IN THIS MODULE
06.0 Canyoneering Ethics
Canyoneering has technical rules, but it also has a culture. A lot of that culture comes down to how we treat our group, the canyon, other people, private landowners, and the people who will come through after us.
You do not need a complicated philosophy. Be safe. Be considerate. Leave the place better—or at least no worse—than you found it.
DO
• Stay together as a group.
• Wear a helmet in technical canyons.
• Carry enough food and water—plus extra.
• Leave an emergency note or trip plan.
• Carry first-aid gear and be prepared for a long day.
• Use clear communication around rappels.
• Let faster groups pass when it can be done safely.
• Use established trails and durable surfaces. In drainages, remain alert to flood exposure; a low-impact travel line is not necessarily a safe waiting place.
• Avoid cryptobiotic soil.
• Report graffiti or obvious vandalism.
DON’T
• Bring pets into technical canyons.
• Horse around near edges or while on rappel.
• Overestimate your abilities.
• Bounce unnecessarily on ropes or anchors.
• Create avoidable rope grooves.
• Be loud or disruptive around other groups.
• Block faster groups simply because you were there first.
• Trespass on private property.
06.1 Your Group Is Part of the Ethics
A lot of canyon ethics begins with your own team. Stick together. Help the slower person. Communicate clearly. If somebody is struggling physically or mentally, deal with it as a group instead of leaving them behind or allowing the group to fracture.
I also prefer saying “Watch out below!” instead of simply yelling “Rope!” when you are around hikers or the general public. Canyoneers know what “rope” means. A random hiker below you may have absolutely no idea what is about to happen.
06.2 Access Is a Community Problem
Private property deserves special attention. Do not trespass. Period. One careless group can damage a relationship that other canyoneers spent years building with a landowner. If access gets closed, the penalty is not just yours—the entire community loses it.
“The canyon is not yours. You are simply the group passing through it today.”
Coalition of American Canyoneers — access, conservation, education, and safety.
I encourage supporting the Coalition of American Canyoneers and to read more about them at www.AmericanCanyoneers.org for canyon access and preservation efforts.