Piedrita Canyon
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| | Raps:4, max ↨150ft
Red Tape:Access is Restricted Shuttle:None Vehicle:Passenger | |||||||
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| Condition Reports: | 24 Jul 2014
"There was a huge number of people in our group, which we overheard was because the previous days trip had been cancelled so we had two days worth of |
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10.4267, -84.6324
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Introduction[edit]
Near Piedra Canyon, the guide company Pure Trek guides two drainages of this canyon and this tour is the only way to access this canyon. The trip is completely managed by Pure Trek and no prior experience or equipment is required. Tours cost a little under $100 per person.
Pure Trek uses a double belay system: a fireman's belay from the bottom, and a top belay. They sometimes only clip a carabiner onto the rappel rope (without a descent device, making the rappel rope into a guide rope) and rely entirely on the top belay for descent control. For a good experience, ensure that they do not rig you this way and that you can control your own descent with your descender on the rappel rope.
Approach[edit]
Pure Trek provides a free shuttle service from most hotels in La Fortuna to and from the canyon. The dirt road leading to the beginning of the canyon would require a high clearance vehicle, and there is little to no space for non-Pure Trek vehicles to park.
Pure Trek provides equipment (helmet, harness, carabiner, descender, safety tether, splash jacket) and a short introduction at their hut at the top of the canyon. From there, follow an easy trail into the jungle. Instead of entering the water course, there is a bridge and large platform that the trail continues onto for the first rappel. Pure Trek queues guests for rappels by attaching their safety tether to a steel cable running to the start of the rappel.
Descent[edit]
Unlike Desafio in nearby Piedra Canyon who use their platforms as anchors, Pure Trek's rappel riggings are almost entirely industrial steel cables suspended across the canyon. This makes for somewhat bouncy or squishy rappel starts. There is very little canyon travel -- instead, there are short, well-developed trails leading between rappels.
R1: From the large platform, rappel perhaps 150ft to the ground below. This is the best rappel in the canyon by far.
R2: From another large platform and a free-hanging start, rappel perhaps 60ft to a pool below. The first 3/5 of this rappel is free-hanging and is fun to descend in one jump.
In July 2014, Pure Trek seems to have skipped the rappel Chris Brennen describes as R3. Follow a bypass trail out of the drainage LDC to another drainage.
R3: This is effectively a small drop-in rappel to the canyon bottom. Rappel perhaps 30ft to the water course below.
R4: From an overhung platform, rappel approximately 40 ft to the pool below.
Exit[edit]
Follow the trail 900ft with a small amount of elevation gain to the shuttle pick up point.
Red tape[edit]
This canyon is heavily improved and guided by Pure Trek.
Beta sites[edit]
- Pure Trek's trip description
Chris Brennen's Adventure Hikes (Southwest) : Piedrita Canyon; La Fortuna