Conditions:Bruja Canyon-20250305165937

Latest:	2 Feb 2025 (1 month ago)

Reported by:	Robdemis (1 reports)
Quality:	Good
Waterflow:	Deep pools
Wetsuit:	None
Water temperature:
Difficulty:	Normal
Time:	5 hours

Team: 3 people with experience level Intermediate to Expert

Trip report URL:

Comments: We had a fun morning in Bruja. Water level was low but still had two mandatory swims. Mandatory swims were after the first pothole, which we managed to cross and stay dry. Water was cold and barely tolerable without wetsuits. Anchors were all in good shape. Approach climb felt right at 5.0 to 5.2 and was easy to find from the beta. No problems soloing the climb. Descent into the canyon was difficult to navigate the zig zags through the sharp pointy plants so instead we did it as two raps (40-ft and 75-ft). Didn't encounter any bees, angry bats or poison ivy. If you're in the area, or doing Cattail, this is worth doing.

All condition reports

Date	Quality	Waterflow	Wetsuit	Difficulty	Time	Team	Reported by
2 Feb 2025	Good	Deep pools	None	Normal	5 hours	3 people Intermediate to Expert	Robdemis (1 reports)
Comment: We had a fun morning in Bruja. Water level was low but still had two mandatory swims. Mandatory swims were after the first pothole, which we managed to cross and stay dry. Water was cold and barely tolerable without wetsuits. Anchors were all in good shape. Approach climb felt right at 5.0 to 5.2 and was easy to find from the beta. No problems soloing the climb. Descent into the canyon was difficult to navigate the zig zags through the sharp pointy plants so instead we did it as two raps (40-ft and 75-ft). Didn't encounter any bees, angry bats or poison ivy. If you're in the area, or doing Cattail, this is worth doing.
2 Apr 2023	Great	Deep pools	None	Normal	5 hours	4 people	Jcsjcs (116 reports)
Comment: Bruja was again an amazing time. We dropped in well to the north of the GPS point down what looked like the easiest ramp-like features and did not get entirely cliffed out, but had to choose between doing a fun downclimb or rappelling. Pools were full and had some scum but the quantity of insects was acceptable. The webbing at the bat cave (R3) is gone but we were able to wriggle through a narrow spot to the right of the main boulder to get into the cave and it's an easy downclimb from there.
7 Nov 2020	Amazing	Very Low	None	Special challenges	5 hours	2 people	Jcsjcs (116 reports)
Comment: Bruja is an incredible canyon due to its isolation. It feels like someone copy-pasted a canyon from California or Arizona thousands of miles away into Big Bend. The rock climb on the approach didn't feel sketchy. Rock quality was great. I think we dropped into the canyon a bit too early (although were very close to the GPS point) as we got cliffed out and had to rappel off a bush to the canyon floor. Probably best to err on the side of dropping in too far upcanyon. We jumped the first two short drops into potholes rather than doing R1. The first was waist deep and the second was over the head. Potholes were full and have ramp-like exits that probably prevent them from ever becoming keepers. R2 had a good anchor. At R3, the downclimb through the crack mentioned in the beta appeared to be filled in, but there was already webbing there for the rappel. We saw a few bees but no swarms.
10 Oct 2019	Amazing	Deep pools	None	Special challenges	9 hours	2 people Advanced	Eddyl (69 reports)
Comment: Terlingua Creek flowing ankle deep and clear. Potholes filled to brim. Many pools at mouth of canyon. Lots of millipedes, centipedes, and 100+ bees at EACH pothole exit. Per ranger, heavy storm in region 2-3 weeks prior. Anchors in excellent condition. A fantastic canyon, one of the most unique in the US due to its distance from any other canyons.