Arch Canyon
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| | Difficulty:3A IV (v3a1 IV) Raps:20-25, max ↨150ft
Red Tape:No permit required Shuttle:None Vehicle:4WD - High Clearance Rock type:Limestone | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Condition Reports: | 2 Apr 2023
"We had perfect temperatures, no wind, and a 3/4 waxing moon that was up the entire night. There was snow in shady narrows in the beginning of the cany |
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| Best season: | Spring, with moonlight
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36.8797, -117.6380
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Introduction[edit]
The arch on the approach is very nice. There are a lot of downclimbs, partner assist climbs, and 20-25 rappels in this canyon. The narrows at the end of the technical section are exceptional: tall limestone walls.
Recommend timing this for spring, when days are longer but temperatures aren't too hot yet. A waxing 3/4-moon is ideal - so that the moon will be up for the whole time you're canyoneering in the dark, and there will be enough light to appreciate the canyon narrows.
Scott Swaney's Summary: GREAT FINDING THIS ARCH ALONG THE HIKE-UP TO THE CANYON - I HEARD THAT THE CARETAKER AT SALINE VALLEY HOT SPRINGS HAD SEEN THIS ARCH BEFORE. AND THAT WAS JUST THE BEGINNING -THEN WE HAD A BIG NEW FIRST DESCENT CANYON TO COMPLETE WITH 25 RAPPELS - COOL PLACE TO VISIT
Some stated the caretaker was calling this GRANDVIEW ARCH, taken from the the name given to the canyon it drops into
Approach[edit]
4x4 high clearance vehicle with skid plates is required for Steele Pass Road to get to the trailhead. It took about one hour to drive from Saline Valley Warm Springs to the trailhead (recommend camping at trailhead instead).
Hike up alluvial fan.
Hike up wash, until it gets very narrow and a dryfall comes in on your right. The approach and the end of the technical canyon are just above this dryfall. You can probably bypass the dryfall on the right (LDC), but we didn't see that until we were exiting. Alternatively you can go in the narrow canyon until it ends in an unclimbable dryfall. Backtrack about 100 feet to a climb on the LDC. Easy, but exposed. Not for everyone.
Hike up a steep gravel ridge.
Eventually you will see Grandview Arch (probably technically a natural bridge).
A little above the arch, start contouring to your right and cross a drainage to the next ridge.
Go up . . . and up . . . and up
Just before the highest summit, contour around to the right side. It looks like a scary mix of rock and scree, but wasn't bad.
Descend a broad ridge with red rocks to the wash.
Descent[edit]
Canyon starts with downclimbs and bypassable drops.
R1 98 feet anchored with webbing on a shrub. Multistage.
Downclimb
Bypass right.
R2 ~20 feet anchored from an arch RDC down polished limestone in a narrow section.
Fun downclimbs.
R3 ~85 feet anchored from a bush RDC. You can see this polished rappel from the approach ridge.
R4 ~40 feet anchored from a fiddlestick using a big shrub RDC.
Bypass right a 40 foot drop that looked like a nice rappel.
Bypass right (or meat anchor all but last person) a 40-foot sloping wall.
R5 ~40 feet off a small bush on LDC wall, down a polished sloping flute. Could be bypassed on right.
R6 ~40 feet, anchored with a fiddlestick from a partially dead bush.
R7 ~50 feet two-stage, anchored with a fiddlestick awkwardly from a big shrub exactly at the lip of the rappel.
R8 ~25 feet with no good anchor. Can be bypassed RDC.
Bypass right.
Partner assist drop.
Partner assist drop.
R9 ~90 feet, anchored from a webbing loop on modest horn RDC and far back from the edge. Descends a polished vertical wall. Appears to be a canyon confluence with a fork joining from the right.
Long walk in a wash with boulders.
Partner assist.
R10 ~25 feet, anchored from single rock in a gravel well. Looks like it could be a downclimb, but the top looked too open and slippery. Curvy chute.
Downclimb to a pool that can be (barely) stemed over.
R11 ~150 feet, anchored from webbing on a small rock chock placed in a crack RDC. At a confluence with a fork coming in from the left.
R12 ~60 feet, anchored from a cairn anchor. First 30 feet on a gentle slope, then 30 feet vertical, past a perched pool of water off to the side of the rope's fall line.
R13 ~130 feet, anchored with webbing on a chock stone, descends multistage into a nice bowl.
R14 ~40 feet, anchored with a fiddlestick on a bush. Immediately after the previous rappel. Gentle slope to a pour-off that almost could be downclimbed.
Long meat anchor/partner capture drop.
R15 ~25 feet, anchored from a knot chock at ground level LDC.
Cool ledge slide on left.
R16 ~25 feet, anchored from webbing in pinch down a flute.
R17 ~35 feet, anchored from a pinch on the side of a chock stone in the watercourse.
Walk for a while in a wide wash with occassional boulder scrambles.
R18 ~50 feet, anchored from webbing on a pinch point, down a polished wall. R19 140 feet (immediately after previous rappel), anchored from a knot chock in a tiny arch on LDC, one foot above ground level. Descend a sloping flute to a confluence with a fork coming in from the left.
R20 20 feet, anchor by slinging rope over a large boulder in the center of the watercourse.
Amazing narrows with high walls. Right wall curves over the canyon.
Meat anchor/partner capture.
R21 ~10 feet, very minimal small rocks available for deadman anchor in mud.
Canyon widens a lot. Briefly narrows. Then opens up to a spot where approach started.
R22 ~40 feet anchored over a massive horn LDC. Probably can be bypassed LDC (especially if this is how you approached the canyon in the morning).
Exit[edit]
Hike down wash, then hike down alluvial fan.
Red tape[edit]
The installation of new climbing bolts is prohibited without the written approval of the superintendent; however if existing hardware is unsafe it may be replaced. Death Valley National Park Superintendent's Compendium
Beta sites[edit]
Super Amazing Map : Arch Canyon
Trip reports and media[edit]
FIRST DESCENT TRIP on 4-04-14:
Background[edit]
Originally explored Scott Swaney & team on 4-04-14 - see Trip Report above for Details