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I've got permits to return to Royal Arch April 14-19. I'm excited to be heading back in to the canyon and back into see the Arch again... However, I'm a bit nervous about the drive in to Pasture Wash given the amount of snow that was up there recently. Anyone have a good idea of the road conditions? I've driven it in bad conditions before and survived...but I don't want to blindly walk into a hellish mud nightmare.

Also have a free spot on the trip for an experienced, fit hiker who can put up with my group. Strong rope skills would be a big plus since my rope man is on the fence about joining the group. I'm trying to decide if I'm comfortable enough setting up the rappel on my own and trusting it not only with my butt but the tender bits of three other people...PM me if you're interested.

If you do not hear back here, I would call the BCO. They are significantly better than most gubment types about maintaining current beta.
I have been 4 times....I am not sure that the 'rappel' needs gear. It is a short down-climb (handline & gloves advised), looking at first glance much more daunting than it truly is. Rock is bomb as well. Your choice.

@hikeaz
Wendy has been there [ photo ]

@joebartels - Thanks! Twice! [ photo ]

@hikeaz
Yeah - not in that skill class Also starting with the Point Huitzil route, so planning on some handlines there too.

@writelots
Yes, handlines for Pt. Huitzil route make it a lot easier to deal with.

My friends and I drove out to South Bass on March 27th. This was our first time out there but the road wasn't bad. I do not recall the road being wet at all. Overall the road was slow going but nothing crazy. We took a Tacoma out but there was an older model Subaru Outback parked at the trailhead too. The most technical part of the drive was on Pasture Wash if I recall correctly. It was just one short section with a deep rut in the middle of the road which took some careful maneuvering.

@JakeG
Oh yes. I remember that wash. One time with Wally..... but we made it! LOL

We drove back from South Bass TH yesterday-it is fine. Got caught by the Hualapai not at the gate but 100ft from where you turn north from Pasture Wash. Glad to pay $25. There was a woman who busted her leg just below the rabbit hole last week requiring helicopter evac.

Rappel questions. Is that 20ft rappel inside the Royal Arch drainage? Is it possible to follow the Royal Arch drainage to Elves chasm then follow the Colorado River back to the Tonto then return the same way back up the Royal Arch route without needing to rock climb.

@louie
No, it's at the 2nd "n" in National and is the easiest option to complete the loop.

Royal Arch down creek to Elves Chasm is a serious rappel.

joebartels wrote: ↑Jul 20 2019 8:14 pmRoyal Arch down creek to Elves Chasm is a serious rappel.

[ youtube video ]

@hikeaz That’s a cool video, but one would still have to up climb that easier rappel if they wanted to return the same route. Very helpful info. I had always had it in my head the easier rappel was inside Royal Arch Canyon thus making it possible to do a short loop along the beach and return back up the Royal Arch route. Thank’s to you and @joebartels for setting me straight on that. Much appreciated!

Quick question...well no not really I gotta bunch of questions since we're getting ready to hike this thing in a month. The official route posted by HAZ_Hikebot is that from someone that actually hiked the trail that used a tracking device or is that from someone that looked at a topo map and plotted the dotted line that represents the trail? The reason I'm asking is I just want to make sure the route I download is the route that takes me on the bypass route away from the ledge of death. When we're done I'll post a triplog and explain the route we took to get to South Bass TH since the road is closed at the tribal lands. I had more questions...but now can't remember what they were. Much thanks!!!

when you get to the ledge of death, just go canyon right, rather than canyon left. You will see clearly when you get there, it's not something you will need GPS to really figure out as the only key thing is not to jump over the edge of the cliff. The hazbot route appears to go right over the cliff as far as I can tell as it appears to just follow canyon bottom.

I'm putting together a Royal Arch Loop trip for the spring and had two questions for the HAZ experts.
I've yet to read a triplog where there was not both webbing and a rope at the 20 foot rappel. Would anyone care to weigh in on throwing the dice and not bringing a rope?
And if I bring one, I think the lightest choice would be 25 feet of single line 8mm static with a retrieval cord. It's more complicated, and I'm not sure how much weight it would save over a double line. I got rid of all my aging climbing gear, not thinking I would need it again. I hope this is the last time, and I would prefer not to spend too much on something I'll probably never use again.

@Barrett When we went there was no rope. The webbing was there and solid. But no rope. I’m an older guy and a novice climber and would never go up or down without being roped in. Physically I needed the rope for the up climb. That being said the younger kid with us that was a climber went up and down solo like a mountain goat. No ropes. It became a leg strength issue for me on the up climb. I needed a boost from the rope for one final move to finally get me up that thing. It’s such a great trip. Enjoy!!!

You may want to call the backcountry office a few weeks before your trip and ask on whether they have any reports. I'm not sure the park service will admit to placing and leaving gear in the canyon, but amongst rangers with off time, the Royal Arch route seems fairly popular and in spring there is a good chance you might be a week or two behind a ranger trip, where they might (unofficially) have been encouraged to leave behind a good quality rappelling rope amongst the other stewardship duties that they ask off duty rangers to do on their personal trips.

50 ft of static 8mm (or 25ft+25ft pullcord) is not that much weight compared to carrying the concern with you. Worrying thoughts take a heavier toll on the body than a few pounds of rope.

People do occasionally report as climbing up or down the cliff without using a rope. I would only recommend that to very experienced climbers. I didn't really pay attention to the climbing difficulty since I rappelled, but if I had to put a number out there, I might rate the climb as _looking_ 5.7ish (without having a pack.) I _didn't_ climb it, so it could be harder or easier, but probably it would be harder in rain, snow, or cold wind. Free solo at your own risk.

When I did that loop, I took a 60' 10mm utility rope so we could double it. We decided it wasn't long enough to double. Frankly, I would up your length to 35'. It's a fun trip, enjoy!

nonot wrote:Worrying thoughts take a heavier toll on the body than a few pounds of rope.

Good point.
I'll bring rope.