Conditions:High Falls-20240923023758

Latest:	21 Sep 2024 (8 mos ago)

Reported by:	Al Collis (1 reports)
Quality:	Great
Waterflow:	Moderate
Wetsuit:	Full wetsuit
Water temperature:
Difficulty:	Advanced
Time: "hrs15min" is not declared as a valid unit of measurement for this property.	4 hours

Team: 3 people with experience level Advanced to Expert

Trip report URL:

Comments: Upper canyon has changed since last year. Big log jam that you climbed up to rappel off has flushed through. A lot less slimy, until you get to High falls and below. All bolts are in good condition.

All condition reports

Date	Quality	Waterflow	Wetsuit	Difficulty	Time	Team	Reported by
21 Sep 2024	Great	Moderate	Full wetsuit	Advanced	4 hours	3 people Advanced to Expert	Al Collis (1 reports)
Comment: Upper canyon has changed since last year. Big log jam that you climbed up to rappel off has flushed through. A lot less slimy, until you get to High falls and below. All bolts are in good condition.
16 Sep 2024	Amazing	Moderate High	Full wetsuit	Special challenges	6 hours	3 people Intermediate to Advanced	Reiternick (35 reports)
Comment: Absolute gem of a canyon. Jumps slides and the high falls sequence are so good. We ran it after 2 days of light rain, likely moderate high or a touch lower. A teammate got caught in a horizontal hydraulic for a few minutes but self escaped. All the slides and jumps go. Ignore beta that says “climb up and then down log jam” in upper section. We rappelled off log instead. None of us had run the canyon prior. It is rather straightforward for those with class c experience, even the high falls sequence. Have the lead rappeler make J loops for the followers at High Falls sequence to prevent rapping past anchors. We rolled the dice and pulled from anchor 3 of high falls, no stuck rope issues. The road up to the start requires high clearance vehicle. We only had one so had to hike retrieve it.
13 Sep 2024	Amazing	Moderate	Full wetsuit	Normal	5 hours	5 people Advanced	Coops (121 reports),Kirbside (96 reports),Cmason (3 reports),AdamOtter (52 reports)
Comment: Amazing day in High Falls. We had hiked up to check the flow two days before (photo attached). Flow was between Moderate and Moderate High. 2-3 hydraulic features existed in the upper section but were relatively easy to avoid / escape for experienced groups. Multiple falls were pushy enough to warrant a moderate high rating but again were relatively easy to work around / through. We were an efficient group and completed the canyon in 5hrs (car-to-car), including time installing/upgrading 4 bolted anchors & an optional Petzl Pulse hole. (Details added to beta). Likely the rain today will change these conditions substantially for the next few days / the season. The upper section has changed a lot since our last run in 2022. Many of the log jams that required awkward downclimbs or raps have gone, and other sections have been blocked and filled in with gravel floor making them easier. Overall I think these changes contributed to a very fast time through the upper the section. The next group should remember to bring an adjustable wrench as a few bolts could do with a little tightening. As suggested in the beta we extended the pull of stage 3 of the main falls to pull from the very bottom - we had no stuck rope issues.
21 Sep 2023	Amazing	Moderate	Thick wetsuit	Special challenges	8 hours	4 people Advanced	JGM (16 reports)
Comment: WOW! This canyon raises the bar for what a 5-star canyon is and deserves every accolade that reviewers have made. Be prepared as this is not a place for inexperienced canyoners, and is best advised to be run with someone who has done the canyon or has received beta from someone who has run the canyon. Upper canyon is constricted and creates big pushy flows and hydraulic conditions in all flow types. The main fall sequence is unparalleled in both beauty and technique requirements. Communication was difficult even in the "moderate" flow conditions with walkie-talkies and whistles. The Beta advice should be followed on pulls as we retrieved a stuck rope from the prior group to run. Canyon Karma for getting it back to you! Lower section widens and is a constant reminder as to the beauty that the area has to offer. Best canyon in PNW......thus far
9 Sep 2023	Amazing	Moderate	Drysuit	Normal	6 hours	3 people Advanced	Logan (60 reports)
Comment: Deep, dark, cold, forboding canyon with cold water and little sunlight. Some nice jumps and sinuous narrows in the upper section. Huge logjam in upper and many false floors along the way. Top bolts of the falls one is rusty one is corroded. The falls are excellently equipped making it easy. Lower section is a casual ending with all dry rappels. 5-star rating in BC is higher quality than for WA. Note, this was a very low water year.
24 Aug 2023
Comment: From Vancouver Canyoning Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/485642308115596/posts/7029680250378403/ "completed the High Falls route. Overall, the anchors were in good condition, with the exception of minor corrosion noticed at the top of the high fall rappel. The water flow was at an appropriate level. Our expedition took approximately 7 hours to complete" Note 2023 has been a very low flow season across the PNW.
14 Oct 2022	Amazing	Moderate	Drysuit	Normal	9 hours	5 people	Coops (121 reports)
Comment: Wow. What a canyon. A serious undertaking, but with big rewards.
1 Oct 2022	Amazing	Moderate	Drysuit	Normal	8 hours	6 people Intermediate to Advanced	Beccap (47 reports)
Comment: High Falls remains one of the top 5 if not the top canyon in the extended PNW. Until the slippery creek walk out (which isn't really that bad), it delivers nonstop beauty and fun features. The jumps are friendly, the upper canyon offers a deep beautiful aquatic slot, the main falls are stunning - still one of the greatest rappel sequences out there, and the lower canyon is impressively deep and offers amazing views looking back at nonstop waterfalls. This is the first known descent since it was opened in 2019, and we were blown away that after 3 years of snow cycles and substantial flow, the canyon was nearly identical to 2019 conditions. The upper canyon matched the beta (and our memories) exactly, the anchors in the main falls sequence were in great condition, and the lower canyon's anchors were all in top shape. The lower canyon sadly lost a fun chockstone siphon and a great 7m jump due to new rockfall that filled in that section. Will update the beta. Would strongly recommend a max party size of 6 canyoneers, all with significant experience. The water is very cold, and teams must move quickly and be able to navigate trap pools and pushy pour overs, identify and avoid siphons, as well as efficiently rig and manage retrievable traverse lines and rebelays on a multi-pitch big wall sequence. A high snowpack left the canyon running high into late August, but the catchment has received minimal rain since June, and with the extended warm season, snowpack dropped through September. The conditions were v5a4. At even slightly higher flow, this canyon would present much more advanced challenges, as the pour-overs would become strong and would need to be protected. Likewise, the trap pools would become harder to manage. Overall, an amazing day with a wonderful team. (an international team on International Canyoning Day!) We believe this canyon deserves 6 stars out of 5!
4 Sep 2019	Amazing	Moderate Low	Full wetsuit	Advanced	7 hours	5 people Intermediate to Expert	Michaelhenson (6 reports)
Comment: The entire canyon was descended.
19 Aug 2019	Amazing	Moderate High	Full wetsuit	Special challenges		2 people Expert	Ben (1 reports)
Comment: First Decent of Lower Section. Dropped in just below the main falls. Scenic, narrow and committing canyon section. 6 raps bolted and a number of compulsory jumps. Photos added to main page. Trip length includes 110m, 3x re-belay entry and anchor construction.