Come join an ADVENTURE Rappel Event down Prairie Dog Canyon for the Summer Solstice!
Hosted by Brendan714 & Hunthikers
The summer solstice for 2024 is officially on June 20 at 2:50 PM. To celebrate, we invite you to join on an ADVENTURE to rappel down Prairie Dog Canyon! To safely reach the beginning of the canyon you will have to EITHER hike a) Up and over Prairie Mountain (4.5 km, 700 m gain, 450 m loss) or b) Up Prairie Creek (4.6 km, 300 m gain). To reach the event site, you must then partake in 2 mandatory rappels, with an additional 4 mandatory rappels required to leave the event site and exit the canyon. In total, event attendees will need to take on a total of 6 mandatory rappels. All mandatory rappels are about 10-15m in length.
The event organizers will provide and place the ropes for each of the rappels. In order to be safe, a buddy system will be in place for the rappels, with someone at the top checking equipment set up before each rappel and with someone at the base for "fireman's brake". Although no experience rappelling is necessarily required, it is recommended. The event hosts will do everything in their power to ensure that everyone has a safe and fun experience. For more experienced, independent adventurers, feel free to bring your own ropes and reach the event site at your own leisure.
Rappeling down a slot from the event site:
Required Gear
If you wish to join the event host's group down the canyon, the following mandatory gear is required for each participant to attend this event:
- Harness
- Helmet
- Rappel device (such as a Black Diamond ATC, Petzl Reverso, or similar)
- Personal anchor (such as a double length sling, personal anchor chain, or similar)
- 2 x locking carabiners
Note that the event hosts will provide and carry all group gear, including ropes.
Descending the Second Rappel
Suggested Event Timeline
3:30 PM: Leave Calgary
4:30 PM: Arrive at Prairie Creek parking, pack up and head onto the trail
6:00 PM: Reach the summit of Prairie Mountain
6:30 PM: Gear up, descend 2 MANDATORY rappels to the event site
7:00 PM - 7:30 PM: Event time in an amazing location!
7:30 PM: Clean up the event site, descend 4 MANDATORY rappels back to the creekbed
8:00 PM: Arrive back at the creekbed
9:00 PM - 9:30 PM: Arrive back at the parking lot
10:00 PM - 10:30 PM: Arrive back in Calgary
Exiting the Canyon:
Safety Note
The terrain in and around the event site consists of steep rock cliffs. Note that significant risks and hazards will be present, including but not limited to: exposure to steep cliffs, rockfall, wet and slippery rock, falling hazards, gear malfunction and/or user error. Any or all of these hazards could lead to serious injury or death. The event hosts are not mountain guides and cannot ensure your safety at all times. That said, we will do everything in our power to try and make sure that everyone has a safe and fun experience. This is a well established canyon and we do not expect any issues, but accidents can happen. By attending this event, you accept the hazards and risks present. Ultimately, you are responsible for your own safety.
Note that trying to get to the event site in any other way other than rappelling in from the top will be extremely dangerous due to the steep cliff walls. You cannot hike, climb or otherwise shortcut your way to the event site.
Summary
- Event runs from 7:00 to 7:30 PM at the posted coordinates
- Approach hike is either up and over Prairie Mountain or up Prairie Creek. Expect to take about 2 hours for the approach to the canyon.
- There are 6 mandatory rappels which require specialized gear, see gear list above
- You are reminded that as of June 1, 2021, the Alberta Government requires a park pass per vehicle ($15 / day, $90 / year)