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Canyoning Equivalency Application

Welcome!

Thank you for your interest in Mountaineers Canyoning Equivalency and/or becoming an Assistant Leader! 

The purpose of this application is to help us assess whether you are ready, and likely to pass the assessment.

If your application is accepted, you will receive a link to the eLearning and enrolled in the Assessment weekend.

Before you get started, please review the Equivalency Requirements. Note: all applications will be reviewed by a subset of the Canyoning Committee. It is at the committee's discretion whether a candidate's resume meets the minimum requirements.

Basic Waterfall Course Equivalency
This will allow you to participate on Mountaineers Basic Canyon Trips, and will serve as a pre-requisite to taking the Intermediate Canyoning Course

  • 5 Unique Aquatic Canyons
  • 10 total technical canyon descents
  • Aquatic Requirements:
    • Formal river-based whitewater training or canyon-specific whitewater training within the past 5 years -OR-
    • Referral from a Mountaineers Canyon Leader
  • Complete Application
  • Complete online orientation
  • Complete Assessment
    • Skills assessed: Ascending with mechanical ascenders using the frog system, passing a knot on ascent, converting to rappel, and passing a knot on descent; rigging a releasable block using an EMO; rigging a retrievable traverse line; rigging unlinked bolts with an MMO, de-rigging and pulling the rope; teammate communication using hand and whistle signals, descend a guided rappel
Intermediate Canyoning Equivalency
This will allow you to participate on Mountaineers Intermediate Canyon Trips, and will serve as a pre-requisite to taking more advanced clinics.
  • Basic Waterfall Course or Equivalency
  • 20 unique aquatic canyons
  • 25 canyon descents
  • 2 Mounties canyoning trips that are not part of a course (these can occur after the technical assessment)
  • Wilderness First Aid Training
  • Aquatic Requirements:
    • Formal river-based whitewater training or canyon-specific whitewater training within the past 5 years -OR-
    • Equivalent experience and referral from a Mountaineers Canyon Leader
  • Completion of online course and assessment
  • Referral from a Mountaineers Canyon Leader
  • Technical assessment. Skills assessed:
    • Timed indirect rescue: rope cutting
    • Timed anchor rigging - retrievable traverse line to unlinked bolts
    • Timed ascent on a frog system with mechanical ascenders, including passing a knot on ascent, converting to rappel, and passing a knot on descent
    • Rappelling double-strand and passing a knot
    • Ascending on an Italian 8 & VT Prusik
    • Providing a top belay
    • Rigging a guided rappel on an italian 8, releasable from below, with a conveyor belt system to lower someone away from a hazard
    • Redundant & non-redundant webbing anchors
    • Building and managing a cairn anchor
    • Converting static systems to releasable and to haul systems
    • Pickoff using a VT prusik
    • Twin static and twin releasable systems
    • Double-ended rope bags
    • Rigging & managing rebelays
    • Lowering joined ropes past an anchor
    • Core shot management
Assistant Leader 
This will allow you to participate on Mountaineers canyon trips as an assistant leader.
  • Intermediate Canyon Course or Equivalency
  • 15 unique aquatic canyons
  • 2 Mounties Canyoning trips that are not part of a course
  • Wilderness First Aid Training
  • Completion of online course and assessment
  • Completion of technical assessment. Skills assessed:
    • Timed indirect rescue: rope cutting
    • Rappelling double-strand and passing a knot
    • Ascending on an Italian 8 & VT Prusik
    • Providing a top belay
    • Rigging a guided rappel on an italian 8, releasable from below, with a conveyor belt system to lower someone away from a hazard
    • Redundant & non-redundant webbing anchors
    • Building and managing a cairn anchor
    • Converting static systems to releasable and to haul systems
    • Pickoff using a VT prusik
    • Twin static and twin releasable systems
    • Double-ended rope bags
    • Rigging & managing rebelays
    • Lowering joined ropes past an anchor
    • Core shot management
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