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| Canyoneering | 7.11 Miles |
357 AEG |
| | Canyoneering | 7.11 Miles | 11 Hrs 6 Mns | | 0.70 mph |
| 357 ft AEG | 56 Mns Break | | | |
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| | Advanced Canyoneering - Mix of exposed/aid/complex rope/poor anchor/problem-solving | | A - Dry or little water; shallow or avoidable water; no wet/dry suit | | IV - Long, full day, bivy possible |
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| partners | | Kevin, Kim, and I did Waterholes Canyon as the first of two adventures over Thanksgiving week. The night before we met at Lee's Ferry and set up the car shuttle and had some Green Chili Stew.
In the morning, we embarked on our mind blowing adventure thru lower Waterholes. The full journey was 8-10 rappels (I lost count), lots of troubleshooting, and a packraft on the mighty Colorado.
The big event is to force oneself down a 100 ft rappel through a crack narrower than one's pack. At the end is a anchor. However, that anchor tends to stick ropes. We in fact found a rope stuck there which we derigged in order to rig a short rappel down to the Edge of the World anchors. We also planned to keep it just in case, and it dropped it over the edge so it would be available for the rest of our trip.
To rig the Edge of the World you are standing on a two inch ledge looking down at the most vertical wall imaginable. I was lucky enough to be the one rigging this rappel. It was an act of great concentration. I carefully locked the rope bag to the anchor. To drop it would be a disaster. I checked the existing webbing and found it sound. Then I rigged my brand new 300 ft rope using a figure eight on a bight as my block. Then I tossed the bag. The noise it made as it unfurled was one I'd never forget. What was missing was the resounding thud that the bag usually makes as it hits the ground. This gave me pause. Was my new rope not long enough? It was time to find out.
As I rappelled, the beauty of the amphitheater was breathtaking. I can find no words to describe what I saw. In least least I can say it was absolutely amazing. All the while I kept in the back of my mind that there was a chance the rope might not hit the ground. While I rappelled slowly - due to the amount of rope below me - I considered the options. I saw the anchor that is used if one only has a 200 ft rope. I figured if I ran out of rope, I could jug up to that anchor instead of the the full distance. Then I kept rappeling. Finally, I could see the bottom. The bag was dangling in the air. I still had no idea how far off the ground it was but it looked close. As I continued the rope stretched a tiny bit and I after I wrestled the bag off the rope I was able to just touch down with my feet. Perfection at its best!
Watching the other two rappel was amazing.
From the big rappel we still had a couple rappels and downclimbs to go to the beach. We reached the beach at sundown and inflated our rafts. Kevin and Kim with their shiny Alpacas. Me, I had my trusty Klymit. We launched as the light waned.
On the River we snacked a bit since we had not taken a break in Waterholes. As the moon rose we started to paddle. The River was flowing slowly at about a mile an hour. We had a dinner date with some green chili stew so we paddled as much as we could.
To see the Canyon in moonlight was a wondrous site. The moon shadows cast along the landscape was glorious. I was filled with joy as I paddled in this peaceful environment. It was enough to make my troubles melt away.
Finally, we saw the lights of the restroom at Lee's Ferry. The clock was ticking and we still had time to make it to Marble Canyon Lodge for a bottle of Malbec and Green Chili Stew! |
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Route Editor
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