The Latest Rave

The Latest Rave is your resource for Utah Canyoneering know-how. From Utah canyon condition reports to narratives of mind-bending epics to wildflower sightings, you will find all the beta you need from Tom and his team on The Rave.

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Posts in Canyoneering

Canyoneering in Death Valley: Grotto, Bronto, Styx, and Erebus Canyons

Canyoneering in Death Valley: Grotto, Bronto, Styx, and Erebus Canyons

a FEST! A Valley of Death Fest!

Canyoneering, Death Valley, Tom Jones, Tom's First Visit, Trip ReportTom JonesFebruary 14, 2010Bronto Canyon, Erebus Canyon, Grotto Canyon, Styx Canyon, death valley, Death Valley national park

Sand Trap Anchor & Poe Canyon and the Hogs

Sand Trap Anchor & Poe Canyon and the Hogs

Before heading into more serious things, a lazy-ish weekend in North Wash was in order. No Kidding provided a good opportunity to test out the new Sand Trap. Dave Buckingham and Anna Rehkopf from ZAC and Springdale drove up for some slot action

Pipe Spring Canyon, Zion National Park, UT

Pipe Spring Canyon, Zion National Park, UT

I’ve had Pipe Spring Canyon on my curiousity list for a while, having stopped by and poked into the bottom almost every time I hiked the MIA..

Canyoneering, Exploration, Tom Jones, Tom's First Visit, Trip Report, Zion, Zion Adventure CompanyTom JonesOctober 25, 2009Cory McKee, MIA Exit, MIA route, Pipe Springs Canyon, Rob Schwarzmann, zion, zion canyoneering, canyoneering

Heaps Canyon in the Fall, Zion National Park, UT

Heaps Canyon in the Fall, Zion National Park, UT

I've been revisiting the 'classics' of late, as I have neglected them in the last two years the way life has run, so when a strong canyoning guide from Italy was visiting in late October and Heaps Canyon was suggested, a cautious *yes* was offered up.

Canyoneering, Heaps Canyon, Tom Jones, Trip Report, ZionTom JonesOctober 20, 2009advanced canyon, Heaps Canyon Zion, heaps, heaps canyon, heaps canyon zion, canyoneering, zion, zion national park, zion canyoneering

Grand Canyon Sufferfest: Whispering Falls Canyon

Grand Canyon Sufferfest: Whispering Falls Canyon

Rich Rudow and Todd Martin have been spending a bit of time in the mighty canyon of the Colorado River, as it crosses from Lee's Ferry to Lake Mead. Exploring every little nook and cranny?

Canyoneering, Grand Canyon, Tom Jones, Tom's First Visit, Trip ReportTom JonesOctober 10, 2009Dean Kurtz, Rich Rudow, Steve Ramras, Todd Martin, Whispering Falls Canyon, whispering falls, canyoneering, grand canyon, grand canyon national park

Happy Dog Canyon and Poe Canyon

Happy Dog Canyon and Poe Canyon

… We did not go in the Wart Pothole but considered that some kind of pendulum would work, once you got a fella over. We did the 1st 90%+ of the canyon with fully retrievable anchors.

Canyoneering, Tom Jones, Trip ReportTom JonesOctober 3, 2009Happy Dog Canyon, Poe Canyon, Pot Shot, sand bag, sand bag anchor, ghosting

Canyoneering Anchor and Rigging Techniques in Englestead Canyon, Zion National Park

Canyoneering Anchor and Rigging Techniques in Englestead Canyon, Zion National Park

Recently I have heard about people having trouble pulling their rappel on the first rap in Englestead Canyon. I found this curious, that this problem would suddenly arrive for several parties this summer. What gives???

Anchors, Canyoneering, Englestead Canyon, Tom Jones, ZionTom JonesSeptember 10, 2009anchor rigging, Canyon Anchors, anchors, anchor maintenance, canyoneering anchors, natural anchors, bolted anchors, zion, zion canyoneering, canyoneering, englestead, englestead canyon

Blissful Canyoneering in Glen Canyon

Blissful Canyoneering in Glen Canyon

We consider Glen Canyon (Lake Powell area) to be an "Adventure Canyoneering Reserve", thus names of canyons are withheld, some details obscured and other mild obfucations taken in the interest of preserving the adventure (for the children!!!).

