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Canyoneering Skills & Instruction

from $120 per person plus tax

Whether you’re new to canyoneering or looking to level up, a full or half-day custom session will be built around your skills, goals and schedule. A general introduction teaches participants how to assess and use canyoneering anchors, how to rappel and ascend a rope, basic movement for scrambling in canyons and understand the canyoneering grading system. For returning students or those with prior experience, this session can also include advanced techniques like long rappels, anchor building, pothole escapes and ghosting for leave-no-trace descents. Gain the skills and confidence for safe journeys through Utah’s amazing canyons by spending a day learning the ropes in Salt Lake City’s Wasatch Range.

What Our Guests and Students Say

  • Outstanding service and awesome guide!! I highly recommend. While you can find other guiding sites that offer similar service around Salt Lake, UMA has been around the longest and has all the permits to climb around, which others may claim they have but they don't.

    Johnny H.

    June 2019 Google

  • I recently completed a guided climb of Toledo Peak with Utah Mountain Adventures. The trip was a blast, my guide was extremely professional and knowledgeable, and overall, the experience was very rewarding. I’m looking forward to my next trip with them!

    David M.

    December 2020 Google

  • Everything from start to finish with Utah Mountain Adventures went smoothly, thanks to our guide, Ben Farrar, who put together and executed our excellent adventure. Ben asked all the right questions to understand what we wanted from our backcountry trip, and made a plan that met our needs and was adaptive to the conditions. He kept us moving at a pace to achieve our objectives and had backup plans to do more if there was time and desire, or make changes if the conditions or terrain were not favorable. He provided just the right amount of support and tips along the way. And it was just such a pleasure to hang out with Ben! We were grateful that somehow he managed to take photos and videos along the way and shared them with us at the end of the day. 10 out of 10! (and that is saying something in a very low snow year)

    Beth P.

    February 2026 Google

A custom instruction day can be oriented to those with little or no climbing or canyoneering experience, and guides will teach you how to use canyoneering gear properly and efficiently. They will review knots, belaying and lowering, and go over the gear and techniques required to establish and equalize bombproof anchors and teach you basic movement for scrambling. 

Or if you have canyoneering experience, a UMA guide can teach advanced canyoneering skills. This knowledge can enable you to access some of the most beautiful and least-crowded canyons in Utah and around the world. In this case, you’ll learn how to set up advanced rappels (redirected, long, into water), how to set your own rappel anchors, use efficient ascension systems, escape potholes and learn “ghosting” (leave no trace descents).

Whether you’re a novice or more advanced canyoneer, private canyoneering skills instruction can help you practice and dial in your skills in the Wasatch for future canyoneering adventures in San Rafael Swell, Robbers Roost, Zion, Escalante, North Wash, Cedar Mesa and more!

Have Questions or Concerns?
Prerequisites
  • No canyoneering experience is required.
Required Fitness Level
  • You must be able to easily hike 1 mile on variable, uneven terrain (at 7,000′-10,000′ elevation) from the trailhead to access rock climbing crags.

Private canyoneering skills trips take place in one of Salt Lake City’s local canyons (expect to be in the field for 6-8 hours for a full day trip or 3-4 hours for a half-day trip).

SCHEDULE & MEETING LOCATION

Meeting time and place can be customized, but we typically meet at the Big Cottonwood Park & Ride lot at the base of Big Cottonwood Canyon.

GUIDE/INSTRUCTOR

You will receive a reminder with the contact information for your guide/instructor. They will contact you to discuss goals, previous experience, meeting time and location, as well as weather considerations and equipment needs.

TRANSPORTATION & PARKING

Transportation will not be provided. Most trailheads now require a parking fee.

How To Register
CANYONEERING EQUIPMENT LIST
  • Comfortable and flexible pants and top
  • Light puffy overcoat and or other insulation layer (fleece, synthetic or down)
  • Waterproof/windproof outer shell jacket
  • Climbing/rappelling gloves (leather type)
  • Sunglasses
  • Sunscreen
  • 2 liters of water
  • Lunch and quick energy snacks
  • Day pack (25-45 liters)
  • Approach shoes or hiking boots
  • Belay/rappel device (ATC Guide/Reverso), Figure 8 or Critr3 (preferred)
  • Harness
  • Helmet
  • Double-length runner (120cm) or other PAS (personal anchoring system) – not a daisy chain
  • 3 locking carabiners
  • 2 Prusik loops OR 15 feet of 6mm Nylon Accessory Static Cord to make Prusik loops

Please see our Canyoneering Gear List & Rentals page for information on the items UMA provides and local shops where you can rent or purchase gear.

Private guiding is customized to your personal needs and requests. 

Full Day (6-8 hours)
1 person $550 / person
2 people $350 / person
3 people $300 / person
4 people $250 / person
5 people $225 / person
6 people $200 / person
Half Day (3-4 hours)
1 person $330 / person
2 people $210 / person
3 people $180 / person
4 people $150 / person
5 people $135 / person
6 people $120 / person
  • Rates above are per guide and may vary accordingly.
  • Keep in mind that certain objectives can only be accomplished with a low ratio and more than one guide may be recommended based on group size.
  • State and local taxes will be added.
  • Gratuity not included.

Please see our main FAQ page for general questions or for anything not covered below. 

Where do I meet my guide?

Before the start of the course, your guide/instructor will confirm by email the meeting time and location.

Most commonly, this location is the Big Cottonwood Canyon Park & Ride lot or at a trailhead in Big Cottonwood Canyon or Little Cottonwood Canyon. Please see our Lodging & Trailheads page for recommended accommodations in the canyons. 

HOW OLD DO I NEED TO BE TO Join a Canyoneering Course?

Students must be at least 14 years of age to join a group course. For private guiding and instruction, there is no age restriction.