Do I have to be an ACA member to attend your course?
No. However with participation in the Technical course you have the option to purchase a lifetime Membership in the ACA.

How much does the courses cost?
Course fees are listed within the Course Descriptions

Who are the instructors?
All courses are taught by our guiding staff. Some courses may require us to have an outside instructor come in such as Wilderness First Aid where we offer a certification in CPR by the American Heart Association.

How do I register and pay for a course?
You need to fill out our online registration form. Once that is finsihed it will transfer you to our store where you can pay your deposit or the balance of your course fees by credit card or you can call us and pay by phone. You will not be registered until you have purchased at least the deposit amount.

Registration requires a $50 deposit per person for each course. Balance is due on the first day of the course. You may pay the balance that day by cash, check, or credit card (Visa, Mastercard, Discover).

If you prefer to pay by check, please e-mail us your registration information and mail your check or money order to:

North Wash Outfitters
PO Box 57
Bluff, Utah 84512-0057

You will not be officially registered until we receive your check. During that time the classes may fill up.

Can I register on site on the first day of a course?
If there is space available, yes.

Where can I get information about specific courses and locations?
Check our Canyoneering Courses page. All classes begin meeting at the Comb Ridge Coffee house (700 West Hwy 191 Bluff, UT. Click here for map).

What is the best time of year weather wise to attend a course?
Obviously weather prediction is a tricky thing to do, just watch your local weather report. Anything more than a week in advance is a guesstimate. We schedule courses based on historical averages of weather patterns.

Courses are scheduled March - June and September - October. We don't schedule any courses November - February due to colder temperatures, and July - August due to hotter temperatures. During the other months we hope that the weather is bearable. Starting about in the middle of June through the first part of October also brings our Monsoon season, although very rarely a problem where we teach the courses. During the warmer temperatures we try to spend more time in the canyons where we can get wet. During the cooler temperatures we try to get through the wet stuff as quickly as possibly, but hope that you are also prepared for the temperatures. We have done courses in extreme heat, fairly cold weather, in rain and almost in snow. We hope that no matter what happens you will enjoy your time with us and learn from the material as we work with the weather mother nature gives us.

This being said, if you are willing to bear the weather you are welcome to book a private course any time we have available space.

What time do the courses start and end?
Courses will begin at 8:00 a.m. on the first day and we try to end by 5:00 p.m. on the last day of the course. Times may change once we get into the course and arrange different activities around weather concerns and daylight.

I am flying in, what is the closest airport?

Larger Airports:

• Albuquerque, NM International Airport - 320 miles (approx. 5 hrs 25 min drive time).
• Salt Lake City, UT International Airport - 338 miles (approx. 5 hrs 55 min drive time).
• Phoenix, AZ International Airport - 372 miles (approx. 6 hrs 10 min drive time).
• Las Vegas, NV International Airport - 473 miles (approx. 7 hrs 50 min drive time).

• Cortez Municipal Airport - Cortez, CO 65 miles (approx. 1 hr 10 min drive time).
• Four Corners Regional Airport - Farmington, NM 100 miles (approx. 1 hr 45 min drive time).
• Grand County Airport - Moab, UT 117 miles (approx. 1 hr 50 min drive time).
• Telluride Regional Airport - Telluride, CO 124 miles (approx. 2 hrs drive time).
• Durango-LaPlata County Airport - Durango, CO 135 miles (approx. 2 hrs 35 min drive time).

What kind of facilities are available in Bluff?
Even though we are in a small town (population approx. 300), we have all the modern conveniences available. I.e. Hotels, Motels, Gas station, Restaurants w/ internet access, etc. One thing we do not have is a grocery store except for the Sinclair gas station. The nearest grocery store is 25 miles north in Blanding. Click here for information on lodging, camping and restaurants. One unfortunate problem we do face is that we don't have cell phone service. However, the Recapture Lodge has recently installed a cell phone booster in their motel. I have seen people making cell phone calls there now, but I understand it does not work for every cell service provider.

What is Included? What is not Included? Do I have to provide my own gear?

One Day Introduction to Canyoneering: This course is a one day instructional guided tour therefore cost includes instruction, T-shirt, course handouts, and all canyoneering equipment, i.e. ropes, slings, harness, helmet, rappel device and rigging. You should have proper clothing for the season, see our list here for regular tour suggestions. Cost does not include lodging, meals, transportation to and from Bluff, personal equipment, and gratuities (tips) for instructors/guides.

Technical Course and Ladies Getaway Course: Cost includes instruction, T-shirt (except for refresher participant), course handouts, and all group canyoneering equipment, i.e. ropes, slings, and rigging. ACA lifetime membership may be added if desired for and additional $50.00. You should be able to bring the minimal beginning equipment for canyoneering. This includes - harness, helmet, a rappel device, several locking carabineers, and proper clothing for the season. If you do not have your own gear let us know and we can provide helmets, harnesses and hardware for you to use. Once here or prior to arrival you also have the opportunity to purchase gear from our store. Cost does not include lodging, meals, transportation to and from Bluff, personal equipment, and gratuities (tips) for instructors/guides.

