Pritchett Canyon
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| | Difficulty:3A III (v3a1 III) Raps:3, max ↨135ft
Red Tape:No permit required Shuttle:None Vehicle:Passenger | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Best season: | Fall, Summer, Spring
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38.5349, -109.5711
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WaterflowIntroduction[edit]
A Moab classic. This is a great canyon that keeps giving for the beginner. There are great arches, beautiful drops, sweet rock fins, slots, and free hanging raps that top off the day. Mostly a hike and scramble, there are options for 2 or 3 raps. The round trip is about 4 miles and takes about 4-6 hours.
Water in the canyon is a real possibility and can fluctuate greatly with recent rains from a totally dry day to mandatory chest deep swims. There is no flowing water.
This is an exposed canyon with lots of sun. Warm days will be difficult. Sun screen and cooler days are recommended for most of the trip.
Flash flood concern is low to moderate is most of the canyon. There are a few short sections that have more concern.
Approach[edit]
Head west on kane gulch road until you come to the kane gulch campground. There is a fee for parking. Hikers are $3 per person in the envelop drop box.
After hiking in just before the 0.5 mile mark you will look for an obvious slot on your left (look for foot tracks) Head in the slot. There are several sections that seem to dead end but close inspection reveals class 4 scrambles that take you to another higher and higher plateaus. Once on top of the final climb there is a fin of rock. To the right one can down climb the pool arch rap (r1) easily. To the left the approach continues to RI. The anchor (tree) will be on top of the cliff to left of the arch (and right of you) as shown in the cover photo.
Descent[edit]
R1 - Alongside Pool Arch (145 ft) into a sandy alcove. Anchored off a bomber tree close to the edge making for an easy pull. Maybe the best scenic rap in the Moab area. May down climb and skip this rap if you hike west of the rap point on the other side of the fin.
After R1, walk around the corner and descend a short v-slot into the pool. Next there is a pothole that will show up on the right, this is where you make a near-180 degree turn to start the descent proper. Bypass pothole on left or right. After the pothole the canyon gets tighter and a little twisty, there is a stem over some water and a handline to bypass a tree growing out of / blocking the spotty section.
R2 - Two nice bolts (60 ft) to a shelf above a pothole.
R3 - One bolt leads 20 ft (distance) to a two bolt anchor at the lip (100 ft). This lower anchor is not visible without descending lower than the lip. Some beta and rope grooves indicate there was an 'upper bolts' anchor but this anchor was not found as of April 22'.
Exit[edit]
After R3, continue DC left until you merge with the jeep trail and turn right back to the car. A little more than a mile.
Red tape[edit]
While permits are not required to access the canyon, there is a $3 cash only entrance fee[1] to access Pritchett Canyon on foot.
Beta sites[edit]
RoadTripRyan.com : Pool Arch Canyon- Climb-Utah.com : Rock of Ages - Moab
- Super Amazing Map : Rock of Ages
Moab Canyoneering Book by Derek A. Wolfe : Pool Arch Canyon
Trip reports and media[edit]
- April 22' Trip
- https://www.stavislost.com/hikes/trail/pool-arch-canyon-rock-of-the-ages
- Zachary John Taylor killed in rappelling accident at Pool Arch rappel
- https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1590372491183944.1073741857.1434033220151206&type=3
- http://adamhaydock.blogspot.com/2016/02/rock-of-ages-canyon.html
- Candition.com : Pool Arch Canyon
- Candition.com : Rock of Ages
- Candition.com : Pool Arch Canyon (aka "Rock of Ages")