Out Alive: Free Falling in a Utah Canyon
Niki Rellon, 40, fell 45 feet during a canyoneering expedition in November, 2013.
by Niki Rellon, as told to Mary Beth Skylis
Niki Rellon survived a 45-foot fall while canyoneering in November 2013. (Photos by Ben Fullerton)
I gazed over the ledge of Montezuma Canyon in southeastern Utah, a grin spreading across my face. Even though I was pretty new to canyoneering, I’d already come to love the sensation of a racing heartbeat, adrenaline flooding my veins. I stepped off the jagged lip and began the plunge, relaxed but excited.
Continue reading here: http://www.backpacker.com/survival/survival-stories/free-falling-in-a-canyon/
Ram
I heard, but can not confirm that this trip, the one she got hurt on, was the 2nd successive weekend trip of three days she was on and that trip pictures show that she was clipped into the non weight bearing loop all of those days ( 5 days?). This was a meet-up group she was on, for those trips. A shame that leadership did not catch this error, if true. One thing I can say for sure, is them being able to flag down a boat on Halloween is nothing short of miraculous. May she go on making lemonade. May other people signing on to these groups, be aware of the dangers. Buyer beware,
Kuenn
Please, say it ain’t so.
I fully subscribe to caveat emptor principle when it comes to activities where risk is elevated. But being clipped in wrong for multiple days, if factual, is a sad commentary on meet-ups ability to cover each other’s back. Or is it more of group Dunning-Kruger effect that Ratagonia brought to the table.
ratagonia
Even more complicated: It was an unusual harness, plus sold with a carabiner that was a quite odd locking carabiner. Sold to a non-technical beginner with a brief rundown on how to use it.
Meetup [FACEPALM]
T
Taylor
The Montezuma Canyon in this story is the canyon just east of Hard Day Harvey at Lake Powell. It’s different from the canyon with the same name in San Juan county that you’re probably thinking of.
Scott Patterson
Where do you go canyoneering in Montezuma Canyon? Or is there another canyon with the same name?
Edit: I see that it is another canyon. The Backpacker link is definitely the wrong one.
Kuenn
Fascinating and inspiring article!
She is one TOUGH LADY. Making it to Virginia on the AT is no small achievement in and of itself – and that’s when you have two complete natural functioning legs – but going all the way to Katahdin is nothing short of miraculous. A heartwarming example of courage and tenacity; helps put one’s own discomforts in perspective.
The pessimist complains about the wind, the optimist expects it to change, the realist (Nikki) adjusts the sail. William A. Ward
EvergreenDean
Nikki is incredible. So cool to see her story here.
Canyonero
I’ve never really thought of canyoneering, or climbing for that matter, as an adrenaline sport. I figure if I’m feeling adrenaline, I’m doing something wrong. Risky? Of course. But it’s really all about risk management. I guess when I think of adrenaline sports I think of flying those squirrel suits or bungee jumping or something. To me, canyoneering is more like hiking with some interesting stuff thrown in. So I’m always a little leery of someone for whom the experience is so new that they feel adrenaline while doing it.
I’ve done this canyon, and heard this story previously second hand, so it was good to hear it first hand. Like the final drop out of Heaps, this is a scary place for something to go wrong. In fact, it’s far worse because instead of cratering into 100 tourists, you’re hours and possibly days from help.