Global Adventure - Canyon Arizona’s Aquatic Canyons

Participants must arrive at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) no later than 7:00pm on Friday, April 7. Your leaders will have rental vehicles ready to drive you to the campground. From there, we will stop for groceries and then drive to the Grapevine Group Campground in Roosevelt, AZ, where we will camp for 3 nights. We will run a canyon on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday, returning to Phoenix on Monday evening by 6:00pm. Participants must book their return flight to depart no earlier than 7:30pm on Monday evening. Each day of the trip will involve driving to a canyon, descending the canyon, and returning to camp. We will have breakfast and dinner at camp, and bring lunch and snacks to consume in the canyon. Each evening, we will gather as a group to review the plans for the next day.

Itinerary Highlights: 

On Saturday, Sunday, and Monday, we will be descending canyons. We have planned for three possible itineraries, depending on weather and seasonal flow conditions:

Time of Year:   April is prime time for these amazing canyons! And for PNW Canyoneers, it’s a great way to kick off the season!

Lodging:   We will be camping at the Grapevine Group Campground in Roosevelt, AZ, which is centrally located to our destination canyons. The Grapevine Group Campground is a maintained national forest campground with basic amenities including water, flush toilets, showers, and shelters with picnic tables, grills, and fire rings. There is cell service from Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile.

Food:   3 breakfasts and 2 dinners are included in the trip fee. Your leaders will prepare a delicious breakfast and dinner on each canyon day, accommodating any dietary needs. Participants can relax and enjoy each other’s company while your leaders do the cooking and cleaning! On the first evening and the last evening, we will stop for dinner on the way to and from the airport. Participants will be responsible for their own dinners on these nights. We will stop at a grocery store on the first evening on the way to the campground, where participants can purchase their own lunch foods and snacks. We will have a cooler designated for participant lunches.

Leader’s Experience:    Your primary leader will be Becca Polglase (beccapolglase@gmail.com) who has more than 200 canyon descents under her belt, and is an instructor for both the Basic and Intermediate Canyoning Courses. She’s led two trips to the Arizona Canyons in the past, and has additional experience throughout the PNW, California, and Madeira Island. Becca will be assisted by two additional Canyon Leaders: Madeline Hwang and Jake Huddleston. Both Madeline and Jake have more than 200 canyon descents, teach the Basic and Intermediate Canyon Courses, and have extensive experience in both aquatic canyons and desert canyons. All of us have advanced canyon rescue training as well as Wilderness First Aid.

Participant Requirements:   Participants must have the Basic Canyoning Badge, Basic Canyoning Equivalency, or the approval of the Leader and Assistant Leaders.

Participants are required to have the following skills and experience:

• Competency in rappelling with a variable friction descender, including the knowledge of how to adjust friction and lockoff while on rope
• Single-strand ascent using a mechanical ascender or friction hitches
• An understanding of communication systems used in aquatic canyons
• Ability to swim 50 feet unassisted in light current
• Minimum of 5 aquatic canyons

Trip Price Detail:   $680 includes all campground fees, ground transportation, and 5 meals. It also includes group canyon gear including ropes, and group camp kitchen gear, making travel much easier. Does not include any airfare (~$400), lunches or meals while traveling (~$100). 7 participants is the minimum required for the trip, with a maximum of 9.

Registration Instructions:   Leader approval of application is required prior to registration. At registration, a $375 deposit is required to hold your spot on the roster The remaining balance of $305 is due on March 23, 2023. The trip will be canceled if the minimum of 7 participants is not reached by March 23, 2023. Registration for the remaining 2 spots will close on April 3, 2023.

Cancellation Policy:   If you cancel because of an emergency, you may receive a refund less expenses incurred and a $100 administrative fee. If your place is taken by a new person, the expenses incurred could also be refunded, after the new person is fully registered.

COVID-19 Policy:  You must be fully vaccinated and symptom-free to participate. If you have been in close contact with anyone who has contracted COVID-19 in the week prior to the trip, we will ask you to mask anytime you are in close contact with others indoors. Anyone who contracts COVID-19 will be required to quarantine and will be responsible for all associated costs. As a precaution, please bring a COVID-19 rapid test kit with you.

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