Boynton Island West
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| Difficulty:3A III PG (v4a1 III) Raps:4, max ↨105ft
Red Tape:No permit required Shuttle:None Vehicle:Passenger Rock type:Sandstone | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Condition Reports: | 10 Feb 2025
"Time is for BIW/BIE combo, of which we both liked this one more. Unbelievable views, and unique, memorable raps. The exposed bits deserve the PG. |
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Best season: | Avoid Summer
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Introduction
Welcome back to the island. Big picturesque alcoves and 4 roughly 100ft raps. This drops off the further north of 3 large drainages coming off the Boynton Island Summit. The route up is very entertaining and minimal bushwacking with some very good ruin sites. Please respect and preserve these sites, they have lasted several hundred years and should continue in that manner.
Approach
From the official trail depart on a lightly used social trail that accesses a ruin site built within large boulders at the base of the lower cliffs to your west of the trail. Traverse along the base of the cliff band until you near the saddle visible to the west at which point you cross the drainage heading north to gain a obvious ledge system that accesses the main Massif of the summit you gain prior to the descent route. Gain the shelf and traverse heading east through a number of ruin sites. One which is quite beautiful and well preserved. Shortly after the large ruin pay attention to the cliff on your left for a small break to begin your way up onto the expansive slick rock shelves above. Following the track you will encounter a portion of 4th borderline 5th class with a single bolt to protect the move if needed. Gain the shelf and continue up a number of 4th class slabs heading North West towards the obvious tree filled drainage/alcove. Stay on lookers right until a obvious break allows you to cross to the left/south continuing up the drainage to a large choke stone entangled in roots requiring one move to get up. Traverse again to your east out onto the large slick rock ramp leading to the ridge line. Gain the ridge. The ridge has one move that looks intimidating and airy but is quite mellow in execution. Turn west before the summit following the KML to the start of the canyon.
Descent
R1 80ft from a pine. The traverse to this tree is airy. Could be very spicy in the wet. Stay LDC on the lower grade to avoid a large patch of agave.
Also can be downclimbed from directly above or rapped using an r0 access anchor.
R2 105ft from large bush LDC. Mostly free hanging land on slick rock below. Watch for debris, stage pull on left. Edge protection or rope adjustments reccomended.
R3 100ft webbing off of brush growing above large boulder at pour off. Multi drop. Come off rope mid rappel for great pictures.
R4 100ft extended webbing off tree. Again midway are great pics if you want to come off rope. Option to pull rope at first ledge and downclimb final 20’ slot.
Exit
Explore below the canyon. There are some faint pictographs LDC and a small ruin site around the corner. Stay RDC and contour around the corner to the North then descend slowly back to the official Boynton Canyon Trail. Smooth sailin back to the cars.
Red tape
Beta sites
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sedonacanyoneering.com : Boynton Island West
Trip reports and media
https://facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=3591757047582303&id=100002441281189
Background
First known descent of canyon on 12.28.2020 Lars Romig, Eric Moorcroft, and Christian Eaton.