Heaps Canyon - Zion's Toughest GrandDaddy Slot Canyon - As a first time canyoneering day trip?

This adventure years back was a big one to bite off for a first time out canyoneering. Having a tight crew, with an experienced lead was crucial. The fact that we were all very fit, competent with ropes, harnesses, rappelling and scrambling in challenging back country terrain was also vital. As far as commitment goes, Heaps is about as challenging as you can get. No one had even descended the canyon until the late 1980's. Our goal was to get out and make our way through in a single day - a tall endeavor. RopeWiki recommends 12 hours to 2 days to complete this adventure. Climb-Utah states, "Heaps Canyon is a difficult, dangerous, physically demanding and technically challenging adventure. The beauty of this canyon is unsurpassed; the narrows are extremely long, spectacular and unrelenting. Heaps Canyon offers its charm at a high price. The route is difficult and should be considered for advanced and highly skilled canyoneers only. Descent requires icy cold swimming and numerous rappels, including a breath-taking 285-foot, free air finale." In other words, perhaps a questionable choice of first canyons. So be it. If you enjoy content like this, please consider showing support through Patreon here:   / kerryward   Support is more meaningful that you might imagine.