Utah Canyoneering & Backpacking

No experience needed, must be able to carry 40+ pounds over multiple miles.

Southern Utah is home to some of the most spectacular slot canyons in the world. To kick off the week, we will spend a few days from a basecamp learning the basics of technical canyoneering and exploring some of the most famous spots in the region. You can expect multiple rappels, mandatory swimming sections, and walls tighter than arms width across. Once we have a solid technical foundation in place, we will head out into the backcountry of the Dirty Devil River for a three-day backpacking trip exploring seldom accessed slot canyons and sleeping under the desert sky. From large sweeping views to intimate canyon walls, this week will be a truly unique journey into the real desert wilderness.

While no experience is needed for this trip, you should expect difficult days both mentally and physically. You can expect extremely tight canyon walls that may feel claustrophobic at times, high cliffs that we will need to traverse, and long days of hiking in the backcountry and camping in primitive areas. This is by no means a beach vacation, but this will be an incredibly rewarding trip for those willing to put themselves out there.

Nestled between Canyonlands National Park, Lake Powell, Goblin Valley, and Capitol Reef, this area is an equally beautiful though less visited area than its more famous neighbors. This is a true backcountry experience and we may be hours away from the closest road. We will have satellite communication as well as trained guides to help in case of an emergency, but the best way to manage risk in these types of environments falls on everyone individually to make good choices as a team.

If you haven’t been before, the Utah desert can be as harsh as it is beautiful. You can expect large temperature shifts throughout the day from blazing heat to freezing nights. Canyons can also be deceptively cold, especially with water crossings. Our guides will help manage the risk of the group by instructing proper rappelling techniques, mitigating flash flood hazards, and locating drinking water locations in the backcountry, however part of the culture of T3L is education on how to responsibly and safely manage the hazards of the backcountry.

Camping Gear: Backpacks, Tents, sleeping bags, storage bags, sleeping pads, backcountry stoves and gas, cooking utensils, and water filters. You are welcome to bring your own backpacking gear if you prefer. 

Canyoneering Gear: Ropes, Harnesses, helmets, wetsuits, dry bags

Canyoneering: Plan for pants and shirts you can hike in. Shoes with good grip are a must. Cotton is not recommended for days when we will have water crossings

Camping: Plan for cool evenings. Comfortable non-cotton layers including water resistant pants, rain jacket, puffy jacket, beanie, non-cotton socks, hiking boots/shoes, and base layers.

Clothes for Travel and Town: Comfortable clothes for at night are really your preference, we can leave a bag with clothes at our outfitter during the backcountry portion.

Personal Toiletries: Hygiene is important in the backcountry and we recommend picking up Eco safe products including soap, bug spray, sunscreen, toothpaste and toothbrush.

You will be responsible for getting yourself to and from Grand Junction, CO (by car or air), or possibly closer to our final destination if you are driving in from the west. We will either meet you at the hotel or if you are flying in we will arrange to pick you up at the airport. Once with the group all costs for the trip including food, lodging, gear, transportation, and guide gratuity are included.

Our staff are certified in wilderness medicine and are trained to T3L’s high standards in risk management and group facilitation. Additionally, we will recruit local guides to bring their local knowledge, gear, and expertise for more intensive trip activities.

We believe that being outdoors is a great way to manage your own mental well-being during the pandemic. As with everything we do, risk management is also a cornerstone at Type3Life. While we know everyone is tired of dealing with this, we do expect everyone to follow our COVID-19 guidelines while on our trips to help manage the safety of the group.

Local areas, guides, and activities may require different considerations for minimizing our risk for COVID-19 exposure and we appreciate you working with us during your trip to help keep everyone involved safe. At the very least hand washing and good hygiene is necessary in any backcountry trip. Additionally, depending on the trip, we may require masks during various parts of our trip as well as proof of vaccinations or PCR tests for travel. We will communicate specifics with you upon signing up, but if you have any questions, please reach out to us.

We recommend all of our participants look into purchasing their own personal travel insurance prior to the trip to cover them in case of unforeseen travel or medical issues that may arise.

During the primary backcountry portion, T3L will have a satellite phone for emergency situations. In the unlikely event of an emergency, T3L will contact your emergency contacts. Personal cell phones or other electronic devices are not allowed once we depart the front country.

Our trips are all about getting out into the most incredible places on earth with a group of guys looking to push themselves outside of their normal comfort zone. What separates a T3L trip is our emphasis on individual personal growth balanced with our dedication to building a community of guys who have your back. We do have intentional moments of reflection built into each trip, but we focus on letting the people and the place come together organically for a unique experience each day.

All of our trips are designed to push participants physically and mentally. That being said, every man can benefit from our trips, not just the super fit. If this experience sounds cool, but you’re not sure if you’ll be able to do it, we recommend reaching out to us and we can talk about it. If we don’t think you can safely participate, we’ll find the right trip for you.

Each T3L trip is unique, but the commonality between each group is the community of guys that you leave with. With that, we just ask that you come ready to be a part of the group and treat your fellow members with respect.

From a physical standpoint, be sure to review the itinerary and make sure you are physically and mentally up for it. We have trips of varying difficulty levels and can work with you to find you the best option. Again, if you have any questions about your ability to participate in a specific trip, we recommend chatting with the T3L team.

Finally, we all love beer. In fact, the idea for this company may have come after one too many beers on a river trip. That being said, we believe that the experience we’re putting on is incredible enough that we do not need drugs or alcohol to dilute them. It’s about being the real you out in the real world. We do require you to leave any non-prescription drugs and alcohol at home.

Type3Life trips are not intended to be wilderness therapy. Our intention is to build community and create bonds that help men connect with one another. 

If you need therapeutic resources please reach out and we will do our best to point you in the right direction.