To Fill in the Gaps

IN THIS MODULE

36 To Fill in the Gaps

Hiking and canyoneering are great opportunities to bond with your group. Long approaches, exits, shuttles, and canyon days give you hours to talk, laugh, swap stories, and learn who the people around you actually are.

WHY I INCLUDED THIS: The human experience is meant to be shared, in my opinion. A team can know every knot in the book and still communicate poorly if the people on that team never become comfortable talking to one another.

HOW TO USE THIS MODULE

1
PICK ONE
Do not turn this into an interview. Choose one question and let the conversation go where it goes.

2
ANSWER TOO
If you ask something meaningful, be willing to share your own answer. That is how trust grows.

3
READ THE GROUP
Some topics are personal. Anyone can pass. Deeper questions only work when the group is comfortable and respectful.

36 QUESTIONS FOR MODULE 36

Start easy. The point is not to “get through the list.” The point is to discover the stories behind the people sharing the canyon with you.

GET TO KNOW EACH OTHER
1	Where are you from, and where do you call home now?
2	What do you do for work—or what would your dream job be?
3	What did you study in school, or what subject interested you most?
4	What are you learning or trying to get better at right now?
5	What is something people are usually surprised to learn about you?
6	What originally brought you into hiking, climbing, or canyoneering?

CANYONEERING EXPERIENCE
7	How long have you been canyoneering?
8	What was your first canyon, and what do you remember most about it?
9	What canyon taught you the biggest lesson?
10	What canyon would you happily repeat tomorrow?
11	What canyoneering skill are you trying to improve right now?
12	What canyon or adventure is still high on your dream list?

ASK AND SHARE: Ask how long your partners have been canyoneering and what they have learned. Trade experiences while distinguishing a personal preference from a technique that the whole group can use safely.

THE PEOPLE BEHIND THE HELMETS

Some of the best approach conversations have nothing to do with ropes. Learning about the person beside you can make it easier to listen when they need to speak up.

FAMILY, SCHOOL & GROWTH
13	Who are the important people in your life?
14	What family tradition or family memory means a lot to you?
15	What did your family do for fun when you were growing up?
16	Who has had the biggest positive influence on your life?
17	What is one lesson from school, work, or life that has really stuck with you?
18	If you could learn one new skill or subject just for fun, what would it be?

TRAVEL, BOOKS & OTHER HOBBIES
19	What other hobbies do you enjoy besides canyoneering?
20	What is the best place you have traveled to—and why?
21	Where is a place you still really want to visit?
22	What is a favorite book or book series?
23	Who is a favorite author—or what kind of books do you usually gravitate toward?
24	What hobby or interest could you talk about for an hour without getting bored?

OTHER HOBBIES: Cooking, photography, bird watching—whatever interests them. Learning what someone loves outside the canyon often reveals unexpected common ground.

STORIES, CURIOSITY & THE BIG QUESTIONS

Once the group is comfortable, conversation can move from funny stories to the kinds of questions people rarely have enough uninterrupted time to talk about.

FAVORITE STORIES, SCIENCE & CURIOSITY
25	What is your funniest outdoor or travel story?
26	What is the scariest adventure you can laugh about now?
27	What is something you have seen in nature that left you completely in awe?
28	What science, space, history, or technology topic fascinates you?
29	If you could witness one historical event or scientific discovery firsthand, what would it be?
30	If time and money were not a factor, what adventure would you plan next?

POLITICS, RELIGION & MEANING OF LIFE
31	Does religion, faith, spirituality, or philosophy play a role in your life?
32	What do you think gives life meaning or purpose?
33	What values matter most to you when you have to make a hard decision?
34	Has any belief or opinion changed significantly as you have gotten older?
35	Is there a political or social issue you genuinely care about? What shaped your view?
36	What do you hope the people closest to you remember about you someday?

READ THE GROUP: You can discuss politics, religion, and the meaning of life—but only if the group is comfortable. Be curious, not combative. Nobody owes the group an answer to a personal question.

WHY THIS ACTUALLY MATTERS IN A CANYON

This module may look like a collection of conversation starters, but there is a canyoneering reason behind it. Good teams communicate better when the people on them are comfortable talking to one another.

1	SPEAKING UP — A person who feels comfortable with the group is more likely to say, “I do not like this anchor,” “I am cold,” or “I need help” before a problem grows.
2	READING PEOPLE — The more time you spend talking, the better you notice when someone becomes unusually quiet, stressed, exhausted, or mentally checked out.
3	DECISION-MAKING — Teams that can disagree respectfully on ordinary topics are often better prepared to discuss route choices, weather, anchors, or whether to turn around.
4	TRUST — Trust is not created by a matching set of helmets. It grows through shared experiences, good judgment, reliability—and real conversation.

A FEW SIMPLE RULES

• Ask, then listen. Do not spend the other person’s answer waiting for your turn to talk.

• Share your own answer too. Vulnerability should not be one-sided.

• Do not force sensitive topics. “I would rather not get into that” is a complete answer.

• Let the canyon breathe. Silence is okay. Not every mile needs a discussion topic.

• Keep safety conversations clear and direct. A fun conversation should never distract from route-finding, anchors, rappels, water, or weather.

WHY I INCLUDED THIS: Who knows—maybe this group becomes your new canyoneering group. Maybe you get invited on more trips. Or maybe you do not. But at least you might know why!