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.
I hurt. For me, hurting and the Grand Canyon go together like ham and cheese. In this case I hurt in many places: bruised feet, stiff quads, funky shoulder, left ankle a bit odd, and the lower back - of course. Unfortunately, this was BEFORE we headed into the Big Ditch, having spent three days with the Unbreakable Ram and Jenny the previous week.
Read MoreKody invited me over for a lap down Johnson Arch Canyon in St George, and said the magic words: “no need for an early start”. I’m in!
Read MoreFinally, a storm brought moisture upon us, first time since New Years. Not the best timing, however, as Ram was just blowing into town.
Read MoreFreezefest is an annual gathering of hearty (ie, foolish) canyoneers for canyoneering at the turn of the year. Camping out in single-digit temperatures may not seem like it would be fun, but with proper preparation, plus lots of firewood, fine spirits and good friends, it works out to be one of the funnest events of the year.
Read MoreOur annual INSANE canyoneering festival called FreezeFest is held in North Wash for a good reason - there are a LOT of good canyons within easy reach. For this day, we chose Paradiso out on Ticaboo Mesa, one of the Dante Canyons, possibly the funnest of the Dante Canyons.
Read MoreThe last couple years, Ramoo has put together a wondrous start to Freezefest doing a BIG canyon on Christmas Day - our contribution to the War on Christmas, I suppose. 2010 was Choprock, which I missed, being sick as a dog.
Read MoreDirty, loose, scary, confusing. Rotting fixed ropes festoon the route. "I've never been so scared on 5.5!"
Edited description:
Read MoreMike casually mentioned he had his eye on a certain canyon, a painfully obvious one, in the heart of Zion. "No way", I said. "I've been looking at that for 5 years!"
Read MoreThough Utah's Capitol Reef National Park has a big handful of good canyoneering, Pandora's Box is clearly the BESTest! I hooked up with Ram and Brendan Busch (plus Jonathan Zambella, and Dirk and Nancy Tyler) for a few days out there
Read MoreZion's Subway is a wonderful, beautiful canyon, enjoyed by many people in several different ways. I made a run through on a recent weekend to re-locate the first anchor, bolted this spring but not in the best place (from my point of view).
Read MoreSome good canyons can be found at the south end of the San Rafael Swell. They are especially good, especially fun when full of water - as we expected to find them, thanks to storms tracking across Utah these last two months.
Read MoreThe Squeeze is an excellent canyoneering adventure down in Utah's San Rafael Swell. I was down at Hidden Splendor for the SUWA Roundup. The frequent storms the last few weeks suggested the canyons on the south end of the Reef would be in Splasher mode
Read MoreCanyoneering first descents are always cherished - we found a nice one down in the Swell, near Hidden Splendor. At last year's SUWA Roundup, I hiked up and scouted this little canyon with Bill Wolverton, thinking it might make a nice, easy, technical canyon for beginners.
Read MoreThe BEST trip, every year. Out on Lake Powell, in Glen Canyon.
Read MoreWent through Full Imlay with Steve Brezovec and Kelly Birdwell - to enjoy the canyon, of course, and to work on the anchors. (All photos this rave by Steve Brezovec.)
Read MoreI have a tendency to make things more complex than they really need to be. Sometimes this gets people in trouble, like in this case. Fortunately, BIG trouble was avoided.
Read MoreWent down to Ouray for some wet stuff. Found it! Ouray has quite an amazing concentration of fun, wet canyons. There are only two problems with this: the season is short (typically "August"), and it is an 8 hour drive from my house. Spoiled I am, living IN canyon country, and I have gotten used to not having to drive all that far. Woe is me...
Read MoreGetting out with Kip is always a treat. Kip has an indomitable enthusiasm for exploring the obscure corners of the Zion area, and tends to invite me along when he thinks he has a good one lined up. "I'm IN!" I said.
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