top of page

Moving (Sequencing) in a Canyon

Section 28

You most likely will ask yourself, why is there a section on "moving in a canyon"?  That's a great question!

Hopefully, my response or answer will be "Oh, I see. That's cool! I didn't know that" and see value in this.  Remember, this is our "language" as we move through the canyon.

Every canyon is unique and so completing them isn't just simply hiking or moving through them. It's about how. Of course you have to walk through the canyon, but other times you may be down-climbing, up-climbing, stemming, chimneying, bridging, using a handline, jumping, and using your party members for a "partner-assist".

What do all of these exactly mean?  The best way to show you is through pictures.

The point of this module is to show you that canyoneering isn't sometimes simply just walking through a canyon.  It usually contains a mix of all of the above and more!  And every canyon has different challenges, and for a lot of people, that's what makes canyoneering a lot of fun. "It provides the spice" to the canyon, as I often say.

Here they all are:

Down-climb

Up-climb

Stemming

Chimneying

Bridging

Hand-line

Jumping

Partner Assist

Downclimb (or "down-climbing")

downclimb1.JPG
Image Credit: Brett Johnson (C)
downclimbing.JPG
Image Credit: Brett Johnson (C)
downclimbing2.JPG
Image Credit: Jeff Guest (C)

Upclimb (or "up-climbing")

upclimbing1.JPG
Image Credit: Brett Johnson (C)
upclimbing.JPG
Image Credit: Brett Johnson (C)

Stemming

stemming.JPG
stemming2.JPG
stemming1.JPG
stemming3.JPG
Image Credit: Brett Johnson (C)
Image Credit: Brett Johnson (C)
Image Credit: Brett Johnson (C)
Image Credit: Brett Johnson (C)

Chimney (or Chimneying)

chimneying1.JPG
Image Credit: Brett Johnson (C)
chimneying3.JPG
Image Credit: Brett Johnson (C)
chimneying2.JPG
Image Credit: Jeff Guest (C)
chimneying.JPG
Image Credit: Ian Napper (C)

Bridging

bridging3.jpg
Image Credit: Brett Johnson (C)
bridging.JPG
Image Credit: Brett Johnson (C)
bridging4.JPG
Image Credit: Brett Johnson (C)

Handline (or "hand-lining")

handlining1
Image Credit: Brett Johnson (C)
handling2
Image Credit: Brett Johnson (C)

Jumping

jumping2.JPG
Image Credit: Brett Johnson (C)
jumping1.JPG
Image Credit: Brett Johnson (C)

Partner-Assist

partnerassist1.JPG
Image Credit: Brett Johnson (C)
partnerassist2.JPG
Image Credit: Brett Johnson (C)
bottom of page