Upper West Canyon Slot
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| | Difficulty:3B III (v3a2 III) Raps:1-2, max ↨30ft
Red Tape:Permit required Shuttle:None | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Condition Reports: | 8 Jul 2019
"Early July might be the best time. Hot air, bearable water temperature, long days. All bolts ok. Both keepers waist deep and easily defeated with pa |
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| Best season: | Spring or Fall
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36.9283, -111.0514
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WaterflowIntroduction[edit]
One of the best slots around. There is not really much of an approach, as the majority of the route up to the Upper Slot is laden with waterfalls, swims, narrows, and the most magnificent desert oasis scenery one could imagine. A perfect itinerary for this slot would be four days. Day 1: early morning boat shuttle, hike to the start of the middle narrows. Day two: hike to the lower end of the Upper Slot. Day three: do the upper slot, hike back to the lower end of the middle narrows. Day four: hike back to your boat shuttle, afternoon boat shuttle back to Antelope Point.
Approach[edit]
As of 2019, there is only one company with a boat shuttle to West Canyon. Outdoor Adventures, in Antelope Point, can be reached at (928) 645-5900. They charged us $250 each way. Rental boats cost $400+ per day, and it is simply imprudent to park your boat in the narrow mouth of West Canyon, with fluctuating water levels and beer-laden boaters, and leave it unattended for several days.
Descent[edit]
Upper West Canyon Slot is a wonderful, wonderful, wonderful canyon. Luckily, it is also fairly easy. It is located upstream from West Canyon Narrows in the same drainage.
Hike to the top, drop in, then put on your wetsuit at the first sign of water.
Toward the top of the canyon you will likely encounter several easy swimmers. On the RDC side (111 02' 42" W 36 55' 32.5" N) you will encounter a feature that we call the Blimp Hanger. Getting into and out of the hanger can be a little dicey. Don’t hurt yourself trying.
Soon the canyon will tighten up and you will find yourself in a marvelous red slot. You will encounter a 30 foot rappel from two bolts, followed a chain bolted in a pothole, followed a scary single bolt with a handline hanging from it. Before trusting your safety to that final single bolt, take a good look at it first. Sequencing down without using that bolt might be a wise choice.
Next, prepare yourself for one of the best sections of slot in the canyoneering world. You will wade down a hallway that has no equal. The end of the slot is marked by a mind-blowing cathedral. After you go under the boulders at the end of the cathedral West Canyon opens up. There are bolts above boulders on the right, don’t bother using them.
Time: We completed this loop in 6 hours at a very slow pace. I recommend taking your time in this canyon and taking some photos.
Rappels: 30 feet from two bolts.
Mandatory Equipment: 60 foot rope, 50 feet of webbing. Standard rappelling gear.
Neoprene: 5/4mm full length suits, booties, gloves, vest, hood or beanie. During one visit in lower Lion, we encountered water that was about 45 degrees with air that was about 30 degrees (unexpected and miserably cold!!). The air temp out of the canyon was about 55 degrees, so the combination of cold water with even colder air was a real surprise. IN A NUTSHELL, DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE HOW COLD THIS CANYON CAN BE, OR YOU COULD DIE.
Please play fair and do not add bolts to this route. Conversely, Upper West is considered a trade route, so don’t surprise some unsuspecting boater/canyoneer by removing bolts that currently exist … with the exception of the bolts at the end of the cathedral, those are frivolous and nobody would miss them.
Exit[edit]
Red tape[edit]
Hiking in this area requires a permit from the Navajo Nation. I called their office in Page, paid over the phone, and received the permit via email, all in about ten minutes. They charged $12 per person per night in 2019. You could also mail your permit request a few weeks in advance, along with a very polite letter explaining your trip itinerary. Permit information can be found here: https://navajonationparks.org/permits/backcountry-hiking-camping/ June 2022 Update: New office phone number is (909)882-2973. The permit cost is now $15 per person per day.
Beta sites[edit]
RoadTripRyan.com : West Canyon- Super Amazing Map : West Canyon Slot
https://amazingslots.blogspot.com/2017/05/west-canyon-beta-lake-powell.html
Trip reports and media[edit]
- Candition.com : West Canyon
- http://amazingslots.blogspot.com/2016/04/on-april-13th-2016-mark-burnham-tony.html
