Part of the huge appeal of the Moab area for us was the opportunity for adventure. While our boys enjoy hiking (and especially did in the national parks around Moab!), they are teens and definitely up for more daring experiences as well. Canyoneering was at the top of their list.
Canyoneering is a form of rappelling that specifically involves descents through (you guess it!) canyons. Rappelling involves using ropes and your own body weight to lower yourself down a rock face. None of us had any experience rappelling so we had to find a tour suitable for beginners. I did lots of research of different companies and rappel sites and settled on Paddle Moab’s half day trip to Medieval Chamber.
Also known as Ephedra’s Grotto, Medieval Chamber is a narrow slot canyon located in the Sand Flats Recreation Area in Moab. The canyoneering trips to Medieval Chamber also include a rappel next to Morning Glory Natural Bridge. The trip is rated as Easy/Moderate, includes about 3 miles of hiking, and takes 4-5 hours total.
We met at the Paddle Moab office, got our gear, and were driven in a van to the Sand Flats Recreation Area. Note that it is recommended to bring a small backpack to carry your gear during the hiking portion of the trip. Also note that those with long hair should be prepared to pull it back or wear a hat for safety reasons.
It only took about 20 minutes to get to the drop off point. From there we followed a sandy trail that led us to some rock fins that we continued hiking on. There were some small obstacles along the way, including a small chasm between two rock fins that we had to jump across The boys loved scrambling across the rocks, and the anticipation built as we neared our first rappel.
We reached the top of the first rappel and put all our gear on. There were two sets of rappel anchors at the top of the chamber and the guides asked for two volunteers to go first. All 4 boys raised their hands. The guide clarified, “two adult volunteers”. They wanted an adult to go first for general safety reasons and so that someone would be at the bottom to help the kids detach from the ropes. Always thinking about photo opportunities, I quickly volunteered to go first so that I could get pictures of everyone else rapelling down.
After gearing up, the guides gave us A LOT of instructions. It was overwhelming and sounded fairly complicated. So when he attached me to the rope and I turned around and leaned backwards over the ledge, I froze – not in fear but in cluelessness. What the heck was I supposed to do? Their instructions were all swimming around in my head but I didn’t know what to do first. The guide patiently walked me through everything and after a few jerky moves downward, I got the hang of it. It really is just a matter of guiding the rope through your hands as gravity does the work. It seemed overwhelming listening to the directions but actually doing it turned out to be quite easy once I figured it out.
Facing the chamber from the top, I went down on the right hand side. This was a fortuitous decision because there is a small landing about 2/3 of the way down and the left side is pretty much guaranteed to be a water landing. The right side has a chance at a dry landing, which I did make. What I did not make was a dry transition to the edge to start the second part of the rappel. I landed one foot squarely in the water as I tried to maneuver across the large puddle. That misstep would stay with me for the rest of the day, as I rappelled and hiked with one soaking wet foot.
I made it safely to the bottom, unhooked myself and took a look around. The rappel ends in a small chamber (hence the name) and the only way out is through a narrow opening at the far end of the grotto. It was really pretty and as close to a slot canyon as we got on this trip.
The rock face we went down was really varied terrain. There were sections where it was rough and more black in color and sections where it was smooth with stripes of browns and oranges. It was really beautiful. Everyone made it down the 95 foot rappel and loved it.
We all gathered at the bottom and then squeezed our way through the small opening to leave the chamber. From there it was a short walk to the next rappel at Morning Glory Arch. The guides set up two sets of ropes here too, although only one of them was attached to bolts. The other was tied to a tree, which definitely made me a little nervous. My husband and I headed down first again.
This 110 foot rappel goes through a gap between the canyon wall and Morning Glory Arch, a 243 foot wide natural rock bridge. The start of this rappel was a much steeper dropoff. It was basically a 90 degree angle and you just had to lean back and go. There was no gradual walk down a slope. You just disappeared over the edge.
So this rappel was a little more intimidating of a start, but I really wasn’t prepared for what happened next. I slowly walked my way down and then all of the sudden lost reach of the wall with my feet. Nobody mentioned that the majority of this rappel was actually free-hanging! After realizing that I wasn’t doing anything wrong and that the angle at which the rock cut in put the surface out of reach, I slowly lowered myself down while hanging in the air. I don’t know if the kids realized that was going to happen, but as you can imagine, they all loved it too
The area we landed in was sort of a dead end branch off of a trail in Grandstaff Canyon. A few hikers came in to see the arch and stayed to watch us rappel down. It was great to stand under the rock wall and watch the kids all come down but it wasn’t until I stepped back that I was really able appreciate the beauty of the spot.
After packing up all our gear, we headed out into Grandstaff Canyon to complete our afternoon outing with a fantastic hike. Roughly 2 miles long and mostly flat, the terrain was varied and definitely fun for the kids, as they scrambled across rocks, squeezed between narrow openings, and jumped from stone to stone across a stream. It was a fun, adventurous hike to end a very adventurous day.
