map / compass / GPS essential.
4 Advanced Canyoneering Route may involve any combination of the following: 1) difficult and exposed free climbing and/or down-climbing, 2) climbing using direct aid, 3) multi-pitch rappels, 4) complex rope work (i.e. guided rappels, deviations, rebelays) 5) obscure or indistinct natural anchors, 6) advanced problem-solving and anchor-building skills. 7) specialized equipment for pothole escape is required.	NOTE: Water level in any canyon can fluctuate greatly from year-to-year, season-to-season, even day-to-day. If, upon arrival at a canyon, you discover the water volume/current is greater than indicated by the rating, descent will be more difficult than suggested by the route description. It will be necessary to reevaluate your decision to attempt the descent.	NOTE: The presence of an R or an X in a rating suggests that the canyon will involve higher than average risk. The absence of an R or an X does not suggest that there will be no risk. All canyoneering involves risk. Risk factors include number and frequency of rappels, length of rappels (single- or double-rope) and exposure, anchor availability, anchor quality, route finding, obstacles, problem-solving, terrain encountered between technical sections, flash flood potential, availability of exits and high ground, water temperature, prolonged immersion, and difficulty of evacuation or rescue. Specific factors should be addressed in the route description.	IV Full Day / Overnight Stay 10-14 Hours Expected to take one full - long day. Get an early start. Bring a head lamp. Plan for possible bivy. Overnight camping recommended before or after hike.
			V Multi-Day 1.5 Days Expected to take an average one and a half days. Overnight camping before and/or during or after hike anticipated.
			VI Multi-Day + 2+ Days Expected to take two or more days. Overnight camping before / during and after hike anticipated.
			NOTE: Time estimates are based on average group of 6 people or less. Larger groups and less experienced groups will take longer. An accurate self-assessment of your abilities will be important. For some users, it may be adequate to refer to time in terms of half day, full day or multi day. Others may prefer a more specific estimate and choose to use the Roman Numeral Grade system common in traditional multi-pitch rock climbing.
Canyoneers often refer only to portions of a canyon's complete rating. For example; they may simply refer to a canyon as Class 2 (referring to the terrain), as Class B (referring to the water), or as Grade IV (referring to the time required). In or web site, you will find complete ratings. The format used is Arabic numeral, alpha character, R or X (if applicable), Roman numeral and the + symbol. Examples: 3 B R IV +++ 2 A M III + 4 A X V +++ 3 C M II ++

Ratings are always controversial and challenging to assess. Each individual canyoneer has his / her own opinion on how easy or difficult a route may be. Most of this is based on past experience along with what they encountered during that day or subsequent trips. Because this is a canyoneering website and to help standardize ratings, we use the American Canyoneering Association (ACA) Canyon Rating System.

Our ratings are based on our experiences with the routes and that of our clients. We carefully weigh the pros and cons of each route and conservatively assess each rating. If you have any questions or concerns whether you or your group can effectively accomplish any given route, please Contact Us so we can discuss this with you in detail. Please don't underestimate the difficulty of these ratings or overestimate your or your groups abilities. This will only prove frustrating and may dampen your fun and enjoyment of the trip.

One last note on ratings. The ease or difficulty of any route can change without notice. Ratings refer to descents in normal conditions, during what is considered the normal season for the route. Factors which may change a routes rating at any give time include but are not limited to: (1) flash floods, (2) higher or lower than normal water volume, (3) hotter or colder than normal water temperatures, and (4) hotter or colder than normal air temperatures.

Climbing

Terrain & Technical Climbing / Rope Work

Water

Volume & Current

Risk

Seriousness

Time

Length of Trip

Navigation

Skills

Canyon / Rim / Desert Hiking

Non-technical; no rope required. may involve some easy scrambling requiring the occasional use of hand for balance and support.

Dry / Wet

Normally dry or very little water. Dry falls. Water, if present, can be avoided and/or is very shallow, waist deep at most. Shoes may get wet, but no wetsuit or drysuit required.

Minimal

Minimal risk with an experienced canyoneer and proper equipment. Not for first time canyoneers by themselves without climbing experience and proper equipment.

Short Day

Short. Normally requires only a couple of hours.

Established Trails

Easy to find and follow. Little or no map / compass / GPS skills required.

