Conditions info

Quality: This is a string describing the quality level of the canyon under current conditions -- basically, how good of a time will canyoneers have when descending the canyon right now. Even an outstanding canyon may not be worth much when dry, and a mediocre canyon may be fantastic in high water. The allowed values for this property are:

• 0 - Unknown : the conditions reported are not from a descent of the canyon
• 1 - Poor : regretted doing the trip; canyon is not worth doing in its current condition
• 2 - Ok : the canyon was worth doing, but the conditions made it not all that good
• 3 - Good : the canyon trip was good; a fairly typical descent
• 4 - Great : the canyon trip was great
• 5 - Amazing : the canyon trip was outstanding and rose above normal canyon trips

Waterflow: This is a string describing the water flow in the canyon based on an absolute scale of risk and potential consequences. The allowed values for this property are:

• 0 - Dry (class A = a1) : Completely dry or all pools avoidable
• 1 - Very Low (class B = a2) : No current or just a trickle, may require shallow wading
• 2 - Deep pools (class B+ = a2+) : No current or just a trickle, may require swimming
• 3 - Low (class B/C = a3) : Light current, more than just a trickle but still weak
• 4 - Moderate Low (class C1- = a4-) : A bit low, still fun but not very challenging
• 5 - Moderate (class C1 = a4) : Moderate current, challenging but easy water hazards
• 6 - Moderate High (class C1+ = a4+) : A bit high, quite challenging but not too dangerous
• 7 - High (class C2 = a5) : High water, only for experienced swift water canyoneers
• 8 - Very High (class C3 = a6) : Dangerously high water, only for expert swift water canyoneers
• 9 - Extreme (class C4 = a7) : Extremely dangerous high water, may be unsafe even for experts

For more information on water ratings see the ACA Water ratings or French Aquatic rating pages.

Wetsuit: This is a string describing the type of thermal insulation advised under current conditions. These recommendations are for the 'average' canyoneer. Please note every person has a different tolerance for cold and wetsuit capabilities vary based on materials and fit. The allowed values for this property are:

• 0 - None : no thermal insulation needed
• 1 - Rain jacket (1mm-2mm) : waterproof jacket, short wetsuit or equivalent
• 2 - Thin wetsuit (3mm-4mm): 3mm short wetsuit or equivalent
• 3 - Full wetsuit (5mm-6mm): 5mm full body wetsuit or equivalent
• 4 - Thick wetsuit (7mm-10mm): 7mm full body wetsuit, 5mm farmer john combo or equivalent
• 5 - Drysuit : drysuit or equivalent extreme thermal protection

Difficulty: This is a string describing the difficulty of the canyon under current conditions. Water, anchors, potholes and access conditions may transform an easy canyon into an extreme adventure or make a difficult canyon easy to conquer. The allowed values for this property are:

• 0 - Nontechnical : ropes are not required
• 1 - Easy : very easy and good access, ideal for taking newbies or kids (but still requires technical skills)
• 2 - Normal : does not present any extraordinary technical problems or dangers
• 3 - Special challenges : requires special precautions and/or problem solving (ie: high jumps, multistage rappels, log jams, etc)
• 4 - Advanced : requires special technical skills and/or gear (ie: guided rappels, releasable anchors, pothole escapes, etc)
• 5 - Extreme : may be too dangerous or impossible even for experts