Advanced Course: Cost includes instruction, and all group canyoneering equipment, i.e. ropes, slings, and rigging. Unless taking the Advanced course back to back with the Technical course you should have your own equipment you are using and becoming familiar with which includes - harness, helmet, a rappel device, several locking carabineers, several non-locking carabineers, an ascending system, cows tails or equivalent, and proper clothing for the season. Cost does not include lodging, meals, transportation to and from Bluff, personal equipment, and gratuities (tips) for instructors/guides.

Rescue Course: Cost includes instruction, and all group canyoneering equipment, i.e. ropes, slings, and rigging. You should have your own equipment you are using and becoming familiar with which includes - harness, helmet, a rappel device, several locking carabineers, several non-locking carabineers, an ascending system, a third type of ascender (i.e. prussik, bachman, tibloc etc.), cows tails or equivalent, 20' cordalette (7mm accessory cord is a good size), and proper clothing for the season. Cost does not include lodging, meals, transportation to and from Bluff, personal equipment, and gratuities (tips) for instructors/guides.

Wilderness First Aid:All necessary equipment for course instruction will be provided. Also each student will receive a student book, course completion card upon passing of final exam, and a certification card from the American Heart Association in CPR upon completion of the CPR test. Cost does not include lodging, meals, transportation to and from Bluff, personal equipment, and gratuities (tips) for instructors/guides.

What kind of skill do I need to have before attending a course?

One Day Introduction To Canyoneering: Some knowledge of the sport of canyoneering and what you will be doing is important. You can look through our web site to see what canyoneering entails. Also come with an open mind and a willingness to learn.

Technical Canyoneering Course and Ladies Getaway Course: Some knowledge of the sport of canyoneering and what you will be doing is helpful. Our best advice is to practice knots. We suggest the book title "Knots & Ropes for Climbers" by Duane Raleigh or "Knots for Climbers" by Craig Luebben both available through our store.

Advanced Canyoneering Course: This course builds on the skills taught in the Technical Canyoneering Course. You will need to be confident with in rappelling and ascending. It is a good idea to have been through the Technical Course or be confident in the skills taught in this class. A list of skills can be obtained through the link referenced above.

Rescue Course: Good understanding of rope work is essential. You must be confident with your knots, rappelling and ascending, and have the equipment for such. It is recommended that you have been through both the Technical and Advanced ACA courses. For those who are actively working with a SAR team this is not necessary. A good book to reference this course is from Falcon Press by author David Fassulo titled "Self Rescue" available through our store.

Wilderness First Aid: A willingness to learn and help others is most important. No prior skills are necessary.

Do you offer private instruction?
Yes. Any of our courses can be arranged and taylor ed for your skill level. These can be scheduled for your convenience on an individual or small group basis. For a price quote and booking please contact us.

Are there any age restrictions?
Our scheduled courses are not appropriate for small children. We recommend a minimum age of 12. Students under age 18 must be accompanied by an adult. Sometimes the best thing to do with children is to schedule a private class where individual attention can be given to the particular age group.

Why do you have a cap on the number of students in the courses?
Like the problems facing the public school system, the student to instructor ratio is important to the learning quality of the program. Being able to offer a smaller ratio is important to us so that you receive the best quality of training available. Our cap is 6 students per class unless it is a private class scheduled and you desire a larger group. In this case it is a ratio of 1 instructor to 10 students.

Will I be required to sign a liability waiver?
Yes. You can get a copy to read and sign in advance here and a copy of our Emergency Contact Form here. (Both in PDF Format). It includes Acknowledgment of Risk, Representation of Physical Condition, and Medical Consent. For participants under the age of 18 these forms must be signed by the participant and a parent or legal guardian.

What is the cancellation policy?
If You Cancel
Our cancellation policy is based on our investment in time, program planning, staff training and equipment prior to your program. We cannot recover expenses if you cancel, and short-notice cancellations create vacancies in programs, often preventing others from attending.

Payments, less Cancellation Fee, are refundable if written notice of your cancellation is received at least 10 days prior to program start date for multi day courses and 3 days prior to single day courses. Cancellation Fee is $50 per person for multi-day courses and $25.00 for single day courses. Refunds will be processed 30 days after receipt of your written notice.

We are sorry, but NO REFUNDS will be made if your cancellation is received less than 10 days prior to the program's start date for multi day courses and 3 days prior to single day courses.

Cancellations are effective only upon our receipt of your written notice.

If We Cancel
We reserve the right to change or cancel any itinerary at any time if, in our opinion, conditions so require. If we must cancel a program prior to its start, you will receive a full refund within 30 days of the scheduled start date. We are not responsible for any additional expenses incurred.

Am I supposed to tip my instructor?
Gratuities are not required, though they are an excellent way to show appreciation to your instructor if you had a positive experience, especially if your expectations were exceeded. Some of our instructors teach the courses often without any compensation at all. They just enjoy teaching. Tip amounts are at your discretion, but between $20 and $50 for full-day courses is typical.

Why are some of your Technical and Advanced classes scheduled with Sunday in between?
This seems to be a common question I am getting now. This allows a travel day for the ones leaving the Technical course and the ones coming into the Advanced course. It allows a rest day in between for those staying through the full course, also offering a chance to get out and see the national monuments or parks in the area or plan a canyon with someone on that day. Generally we need a day to rest as well since I also have a full time job right now.

How can I contact you with other questions?
Our Contact page. If you have other questions that are not answered here we will try to include those when we update this page.