Death Pit Canyon
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| | Difficulty:4A IV (v4a1 IV) Raps:5, max ↨180ft
Red Tape:No permit required Shuttle:None Vehicle:High Clearance Watercraft:Yes | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Condition Reports: | 25 Feb 2024
"The actual time was 6.5 hours. BUT, this included running Weeping Springs too. We ran Death Pit first and then took the class 2 exit back up to an eas |
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| Best season: | Oct-Mar, HOT Mar-Apr
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35.9525, -114.7341
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Introduction
A short, cliffy canyon that plunges steeply into the Colorado River. Several nice rappels with beautiful views of the river. Exiting via Bighorn Canyon (non-technical) allows this canyon to be done without a shuttle and shortens the packraft considerably.
- Please remember that installation of permanent fixed hardware is strictly prohibited in Black Canyon Wilderness area, and the entirety of LMNRA. No bolts.
Approach
From Boulder City, travel southeast on Canyon Point Road for about 4 miles until you reach the trailhead on the edge of a mesa. From the parking lot, follow a faint path on hiker's left down the steep wash, picking the best path down the rocky slope. Continue down the main wash for 2 miles, passing both Bighorn Canyon (your exit canyon if traveling the loop route) and Weeping Springs Canyon on your right, before cutting north over a small saddle to reach the drop-in for Death Pit.
Descent
Downclimb DCL 20' to reach R1.
R1: 120’ from a beefy cairn anchor in a large pothole. This is the namesake 'Death Pit' rappel. Avoid the death pit at the bottom by traversing DCL to an obvious ledge then descending far DCL on the edge, being careful not to pendulum.
R2: 60' from a cairn anchor
R3: 180' from webbing around a giant boulder at the edge of the drop. This rappel can be split into two stages by first rappelling 60' to a ledge that can fit 4-5 people and then 120' off of a rock pinch to the ground.
Continue down canyon a little ways.
R4: 35' off of rock pinch.
The hallway between R4 and R5 is the last shade for a while and makes an excellent lunch spot.
R5: 30' off of rock pinch to possible pool.
Continue down canyon a short ways to the river.
Exit
A half-mile packraft is required to exit up Bighorn Canyon. Bighorn ascends through some beautiful twisting narrows with several fun upclimbs, including a spicy 5th class upclimb with 15' or 20' of exposure. Once the canyon opens up, continue to the junction of the original wash that you descended on the approach. Follow this wash back up the way you came, ending with a 1,000' ascent up the rocky slope back to the trailhead.
ALTERNATE CLASS 2 EXIT: No packraft necessary. After the 180 foot wall rappel (can be a two stage rappel) you will hike down canyon to where the RDC wall opens up to a broken rock chute that goes up to the south. It's less than 3/4 of mile back to the junction of Weeping Springs Canyon (that you passed on your way to Death Pit Canyon) and the approach canyon from here.
Red tape
None
Beta sites
Trip reports and media
https://www.stavislost.com/hikes/trail/death-pit-canyon : Stav is Lost (October 28, 2023)
https://fatcanyoners.org/2017/03/19/death-pit-and-ringpin-canyons/
