Empress (edit: & Grand) Canyon – Beginners

Hey everyone! Dion and I will be running the first beginners canyon of the year this Sunday – EMPRESS.
We’ll work out transport and stuff in the facebook thread, but it’ll be either train or carpooling by meeting at say the Physics Lawn at uni at 7:30ish.

I hear it’s very beautiful and one awesome big abseil at the end.
You must be a current member of the club to sign up, sign up online today! (2014 members will last til start of march).

LOWDOWN

To get an idea of how things will work and the logistics of how to end up in dry underwear:

There’s a short hike to the canyon, you need a backpack to hold wetsuit, lunch, water, harness etc.
When we get to it’s start we change into wetsuits and harnesses with board shorts over the wetsuit to protect it (and swimmers or undies you were already wearing under the wetsuit if you are modest like me :p)
You put dry stuff like your shirt into dry bags (which have your lunch in them) and put your helmets on.

We then go through the awesome waterland of the canyon, swims, jumps, slides, abseils and stopping somewhere for lunch. Keep snacks and water handy (Or just drink the canyon water, I hear it’s fine…)

At the very end we change out of wetsuits back into the dry shirt/clothes (boardies and undies/swimmers will still be wet though!) to hike back.
Then hopefully you left dry bottoms/shorts/undies in the car and you can change back into them then. Thongs are a must too, for happiness.

GEAR

What you’ll need.

– Wetsuit and swimmers:

You can borrow a wetsuit from a friend, borrow from the club, although there will be a limited supply, or check out second hand stores and gumtree or hire from surf shops.
Wear swimmers or undies under the wetsuit and have boardies to wear over the wetsuit to protect it.

-Harness, Belay Plate, Helmet

All can be borrowed from the club, let me know what you need, or go to the gear cupboard yourself on Wednesday evening (gear night)

– Woolen Socks and Enclosed shoes

Volleys (are the best) or old joggers. They will get soaked. Places like target and bigw sell volleys for around $20 or $10 if you have kid sized feet 🙂

– At least 1.5L Water, snacks and lunch

Muesli Bars are cool because they come in their own waterproof wrapping!

– Backpack and dry bag:

Bring a backpack that you don’t mind getting wet, and one that can also hold your wetsuit, at least 1.5L of water and your drybag which will hold lunch/snacks and some dry clothes.
Drybags are waterproof bags that go in your backpack, there’s usually space to share one between two but ask around first to make sure. I have two spare. Or they’re about $10 in mountain designs

– Torch:

A torch should be brought in your dry bag in the unlikely scenario we run out of sunlight

Dry clothes:

To change into after the canyon. You can also keep thermals in your dry bag to change into for the hike out or in case of emergency.

So that’s the most detailed and explanatory list I’ve ever made, hope it helps prepare you! Feel free to ask Dion or I anything no matter how silly you think it might sound 🙂

Cheers,

Brendan