Typhon Canyon (Middle South Fork)
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| | Difficulty:3A IV (v3a1 IV) Raps:18-24, max ↨185ft
Red Tape:No permit required Shuttle:Required 1.5 hrs Vehicle:Passenger | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Condition Reports: | 7 Dec 2025
"Cairns were pretty overbuilt and not too much webbing replacement was required but still went through a lot. Super fun day with lots of down climbing |
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| Best season: | Nov - March
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36.2482, -116.7310
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Introduction[edit]
A beautiful Dante's canyon with many rock types and canyon vistas from short closer in sections to wide open view of bad water. Starts with super poor quality rubble which becomes more consolidated into marble and large stone inclusions and ends in a classic Death Valley mix.
Many down climbs, numerous short slides, two large rappels and a lot of smaller ones.
Approach[edit]
Hike along the ridge from Dante's view along the well defined Mt. Perry ridge trail until the ridge junction. Then quest out on a new ridge to find the insertion. One of the nicest, least steep descents into a Dante's canyon, but still need to space out a bit due to rock fall.
Descent[edit]
Rappels (24 rappels, 6+ optional)
- R1 - 70' off large blocks with slug chockstone
- R2 - 185' off large cairn fiddle
- RO3 (Rappel Optional) - 25' (Optional: walk far left)
- R4 - 35' off cairn
- RO5 - 45' (Optional: bypass right)
- Canyon gets slotty
- RO6 - 20' runnel slot (bypassable)
- R7 - 50' off cairn
- R8 - 30' off awkward boulder chock
- R9 - 130' off large boulder pinch ( could be broken in two) (noon)
- RO10 - 15' off meat, (downclimbable)
- R11 - 15' off chock
- R12 - 70' off chocked rock
- R13 - 60' off cairn
- Cool white smooth marble section
- R14 - 50' cairn down pour over
- RO15 - 20' cairn into ravine or downclimb (This is Middle + Middle South confluence, 2pm)
- R16 - 30' off cairn
- R17 - 40' off pinch into slot
- R18 - 150' awkward exposed start off chock to less than vertical rappel (can be intimidating)
- R19 - 100' off mega cairn to 20 ft down climb
- R20 - 185’ huge boulder three tiered (could be broken up)
- R21 - 40' off cairn
- RO22 - 20' (Optional: bypass right)
- R23 - 25' off cairn
- R24 - 40' off rock chock
- R25 - 30' off rock chocks
- R26 - 40' off boulder
- R27 - 25' off boulder pinch
- R28 - 20' off boulder pinch
- R29 - 30' off boulder pinch
- R30 - 40' rappel down an otherwise steep down climb from small rock chockstone (probably optional)
Exit[edit]
Easy walk down the wash to the car
Red tape[edit]
Beta sites[edit]
- December 2025 Descent
BluuGnome.com : Typhon Canyon - Middle South Fork- Super Amazing Map : Typhon Canyon (Middle South Fork)
Trip reports and media[edit]
TRIP REPORT FOR 2-16-19:
https://www.facebook.com/scott.swaney/media_set?set=a.10157115444207930&type=3
Background[edit]
Discovered and named by Rick Kent. First descent, 07 March 2009: Rick Kent and Mike Cressman.