Bandy Canyon
| Rating: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| | Difficulty:3B III (v3a2 III) Raps:5, max ↨170ft
Red Tape:Closed to entry Shuttle:Required 20 min Vehicle:Passenger | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Location: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Condition Reports: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Best season: | Spring
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Regions: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
33.0631, -116.9612
Search nearby locations
Weather forecast
Waterflow
Introduction
Bandy canyon is a beautiful canyon located near Wild Animal Park. The stream is gauged, so you can check exactly how much water flow the canyon has. With 155km2 drainage area, this canyon can see huge volumes of water after rains but it drains quickly.
Approach
Descent
There are several mini-caves that can be explored through the descent so be on the lookout to squeeze into an unlikely opening. All rappels prior to the 170' rappel can by bypassed but it is recommended to rappel them and stay near the watercourse when possible. Marvel at the potholes, the carved granite, and the gigantic boulders and chockstones. But don't be surprised that you're tired from all the bouldering by the end of it.
Exit
Red tape
The entrance requires crossing two barbed wire fences in order to access the canyon. Avoid any routes too close to homes or obvious No Trespassing signs.
The exit from the canyon requires walking on a seemingly private dirt road. Adjacent Bandy Canyon Ranch seems to have been the official owner in the past, however, the land is up for sale, see Google Street View, and current ownership is unknown.
Beta sites
Trip reports and media
Background
First descent of Bandy Canyon was led by Rob Spangler and Luca Chiarabini in April 2009. We were very excited to be the first to descend this beautiful canyon and were bummed to find a bolt at the top of the big drop. The bolt looked weird, all squared angled rather than rounded, and the ring was not a ring but an ellipsoid, it just looked something I had seen before in climbing museums. We disregarded the bolt but took a picture and later identified it as a brand and model that had been discontinued over 20 years earlier. Puzzled by this fact I asked around to find who in the world was canyoneering in San Diego 20 years ago, only Chris Brennen was at that time, but he claimed not having anything to do with it and no idea who it could have been. I posted in a few forums, and a year later got contacted by a rock climber named Tom Patterson (now living in Washington) who explained how he put the bolt in 30 years earlier in order to be belayed while climbing the big wall. See his explanatory comment at https://picasaweb.google.com/113014564885936049762/CanyoneeringBandy#5717020923467591026.