Niagara Gulch
| Rating: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| | Raps:4, max ↨235ft
Red Tape:No permit required Shuttle:None Vehicle:Passenger | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Location: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Condition Reports: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Best season: | Jul-Sep
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Regions: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
37.8826, -107.5515
Search nearby locations
Weather forecast
Waterflow
Introduction
Scree Field Approach from Bottom: (original beta from 2015)
A rare opportunity in the San Juans to do a 225 foot rappel with about a 100 foot free-hang. All of the rappels are wet but in a nice, gentle shower. If you have 1/2 a day in Silverton, this is a must if your group is capable of the approach involving Class 4 exposed climbing with a 1000 foot scramble up a steep scree slope.
The "R" rating is for the exposed Class 4 climbing required on the approach and for the possibility of foot entrapment on the upper tier of the 3rd rappel (the 2-tier). The approach is essentially all off-trail and much of it involves scrambling up a scree slope. Rock climbers will have no issue with this approach, but many canyoneers will balk. Assess your group's abilities before making any attempt. Nearest treatment centers are in Durango, an hour drive away.
Minnie Gulch Car Shuttle Approach: (2021)
Seeking a more straightforward, but longer route to access the four great rappels in Niagara Gulch, this path was tried in 2021, but is not recommended due to endless scree fields in the catchment above R1.
This waterfall is a confirmed nesting site for the Black Swift, listed as a Species of Special Concern by the U.S. Forest Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The swifts migrate from Brazil annually to occupy this site from late May until late September, raising a single chick. The swifts are susceptible to disturbance from human activities near their nests, including noise and movement, direct disturbance or destruction of their nests, and trampling of vegetation. Canyoneering/climbing at this waterfall during the Black Swift nesting season (late May - late September/first frost) is likely to cause direct damage to nests, eggs, and young, and disturb adult swifts enough to cause them to abandon their nest and offspring. Click here for more information on the Black Swift.
Approach
From the town of Silverton head east through town and after 0.9 miles bear right to stay on CR2. After about 2 miles the road becomes a well-maintained dirt road. After 7.5 miles you will see a sign for Eureka Campground and Store across from the large concrete mining installation by Eureka Gulch.
Scree Field Scramble Approach from bottom: (original beta from 2015)
Stay to the right and drive straight through the campground all the way to the end of the road. Park on the right and away from the camp sites.
The approach is off-trail and involves some unprotected Class 4 moves. Climb a scree slope for about 800 feet. When you are seemingly cliffed out, stay left and scramble up more. An old miner trail should come into focus. Cross a scree field. Get to a miner's cabin. Continue up the scree field another 600 feet to the top rappel.
Minnie Gulch Car Shuttle Approach: (2021 descent)
Park the return vehicle either in the location detailed above or along CR2 across the Animas River by the large concrete mining structure.
2WD High Clearance required. Drive 1.35 miles back on CR2 to Minnie Gulch (CR24) and turn right. Continue on CR24 for 1.5 miles to a fork, go left and drive several switchbacks to the end of the road at Kitti Mack Mine.
Park just before the mine after a tiny water crossing. There are two spaces for one car each and a bit of room to turn around.
Hike from this location up the gully to the saddle on the Continental Divide at 12,980'. The hiking is easy and the talus chunks form steps in most of the drainages.
From the divide, drop into the basin below and get below the alluvial fans and rock glaciers while targeting the next saddle at 13,080' just south of Crown Mountain. Hiking the ridgeline appeared to cliff out and be the more difficult and risky path to achieve the next saddle. The views into the Rio Grande side and the Snare Creek and Cottonwood Creek valleys are excellent. Handies Peak (14,048') can be seen in the distance.
At the top of the Niagara Gulch drainage, look to the north to see the tops of the pointed Wetterhorn Peak (14,051') and flat topped Uncompahgre Peak (14,309'), then continue downhill on scree fields for 2.0 miles and lose 2,325' feet of elevation. Walk around two pristine lakes and find scree field descents around the small headwalls and first smaller waterfalls that appear.
Next time, the shorter approach from the bottom sounds more appealing.
Descent
R1: 55' MC from a rock pinch on Canyon Left. Rappel this short distance to the ice climbing anchors above the vertical part of this waterfall and provide both a cleaner pull and better line of sight.
R1: 115'-140' from ice climbing bolts on Canyon Right
Rappeller's Left: 115' the scree field is higher on the left side
Rappeller's Right: 140'
R2: 100' from bolts on Canyon Left, 2-stage into a narrow chasm with a waist-deep pothole in the middle
R3: 225-235' from bolts on Canyon Right
Caution! getting to the anchor: the streambed is very slippery where it is required to reach around the corner for the bolted ice climbing anchor directly above the drop.
Caution! this rock is chossy and loose: have the first rappeler clean the path chosen of loose rocks
Rappeller's Left: 235' to base, feet on the wall
Rappeller's Right: 225' to base, 100' free hang mid-rappel
R4: 50' from a rock in Canyon Center for a 30' tall wide waterfall
Exit
After the fourth and final rappel, downclimb only a few hundred feet, then stay left and go down a rocky dry streambed and use-trail down to the road level
Red tape
Beta sites
Niagara Gulch is ice climbed in winter via a route called Whorehouse Hoses, IV, WI 4-5
Summitpost: https://www.summitpost.org/whorehouse-hoses-iv-wi-4-5/695801
Mountain Project: https://www.mountainproject.com/route/105905603/whorehouse-hoses
Trip reports and media
First canyoneering descent Kelton Manzanares, Logan DeGrand, and Alden Anderson 8/23/15
kml map and beta update 9/11/2021 Ira Lewis and Matt McArthur