Expert Guides
Moab Canyoneering Experience
Small Group Environment
Learn the Basics in Our Canyoneering Course in Moab, Utah
Our Moab Technical Canyoneering Basics course is the perfect fit for individuals who are either beginners or have some experience with the sport but lack formal training. This course aims to provide a safe approach to canyoneering by discussing the fundamental requirements and how to assess and mitigate risks associated with the sport.
We’ll start the course with an anchor module that covers anchor building and assessment. It discusses how to approach canyons with pre-built anchors and how to reconstruct and evaluate them if needed. From there, the course moves into rappelling and ascending, covering emergency situations and how to escape obstacles such as potholes.
The course includes a canyon descent where you will have the opportunity to put your new skills into practice, including canyoneering movements like downclimbing and stemming, as well as partner assists and meat anchors.
To ensure students receive personalized attention and have the opportunity to ask questions, the course is kept small and manageable. The course is conducted near Moab, providing students with a range of accommodation and meal options, so they can focus on learning without the added concerns of packing overnight gear and food.
Why Choose This Course
Discover fundamental canyoneering principles such as approaching the sport from a safe position and mitigating risks in Canyoneering to ensure a safe outing (and more!)
Enjoy a welcoming and diverse course environment for everyone from complete beginners to students with some canyoneering experience under their belt - there’s a place for everyone!
Get the confidence needed to rappel with the best of them through learning the ins and outs of all aspects of rappelling - in all possible situations
Become more comfortable in emergencies (before they happen!) by learning how to think like a pro in those situations
Put your knowledge to the ultimate test in several canyon descents to truly learn how a safe canyon descent is made
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Course Details
Course Details
Price
$495 per person
Availability
See our Basic Courses in the North Wash for Spring 2024
Location
Conducted out of our Moab, Utah location
Duration
3 days
Group size
Maximum 10
Included
- Professional guide and instructors, decades of knowledge and experience teaching and training canyoneering and search and rescue
- All necessary ropes and anchor rigging material
- All necessary rescue gear to be introduced during the course
Not included
- Food and lodging
- Transportation to and from the training site
- Gratuity for Instructors
- Personal Canyoneering Gear (A basic gear setup for course completion may be borrowed)
What to bring
Appropriate layered clothing and footwear to be in the elements all three days
Course staff
1-4 depending on class size
What You'll Learn
Safety briefing and risk assessment for canyoneering hazards
Canyon rating systems
Meteorology and flash floods
Canyoneering ethics
Canyoneering gear available and deeded
Anchors and anchor rigging for canyoneering
Rapelling
Rappel back ups and belay’s for safety in canyoneering
Friction setting and adjustment for various rappel devices
Ascending a rope
Ascending for self rescue and pothole escapes
Transitioning direction while on rope
Rope retrieval, care and packing
Group dynamics and gear collaboration for in canyon travel
Gear and preparedness inventory
In canyon practicals
FAQs
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.
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.
Obviously weather prediction is a tricky thing to do, just watch your local weather report and see how often they get it right. 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 in 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 possible, 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.
Have more questions? Check out our FAQ page!
See What Our Customers Say About Us
A really awesome canyoneering course! North Wash Outfitters came recommended to me by some friends and I’m so glad I did it. I feel so much more comfortable with the skills and techniques I learned, the instructors are super knowledgeable and experienced. Great class, great experience, great people. I look forward to taking an advanced class when I’m ready
Jared is super knowledgeable and taught us a lot. I would definitely recommend and will do the advanced course through them as well. Also having multiple instructors was a big help they all had different things to teach us.
AWESOME company! If you need a guide or want to take a course to improve your canyoneering skills, this is your company! Jared and his team taught us so many new skills, and were amazing every step of the way. I highly recommend them in every way!!
I took North Wash Outfitter’s 3 day technical canyoneering course a couple of weeks ago and it was worth every penny. All of the leaders were professional and also very approachable – they answered all of our questions and we had great discussions. I was very nervous about repelling at the start of Day 2, but by the end of Day 2 I was pretty dang comfortable with it. But apparently my strength is ascending, you’ll learn about that too! It was so awesome to actually go down a technical canyon with these folks and apply the techniques we talked about (and then some). I’m excited to use the skills I learned and now feel more confident exploring the many amazing canyons in Utah and beyond. I wouldn’t hesitate to sign up for another course or guided trip with North Wash Outfitters.
I just took the beginner technical canyoneering course in April 2023. Before the course I had done a lot of canyons but because I was self taught I knew that there was so much more to learn! I signed up for this course so I could gain skills that would make canyoneering safer and start getting tips/tricks for unexpected situations that could arise while in a canyon. Jared, Tammy and Lisa blew my expectations out of the water, they are super passionate and knowledgeable and made this course so much fun! The things they taught us will most definitely be invaluable for all of our canyoneering adventures to come. On top of that, I met a bunch of new friends who share similar interests and will hopefully be joining them in some canyons in the future. I do want to mention one other thing, if you sign up for the course in North Wash, definitely sign up for the meal plan, the food was fabulous and spending that time with the instructors was so much fun!
I enjoyed a fantastic course in the spectacular canyonlands of SE Utah with North Wash Outfitters. The instructors had decades of experience between them, and were knowledgeable, patient as well as just being nice people to spend time learning from for a few days. I can’t wait to take the advanced course next spring! I highly recommend North Wash Outfitters!
Awesome course! Jared and his team are so competent — I felt very safe with this group and appreciate their patience as I learned the anchor rigging and rope management techniques. The rappelling and ascending practice was fun and controlled, and the all-day practical in a North Wash slot canyon was a blast. I don’t think there is a better place to go to learn the basics of Canyoneering!