Big Shit Canyon
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| | Difficulty:3A IV (v3a1 IV) Raps:11, max ↨190ft
Red Tape:No permit required Shuttle:None Vehicle:Passenger Rock type:Limestone | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Condition Reports: | 1 Dec 2024
"Fun third class scrambling on the approach. Not too bad getting to the canyon floor from the drop-in. A few interesting downclimbs in the canyon and a |
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| Best season: | Oct-Mar
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36.3824, -116.6506
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Introduction[edit]
A canyon with high quality rock, few cairns and an abundance of boulders for anchors and backups. The approach offers a rare few hundred foot Class 3 ridge scramble through the steepest section.
Approach[edit]
From the canyon exit's wash, hike around a dirt mound and head of the left fork of the wash to gain the ridge. Gaining the ridge is easier than most Death Valley canyons since it's normal dirt and not super hard-pack. 1/3 the way up there is a 400 Class 3 scramble through the steepest section before the ridge evens out again. Stay on the right for the last 'headwall' rock formation before the localized summit. Go over the two localized peaks into the saddle and then descend into the canyon.
Descent[edit]
Very loose rock on the hillside the several hundred feet from the ridge into the main canyon wash. Kinda feels like getting into a canyon from Dante's but much looser. It is easy to get a microwave sized block moving.
In canyon, most rappels use boulders in some respect. The rock feels like the canyons out in Funeral Mountains. Few cairns are needed and a lot of backup potential for anchors is available. Rock is high quality and almost no conglomerate. Lots of opportunity for 20ft downclimbs throughout. Could easily bypass a couple rappels if you wanted, but they were fun aesthetic rappels. Most rappels are short outside the one long one.
- R1 - 45 off pinch
- R2 - 20 off BFR
- R3 - 150-190 ft of BFR pinch. The long rappel of the day, very approachable.
- 2, 20 ft downclimb bypasses
- R4 - 35 ft off medium rock
- 25 ft downclimb
- R5 - 30 ft off pinch
- Long walk
- R6 - 20 ft pinch
- R7 - 90 ft teacup fiddle stick off chock rock under bus-sized boulder, bypassable on DCR if needed
- 15 ft slide over hump on right
- R8 - 15 ft rappel off pinch, 60 ft over second Boulder
- R9 - 25 ft off cairn
- R10 - 60 ft off pinch
- R11 - 80ft rock chock through boulders pinch on left. Shorter, less aesthetic rappel on right
Exit[edit]
1.1 mile walk out on wash to the road
Red tape[edit]
Beta sites[edit]
Super Amazing Map : Big Shit Canyon
Trip reports and media[edit]
- Trip dated 2-15-14 - Scott Swaney Team:
- 2-15-14 - Original Exploration Photo Album
Background[edit]
Originally explored by Scott Swaney on 2014-02-15 under the identifier "F". See more at Scott Swaney's Death Valley Canyoneering Exploration.
Note: 2nd descent was given the Beta by Yannick,Shirley, Jared,& Stephanie from prior years FD, and they named the canyon
