Looking back, my introduction to canyoneering set me on a path that led to so much fulfillment in life. Getting into this sport was one of the best decisions I ever made. Because of this sport I broadened my love and appreciation for the natural world, met lifelong friends, explored far flung areas of the world, and it has helped to build confidence and increase my comfort level in various high stress situations.
It started when I came across a 3-day course on Meetup by Uber Adventures in the LA area. I had been climbing and scuba diving for a while and was looking to get into as many outdoor sports as possible. I had little idea of what canyoneering was, but the description of using ropes to rappel down and explore canyons sounded pretty cool.
After the course I was eager to get into some canyons and Klaus, the instructor, thought I seemed pretty comfortable and recommended me to a group of people who were headed out to do some first descents in Death Valley. Yes, my first canyons were a couple of first descents in Death Valley with a few canyoneering OGs – Rick Kent, Abby Wines, Dean Crane, and Mike Cressman. In hindsight, I’m surprised they allowed me to come on their trip, but it went great and I had an amazing experience with this crew. Canyoneering/Canyoning is one of, if not my favorite activity to do and I love the exploration aspect as well as the technical know-how requiring a little bit of brain power. It really is something I’ll be doing for as long as I’m alive.
