Howdy ACA GLAR 22’ Attendees-  Hopeful that everyone has arrived home safely.  Well, it has been another safe and successful GLAR, and I want to send a quick thanks out to all  who contributed.  Which is all of you.  Bringing together that many talented people in a remote location, working together in harmony towards the common goal of improving safety…its a pretty special thing when accomplished….and that is exactly what we did.  Nice work! The ACA Instructors generous gifts of both time and knowledge is extraordinary on many levels, and we are incredibly fortun ..read more

  Hello ACA Canyoneers- The formal skills list for the new Sovereign Canyoneer Course is complete and posted on the ACA Website.  Yay!  This new recreational level training program is for our Members who seek a higher level of training to elevate experience opportunities and improve personal safety.   Take a moment to look over this list of super useful canyoneering skills. Sovereign Skill Checklist Special thank you to Steve Szoke and Rebecca Haacke (plus MANY others) for contributing to the development of this excellent new training option.  Very cool. Thats it for ..read more

  Howdy Team ACA. Hope this note finds all well. This message is to ensure there is no confusion or ambiguity regarding the change from “CL1″ to “Assistant Canyon Leader” title.  Here’s the short and sweet version of the previous super lengthy blog on the topic: Why Change It: The “Canyon Leader 1″ title, was not completely accurate.  At the “CL1″ level of training, we have not provided the skills training and needed to manage group and personal safety adequately.  Nor can we “squeeze it in”. The addition of the word “Assistant” clears this up. What it Means: If you have s ..read more

Dominica, July 2022. Howdy ACA Members- The 2023 ACA Schedule for Training, Assessments and Events is posted!  It is full of opportunities to gain skills and help others do the same.   We’ve added some new items and new locations too, please take a look and see what’s coming up for 23’.  2023 SCHEDULE CLICK HERE ***The free Workshop schedule is coming together and will be posted Feb 15, 2023.  Until completed, we will post workshops individually on our meetup page. Here’s what’s New in 2023 -Formal ACA Instructor and Assessor Certifications:  Our Volunteers have dedi ..read more

Circle of Trust. Day one of 2022 GLAR.(Guide/Leader/Aspirant/Rendezvous)   Another calendar year of canyoneering has come to a close and a new one has begun.  In 2022 the dedicated Team of ACA volunteers trained, assessed and certified more individuals than ever before.  The workshops continued to be an excellent source of skill building and additional courses have expanded training opportunities inside and outside of the canyoneering community.  As a group we worked within our established framework of standards, yet remained dynamic and adaptable as new opportunities ar ..read more

Rick Green, ACA President with Dominica Government Tourism Officials. ACA invited to Caribbean island of Dominica to assist Government Tourism Board in establishing commercial canyoning regulations. Click HERE for article ..read more

Spring 2022 Canyon Leader Assessment Greetings Members – The American Canyoneering Association has a new Skill Assessment format.  In response to Member input (thank you), we have refined elements of the program that is working well, and added new items to help us Assess your canyoneering skills effectively and efficiently.  Two experienced “test groups” were part of the experimentation process, extending a special thank you to them as well.  The general feedback from the Test Groups and Assessors is that we have significantly improved the Assessment experience.  Those w ..read more

Guillaume Coupier The American Canyoneering Association would like to congratulate Guillaume Coupier for the successful completion of the ACA’s Pro Guide assessment and certification.  He is the owner-operator of a canyoning guide service in Western Canada (gorgeous canyons) and is a respected member of the thriving Canadian canyoneering community.  He arrived exceptionally well prepared, with a focus and professionalism that was immediately apparent. Guillaume moved through technical skills with a level of expertise that allowed him to solve difficult challenges with ease. He has ..read more

New ACA Pro Guides. L to R. Andrew, Scott B., Brent, Scott E.   The ACA is pleased to congratulate Brent McCormick, Andrew Jimenez, Scott Embley and Scott Barlow for the successful completion of their ACA Pro Guide Certification.  Each of them arrived in Mexico completely prepared to learn and grow as leaders, and they exceeded our significant expectations, every minute of every day.  We are appreciative of their commitments to safety and excellence! Scott Embley:  Wow.  The first person outside of our own ACA Leader Program to “walk on” to a Pro Guide Assessment ..read more