NATURAL BRIDGES ROPES COURSE FIELD GUIDE
Pothole Escape Course — Learn to Outsmart Keeper Potholes in the San Rafael Swell
A focused, two-day canyoneering clinic that teaches the core techniques to escape keeper potholes in Utah’s San Rafael Swell and prepares you to work safely as a team in remote canyon terrain.
Pothole Escape Course — Learn to Outsmart Keeper Potholes in the San Rafael Swell.
Master the art of escaping daunting keeper potholes in this immersive two-day canyoneering course in Utah’s San Rafael Swell. The Pothole Escape Course is taught from a central, vehicle-accessible canyoneering basecamp and pairs classroom-style handouts with hands-on field practice to build the specific ropework, partner assists and water-exit techniques needed to move through wild canyons with greater safety and confidence.
Highlights
Outing Highlights
Keeper-pothole rescue and exit techniques
The course concentrates on the practical methods used to get a last person in or the first person out of keeper potholes: pack drags, partner captures, sand-trap techniques, water-trap methods, wanchors, pot-shot towers, jumping analysis and a variety of single- and multi-line pot-shot recoveries.
Basecamp in the San Rafael Swell with field practice at pothole sites
Instruction happens from a central canyoneering basecamp that is vehicle-accessible, allowing guided movement between classroom-style briefings and on-rock practice at pothole sites in the San Rafael Swell.
Hands-on team training and provided team equipment
Tuition covers hands-on instruction, course handouts and all team canyoneering equipment—ropes, webbing and rigging—while instructors lead students through both solo and partnered escape techniques.
What the day feels like
How the course feels in the field
Over two concentrated days you cycle between focused skill briefings and iterative field drills: students rehearse specific entries and exits, practice partner assists and pot-shot systems, then apply those techniques in progressively complex keeper-pothole scenarios under instructor supervision. Expect close teamwork, deliberate repetition of core moves and a steady escalation from coached exercises to full-team problem solving in real pothole features.
THE SKILLSET
Keeper-pothole rescue and exit techniques
The course concentrates on the practical methods used to get a last person in or the first person out of keeper potholes: pack drags, partner captures, sand-trap techniques, water-trap methods, wanchors, pot-shot towers, jumping analysis and a variety of single- and multi-line pot-shot recoveries.
THE SETTING
Basecamp in the San Rafael Swell with field practice at pothole sites
Instruction happens from a central canyoneering basecamp that is vehicle-accessible, allowing guided movement between classroom-style briefings and on-rock practice at pothole sites in the San Rafael Swell.
THE INSTRUCTION
Hands-on team training and provided team equipment
Tuition covers hands-on instruction, course handouts and all team canyoneering equipment—ropes, webbing and rigging—while instructors lead students through both solo and partnered escape techniques.
Suitability
Who it's for
Who should consider this course—and who should sit it out.
Practical planner
Details to review before reserving
This is a two-day canyoneering course held from a central basecamp; check operator dates before booking for specific 2025 offerings.
Bring personal technical gear if you have it—harness, helmet, rappel device, wetsuit, several locking carabiners, an ascending system and appropriate footwear and clothing.
Tuition includes instruction, course handouts and all team canyoneering equipment—ropes, webbing and rigging—while personal equipment, lodging, meals, transportation and gratuities are not included.
The official meeting location is Hanksville, Utah; the course is taught from a central, vehicle-accessible canyoneering basecamp in the San Rafael Swell.
Review cancellation policies before reserving.
Frequently asked questions
Planning Your Outing
Do I need prior canyoneering experience?
Yes. Participation requires previous technical canyoneering experience and you must be a confident swimmer.
How long is the course?
The course is a two-day canyoneering clinic.
What does tuition cover?
Tuition covers instruction, course handouts and all team canyoneering equipment such as ropes, webbing and rigging.
What is not included in the course fee?
Course cost does not include lodging, meals, transportation, personal equipment or gratuities for instructors and guides.
Where and when do we meet?
The meeting location is Hanksville, Utah; instruction is based from a vehicle-accessible canyoneering basecamp in the San Rafael Swell—confirm exact meeting times with the operator.
What specific techniques will I learn?
The curriculum includes last-person-in and first-person-out techniques such as pack drags, partner capture, sand-trap moves, water-trap, wanchor, pot shots, jumping analysis and multiple rope grab methods.