Upper Lesslie Gulch (Top Down)

Upper Lesslie Gulch (Top Down) Canyoneering Canyoning Caving

Rating:	Log in to rateLog in to rateLog in to rateLog in to rateLog in to rate 3.9 (3 ratings)
‌	Difficulty:‌3A II PG (v4a1 V) Raps:‌2+, max ↨150ft Metric Overall: No Red Tape:‌ Shuttle:‌Optional 20 minutes Vehicle:Passenger Rock type:Volcanic Ash
Start:	43.2855, -117.2187
Parking:	43.2860, -117.2164
Condition Reports:	12 Oct 2025 "Completed this canyon with (4) others, (2) of which we randomly ran into at the TH.. Ascent follows a well traveled trail, you then cut off and ga
Weather:
Best season:	Jul-Sep (avg for this region) winter spring summer fall Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov
Regions:	North America Pacific Northwest  United States Oregon Eastern Oregon

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43.2855, -117.218743.2860, -117.2164https://ropewiki.com/images/a/ae/Upper_Lesslie_Gulch_%28Top_Down%29.kmltopo

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Welcome! Canyons in the Pacific Northwest can be different from those you might be used to. Be ready for unlinked bolts, retrievable traverse lines, and challenging aquatic environments. For more on local practices, and the best way to get started in the region, check out the WCC Safety page. Unlinked Bolts - groups should be comfortable rigging unlinked bolts, either temporarily linking them for all but the last person, or using a passive redundancy method. Most importantly, if you find two bolts side by side that are unlinked, do not add webbing to them. Linking bolts designed to be unlinked will likely cause damage during seasonal floods. Traverse Lines - many canyons are rigged to allow traverse line access to an exposed anchor station. This should be done using self-belay or team belay techniques. Do not leave fixed lines in the canyons. Challenging Environments - the highly aquatic nature of PNW canyons can surprise many. Cold temperatures, slippery rocks, loud waterfalls, and strong currents all lead to unexpected problems. Do not underestimate the need for strong team work and technical proficiency. Belays are frequently not possible. Unattended gear will sink or float away. Sliding and jumping is the cause of most major injuries, so it's critical to effectively communicating water depth & submerged hazards.

Introduction

This canyon is a technical slot canyon in Leslie Gulch. From the Upper Leslie Gulch trailhead, it took a group of five 4.5 hours to complete the route with setting webbing on the rappels. There are two rappels. The first has a string of boulders before the drop to sling. The second has a big chockstone about 40ft back of the drop to sling. The second rappel is two stages, so don't pull your rope at the bottom of the first drop. From webbing with virtually no run out around the big chockstone to the bottom of the second stage will take 143ft (not including pull). If you choose to fiddle stick the chockstone, a 150ft rope may just get the job done (not including pull). Even though the rope goes around a bend in the canyon, it pulled down without issue. This drop goes into a room where three canyons converge. Beyond the long drop, there are a few downclimbs that some may want to rappel to 10ft or so. Elbow pads are highly suggested for these downclimbs. A fiddle stick will work extremely well on these two drops if you don't want to leave webbing. Bolting isn't really an option in this rock, so leave your drill at home. The compressed ash in other sections of Leslie Gulch is much harder than in this canyon.

The North fork entrance has a maze of canyons. The middle drainage of three has been descended and required a 60ft rappel from a giant chockstone. Webbing was used as testing a pull of rope around the chockstone was not going well for use of a fiddle stick. The other two slots have rappels of close to the same height, but have not been done.

Approach

You can drive to the scree slope that is at the beginning of the canyon, but you need a vehicle with good clearance and off-roading tires, because the road is more of a lightly used trail. You could avoid the big climb with a shuttle if you so choose.

Another option is to park at the Upper Leslie Gulch trailhead and hike to the bottom the canyon, as the KML shows.

Descent

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  Rappel 1
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  Rappel 2

The main fork has two rappels of 20 ft and 150 ft.

Exit

You can start and finish at the Upper Leslie Gulch trailhead, at the top of the canyon with a high clearance vehicle, or do a shuttle between the two.

Trip reports and media

https://www.facebook.com/mcweyen/posts/pfbid02Trsd7wuRzH5yT5zmCX9uH1D17wuQTpvMd2oi6QNiZjfKKejMHcjQpG8RnfkM2YZNl

Pictures from the North Fork entrance: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/14MqsFk5VmP/

Incidents

Credits

Upper Lesslie Gulch (Top Down)

Information provided by automated processes. KML map by (unknown). Main photo by (unknown). Authors are listed in chronological order.

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