7.2 CANYONING TECHNIQUE: DOWN-CLIMBING

7.2 DOWN-CLIMBING

OVERVIEW

Down-climbing is perhaps the most underrated skill in canyoning. Canyons frequently have small drops that can be down-climbed, which is much faster than setting a rope. A team of competent down-climbers will make short work of a canyon, while over-reliance on rope will dramatically slow other teams down. Some down-climbs are mandatory with little or no anchor options to set a rope, so it’s a great skill to hone.

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Down-climbing through narrow passages

Down climbing is different and often not as easy as climbing up something. It requires a fair amount of practice to get the hang of it. People with rock-climbing experience will likely find it easier than those without, since it shares similar movements. Rock-climbers will need to practice it too, as down-climbing in canyoning may require other teammate’s help.

RISK ASSESSMENT

The consequences of a failed downclimb can be drastic, and since we’re in a remote environment, we should take into consideration these consequences.

We should ask ourselves:
“What happens if I mess this up? How confident am I in my ability to do this? What external circumstances could affect me?”

There are certain environmental hazards that definitely make down climbing much harder. For instance, slippery surfaces are one of the greatest hazards, since down climbing relies on friction when we are holding or standing on the rock. A very slippery surface increases the risk to us, as well as unstable surfaces like loose rock, mud, or vegetation. The other underestimated environmental hazard is water flow. Something that would be easy to down climb in dry conditions could become virtually impossible in wet conditions. Even a small drop (less than 1 meter) can become really difficult with some flowing water pushing on us.

EQUIPMENT

Shoes with climbing rubber soles offer the best grip

Using good equipment is an integral part of down-climbing safely, and perhaps one of the most invaluable pieces of equipment is our shoes. Shoes have come a long way in canyoning and the dominant styles of shoe all employ some sort of climbing rubber, since climbing rubber is specifically designed to grip to the rock more so than our normal street shoes. Having climbing rubber on our shoes gives us a lot of confidence and stability.

In a dry, desert environment, it’s a good idea to have extra padding since we’re not wearing a thick wetsuit like we are in a wet environment. Elbow pads, knee pads and even gloves are necessary to protect our skin against abrasive rock surfaces. Fully covered clothing will help in some places too.

PERSONAL MOVEMENT

When going down a canyon, our personal movement is the skill we have to develop most. There are three parts to down-climbing: (1) Agility - which is our ability to move and change positions, (2) Balance - finding where our center of gravity is, and (3) Coordination - which incorporates the previous two to be effective in movement.

When we’re down-climbing, we really want to think about our economy of movement. In other words, how much energy does it take to climb down something? Certain climbing moves are more strenuous than others. We can imagine trying to climb up a ladder using nothing but our arms, which is much more difficult than climbing a ladder using our legs too.

One of the most common mistakes that canyoneers tend to make is trying to avoid things, like getting wet. They end up climbing around things that they could have just as easily gone through, expending valuable energy and putting themselves at additional risk of falling.

When climbing down something, anticipation becomes a huge part of getting down. We have to think about our moves in advance. We should identify potential footholds, handholds, and movements. In general, it is a good idea to focus more on our footwork, or where we can put our feet, since we’re used to standing on our feet to find balance, and our leg muscles are stronger than our arms.

A HELPFUL TIP

To help develop our down-climbing skills outside of a canyon, it is highly recommended to go to a climbing gym to practice movement. Spending just one hour at a climbing gym can do wonders for improving our agility, balance, and coordination when moving on vertical surfaces.

Technique:

There are two categories of down-climbing techniques: Face Climbing and Chimney Climbing. These categories can be further broken down into specific movement techniques.

Face climbing

Canyoneer face climbs an easy section on the approach

Face climbing is any flat wall that we must climb up or down using natural features for footholds and handholds. When holds are small or absent, balance and friction are necessary. Face climbing requires good anticipation and route selection. In general, it is always better to face the rock rather than face away from the rock when climbing. However, some techniques (See Elevator below) turn that conventional wisdom on its head.

Chimney climbing

Standard chimney climbing in dry canyons

Chimney climbing is when we have two walls or surfaces on either side of us to push against. In narrow canyons, chimney climbing is very prevalent, and the goal is to use opposing pressure to keep ourselves elevated. Chimney Climbing has a variety of techniques which are shown below.

Stemming

Easy Stemming on featured walls

Stemming is when we put our feet on both walls and push outwards using the friction of the rock to hold ourselves in place. Our hands may be used to apply pressure too, or they may just help us with balance. Stemming is a fast way to move and intuitive to most people, but may feel insecure on featureless surfaces.

Back and Feet

Back and Feet on different walls

Another way of opposing pressure is to use our back and our feet to push against opposing walls. This can give more confidence on flat, featureless surfaces, but it is more physically taxing to move, since we must place our hands behind us to lift our upper body at each movement.

Bridging

Bridging around a canyon corner

Bridging is when we put both our feet on one wall and both our hands on the other wall, so we create a sort of human bridge. This is one of the most physically demanding moves and the more our body gets stretched out, the more strength we require. Bridging should be avoided if possible, and when we do have to do some bridging, we should be extremely careful not to overextend ourselves.

Elevator

Slowly releasing pressure to slide down the rock walls

The last type of movement in chimney climbing is perhaps the most efficient to do, and it’s called the “elevator” technique. The elevator technique is essentially using friction to lower ourselves down a rock face. For example, pushing our hands and knees against one wall and our back against another, and then releasing a little bit of opposing pressure, we can begin to slide down the wall.

In dry, desert canyons, this technique is extremely effective and it requires very little in terms of muscle exertion.

ASSISTING A TEAMMATE

Besides our own personal movement, we may need to help a teammate down a drop.

The first step in helping a teammate is having good communication and informing our teammate about where the handholds/footholds are, or what the strategy for getting down is, and how they should place their body to be in the best position. Communication is fundamental.

The next step is spotting a teammate in case they slip or fall. No matter if somebody asks to be spotted or not, we should always be ready to help. Having our hands up and ready may be enough, or we may need to gently guide a teammate’s foot down to a hold. When spotting, we should try to keep our hands and fingers closed, so they don’t get caught on harness gear loops or other protrusions.

Teammate Elevator

Helping a teammate down a short drop

One of the easiest ways to help a teammate is to use a version of the elevator technique. We can use friction to bring a teammate down a rock face when there is no opposing wall.

In this technique, we want to have the teammate sit down and lay back on the rock feet first. As they begin to slide down the rock, We grab their shins first and push them into the rock, creating friction. As they slide down, we’ll move our hands upwards to their thighs continuing to push them into the rock, and then finally to their hips. When we reach their hips, the teammate can lean forward putting their hands on our shoulders while we slide them down to the ground.

Summary

Down-climbing is a highly efficient way to negotiate drops. However, the safety of the movement is dependent upon the personal skills of the person doing the down-climbing. These skills are developed with practice.

There are two broad categories of down-climbing movements: Face Climbing and Chimney Climbing. Both types are necessary for getting down a canyon, but Chimney Climbing tends to be more common since canyons often have two walls to use.

ney Climbing. Both types are necessary for getting down a canyon, but Chimney Climbing tends to be more common since canyons often have two walls to use.