Canyoning Assessments

The actual assessment dates are 4/30-5/1

overview

Basic Equivalency Candidates, Intermediate Equivalency Candidates, and Assistant Leader Candidates will take their technical assessments on this weekend. 

AN APPLICATION IS REQUIRED.

Once your application has been received, your name will tentatively be added to the course roster. If your application is approved, the course will be put in your cart, and you'll be able to go in and pay. If your application is denied, you will be canceled off the waitlist, and a committee member will reach out to you to help you determine your path forward.

Once your application is approved, you will be given access to our eLearning pre-work. This eLearning will have detailed information about your assessments, as well as quizzes and assignments you will need to complete.

DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE the value of practicing before the assessment.

Please review the requirements below, and click on the assessment you are interested in to learn about what will be assessed.

step-by-step

1. Complete Application
2. Pay for Assessments (once your application has been approved)
3. Complete eLearning
4. Practice as much as possible!
5. For equivalency, you may schedule a single 2-hour session with a Leader to ask clarifying questions or get a demo on certain techniques.
6. Take the assessment!

requirements

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.

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 (this can simply be a short email to the Equivalency chair)
• 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