Canyoneering, Exploration, Glen Canyon, Tom Jones, Trip ReportTom JonesSeptember 3, 2009Bob Stevenson, Harvey Halpern, Stever Ramras, glen canyon, canyoneering, exploration, ghosting

Pine Creek Canyon and Wildflowers, Zion National Park, UT

Pine Creek Canyon and Wildflowers, Zion National Park, UT

Randi was in Zion with a couple of Californiac friends, and invited me for some fun. I had a class in Yankee Doodle on Saturday, but joined Randi, Kelley from San Fran, and Jay from Death Valley for quick visits to Keyhole Canyon and Pine Creek Canyon

Canyoneering, Pine Creek, Tom Jones, Trip Report, Wildflowers, ZionTom JonesMay 31, 2009Cathedral Rappel, Pine Creek Canyon, Randi Poer, zion, canyoneering, zion canyoneering, pine creek, Pine Creek

Lower Echo Canyon, Zion National Park, UT

Lower Echo Canyon, Zion National Park, UT

(Middle) Echo Canyon is famous for holding snow in the "spring", which in Zion, can mean until July 1st, or even later. We had heard few reports for how the snow was this year, so Dave Buckingham and I (after cancelling a trip to North Wash due to the heat) decided to check out Middle Echo…

Canyoneering, Exploration, Tom Jones, Trip Report, Zion, Zion Adventure CompanyTom JonesMay 15, 2009ascending ropes, jugging ropes, Lower Echo Canyon, Middle Echo Canyon, echo canyon, zion national park, zion, zion canyoneering, canyoneering, exploration, Zion

Black and White Canyon Photography

Black and White Canyon Photography

What does one do while convalescing? Unable to play in the canyons, resisting the urge to buy a *BIG* TV, in between the tedium and drudgery of physical therapy sessions...

Canyoneering, Guest, Photography, Tom WetherellTom WetherellFebruary 27, 2009black and white, canyons, photographs, photography, canyon photography, desert photography

Waterholes Canyon, Arizona Strip

Waterholes Canyon, Arizona Strip

We were hoping and planning on re-engineering the BIG DROP to avoid the infamous Rope-Eating Crack, and to set it up so others could too.

President Harding Rapid Stories, Grand Canyon

President Harding Rapid Stories, Grand Canyon

We had made our way down a canyon, then down the river a ways, the day before. Today's plan was to boat a couple of miles downriver to President Harding Rapid, then climb out of the Big Ditch at Eminence Break.

Canyoneering, Tom Jones, Trip Report, Grand CanyonTom JonesFebruary 19, 2009Aaron Locander, President Harding Rapids, Sevylor raft, Sonny Lawrence, Steve Ramras, grand canyon, canyoneering in the grand canyon, rafting and canyoneering, rafting, eminence break, canyoneering, hiking

Ditch Fest: Grand Canyoneering in Marble Canyon

Ditch Fest: Grand Canyoneering in Marble Canyon

The Young Turks of Arizona invited Ram out to explore a few canyons around the north end of the Grand Canyon (the Marble Canyon area). This became 'Ditch Fest' and I somehow wrangled an invite for me.

Canyoneering, Exploration, Grand Canyon, Tom Jones, Tom's First Visit, Trip ReportTom JonesFebruary 6, 2009Aaron Locander, canyoneering in the grand canyon, grand canyon national park, politics, Rich Rudow, Steve Ramras, Todd Martin

Tik Tok Bridge Canyon, North Wash, UT

Tik Tok Bridge Canyon, North Wash, UT

A great time to be in the wild, but with the wetness and all, not a great time to do canyons. What else was around? How about Ryan's ramble out to the Yellow Brick Road and Tik Tok Bridge?

Canyoneering, Hiking, North Wash, Tom Jones, Tom's First Visit, Trip ReportTom JonesNovember 29, 2008Alicia Scotter, Hank Moon, Tik Tok Bridge, north wash, north wash canyoneering, canyoneering, tik tok bridge, land of oz

Hogwarts Canyon, North Wash, UT

Hogwarts Canyon, North Wash, UT

Back to North Wash for another weekend. Thanksgiving brought a whole bunch of rain, but it cleared off quickly. Friday, I rendezvoused with hank and alicia around noon.

Canyoneering, North Wash, Tom Jones, Tom's First Visit, Trip ReportTom JonesNovember 28, 2008Alicia Scotter, Hank Moon, Hogwarts Canyon, north wash, canyoneering

Observation Point Canyon, Zion National Park, UT

Observation Point Canyon, Zion National Park, UT

Dear Ramoo - Finally got to that project we had glanced at, so long ago. Observation Point Canyon - dropping from near O Point into the Weeping Rock Cirque.

Canyoneering, Exploration, Tom Jones, Tom's First Visit, Trip Report, Zion, Zion Adventure CompanyTom JonesNovember 24, 2008Observation Point Canyon, Sarah Stratton, observation point, zion, zion canyoneering, canyoneering

Morocco Canyon, North Wash, UT

Morocco Canyon, North Wash, UT

Looking through Wyoming Dave's recent finds, we chose Morocco as the best venture. A quick trip to Hog Springs (for the usual) and we parked at the 'trench' of Casablanca Canyon and followed Dave's directions up the cliff - and around to the head of the canyon.

Anchors, Canyoneering, North Wash, Tom Jones, Tom's First Visit, Trip ReportTom JonesNovember 17, 2008Dave Buckingham, Morocco Canyon, canyoneering, north wash, north wash canyoneering, anchors, anchor rigging, anchor maintenance, natural anchors