CANYON DESCENT LURES EXPLORERS TO AREA MOUNTAINS.Byline: Bill Becher Special to the Daily News Darren Jeffrey was a ``hot shot'' firefighter for the Forest Service, dropping out of helicopters to battle forest fires. Now he cools off by rappelling into waterfalls. He is the owner of Alpine Training Services in Glendora, which presents outdoor education classes for Sport Chalet, including courses in backpacking, kayaking, rock climbing rock climbing Sports medicine An 'extreme sport' in which the participant climbs rock formations, with or without ropes Injury risk Fractures, abrasions, death. See Extreme sports. and canyoneering canyoneering Canyoning Sports medicine An 'extreme sport' in which the participants slide, jump or rappel down waterfalls and mountain streams through a canyon, clad in wetsuits, helmets, life jackets, and climbing harnesses, combining the skills of caving, . A relatively unknown sport in the United States, canyoneering has long been popular in Europe. Canyoneers explore canyons, some with waterfalls, using rock-climbing techniques like rappelling. Most canyoneering activity in the U.S. has been in the red rock slot canyons in and around Zion National Park Zion National Park, 146,592 acres (59,349 hectares), SW Utah. First proclaimed a national monument in 1909, it was enlarged several times and established as a national park in 1919. and similar areas in Utah and Arizona, but local enthusiasts are exploring canyons in the San Gabriel Mountains San Gabriel Mountains, S Calif., E and NE of Los Angeles, running c.50 mi (80 km) westward from Cajon Pass. San Antonio Peak (10,080 ft/3,072 m) is the highest of the range. Citrus fruits are raised on the southern foothills. and the Sierras. Jeffrey is a long-time rock climber, but when he discovered canyoneering in Zion 10 years ago it became a passion, especially after he found local canyons in Southern California to explore. Canyoneering is about problem solving problem solving Process involved in finding a solution to a problem. Many animals routinely solve problems of locomotion, food finding, and shelter through trial and error. , risk management and commitment, according to Jeffrey. ``Once you drop in the only way out is down,'' he said. Jeffrey will be talking about canyoneering in Southern California, Utah, Hawaii and New Zealand New Zealand (zē`lənd), island country (2005 est. pop. 4,035,000), 104,454 sq mi (270,534 sq km), in the S Pacific Ocean, over 1,000 mi (1,600 km) SE of Australia. The capital is Wellington; the largest city and leading port is Auckland. at a series of slide presentations that will include information about equipment, rope anchors and protection, hazards, canyon difficulty ratings and ethics. The newest technical gear will be on display along with failed and broken gear. Drop in, it's free. CAPTION(S): box Box: CANYONEERING PRESENTATIONS |
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