The Question: What is a Technical Hike?
There is so much debate about this when it comes to Canyoneering. In Zion most accept that the canyons needing a permit are technical and Subway and Orderville are Semitechnical.
Here is Bo’s reply after a long debate on the subject…
If you hike in blue-jeans
and cotton socks with sneakers…its non-technical?
If you wear hydrophylic/ hydrophobic clothing and stealth rubber on
your sandals….its now technical hiking!
Ditto with canyoneering, except hemp rope is semi-technical and nylon-
polyester and dyneema ups the level to technical. Carry a dynomometer,
gps, frs radios, and it really gets technical. Throw in some new led
headlamps, titanium wetsuits, suction cup booties and now its technical
beyond imagination!
If climbing is involved in canyoneering and hiking, then the climbing
adds a new dimension. “technical climbing” generally referred to the
use of “technical gear” i.e, pitons,chocks,ladders, etc. On the other
hand the “purest” form of climbing requires no gear? Is it technical or
non technical? Maybe the technique used is what should be referred to
as “technical”? The best climber I ever saw (point of view) was
a “deadhead” that climbed “technical” routes in his hemp, dyed pants,
barefooted, dreadlocks weighing him down,….no rope…no
protection…..was he technical or non technical? Certainly the gear he
used was non technical…I don’t think he referred to himself as a
technical climber?
Perhaps a canyon rating system could include the canyon rating system
and also the yds system and a canyon might be referred to as a
Canyoneering/Climbing Route “Technical or Non-Technical” depending on
the need of protection to reduce the chance of injury or death?