Basic Canyoneering

Scrambling, easy vertical or near vertical climbing and/or down-climbing requiring frequent use of hands. Rope recommended for hand lines, belays, lowering packs and possible emergency use. Exit and/or retreat possible without ascending fixed ropes

Water / Deep Wading / Possible Swim

Normally has water with no current or light current. Still pools. Falls normally dry or running a a trickle. Expect to do some deep wading and/or swimming. Wetsuit or drysuit may be required depending on water and air temperatures.

Risky

One or more extraordinary risk factors exist that could complicate the descent. Solid technical skills and sound judgment critical. Not recommended for beginners or those with little or no experience. Low experienced canyoneers should have an expert canyoneer as a guide or in the team.

Half Day

3-6 Hours

Normally requires a half day.

Few Trails

Recognizable trails moderately easy to find / follow. Basic knowledge of map / compass / GPS skills required.

Intermediate Canyoneering

Exposed technical climbing. Down-climbing could be difficult and dangerous; most people will rappel instead. Rope required for belays and single-pitch rappels. Obvious natural or fixed anchors. Retreat up canyon will require ascending fixed ropes. Basic pothole escape techniques (i.e. partner assist, counter-weights) and specialized equipment may also be required.

Deep Water / Current / Lengthy Swims

Normally has water with strong current. Waterfalls. Expect to do some deep wading and/or swimming in current. Wetsuit or drysuit may be required depending on water and air temperatures.

Extreme

Multiple risk factors exist that will complicate the descent. Errors in technique or judgment will likely result in serious injury or death. Descent should only be attempted by expert canyoneers.

III

Full Day

6-10 Hours

Normally requires most of the day.

+++

No Trails

No established trails or extremely difficult to find and follow. Skillful in map / compass / GPS essential.

Advanced Canyoneering

Route may involve any combination of the following: 1) difficult and exposed free climbing and/or down-climbing, 2) climbing using direct aid, 3) multi-pitch rappels, 4) complex rope work (i.e. guided rappels, deviations, rebelays) 5) obscure or indistinct natural anchors, 6) advanced problem-solving and anchor-building skills. 7) specialized equipment for pothole escape is required.

NOTE: Water level in any canyon can fluctuate greatly from year-to-year, season-to-season, even day-to-day. If, upon arrival at a canyon, you discover the water volume/current is greater than indicated by the rating, descent will be more difficult than suggested by the route description. It will be necessary to reevaluate your decision to attempt the descent.

NOTE: The presence of an R or an X in a rating suggests that the canyon will involve higher than average risk. The absence of an R or an X does not suggest that there will be no risk. All canyoneering involves risk.

Risk factors include number and frequency of rappels, length of rappels (single- or double-rope) and exposure, anchor availability, anchor quality, route finding, obstacles, problem-solving, terrain encountered between technical sections, flash flood potential, availability of exits and high ground, water temperature, prolonged immersion, and difficulty of evacuation or rescue. Specific factors should be addressed in the route description.

Full Day / Overnight Stay

10-14 Hours

Expected to take one full - long day. Get an early start. Bring a head lamp. Plan for possible bivy. Overnight camping recommended before or after hike.

Multi-Day

1.5 Days

Expected to take an average one and a half days. Overnight camping before and/or during or after hike anticipated.

Multi-Day +

2+ Days

Expected to take two or more days. Overnight camping before / during and after hike anticipated.

NOTE: Time estimates are based on average group of 6 people or less. Larger groups and less experienced groups will take longer. An accurate self-assessment of your abilities will be important. For some users, it may be adequate to refer to time in terms of half day, full day or multi day. Others may prefer a more specific estimate and choose to use the Roman Numeral Grade system common in traditional multi-pitch rock climbing.

Canyoneers often refer only to portions of a canyon's complete rating. For example; they may simply refer to a canyon as Class 2 (referring to the terrain), as Class B (referring to the water), or as Grade IV (referring to the time required). In or web site, you will find complete ratings. The format used is Arabic numeral, alpha character, R or X (if applicable), Roman numeral and the + symbol.

Examples: 3 B R IV +++ 2 A M III + 4 A X V +++ 3 C M II ++

TPC Sports / Canyoneering Utah Spanish Fork, UT 801-798-2594 or 801-635-6814 email us