Fortress Canyon

There are a number of down-scramble obstacles within the Grand Canyon system. They can all be safely managed with the following principles:

The need for spotting during the activity must be considered. Review the following:

• • the likelihood of falling

  • the fall height involved

  • the hazards within the fall zone

  • the body orientations of the person that the holds permit

Water Entry from down scramble obstacles may not be conducive to spotting. For water entry throughout the canyon a slide entry is preferred. Review the following:

• the length of the slide involved

• the depth of and obstacles within the fall zone

• the impact forces when entering the water

• equipment being carried impacting the slide

• Follow the "Sustained Swimming" brief on the How to Canyon page for all swims.

• There are a number of jumps within Fortress canyon that need to be facilitated with caution.

• Whenever possible a guide should point out the safe zone to land in the water, articulate the water depth and point out any possible unseen hazards.

• Demonstrate a "soft" jump. Articulate bent legs, arms out wide and the goal of landing as shallow as possible. Depending on the jump location, this technique may vary.

• Diving head first, pin drops, flips, or bombs should not be used at any time.

• If a client is a known asthmatic or has a history of respiratory issues they should ease into the first cold jump, to prevent triggering an asthma attack. You can also ask clients if cold is an asthma trigger.