Wife 1
| Rating: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | Difficulty:3A I (v3a1 I) Raps:3, max ↨60ft
Red Tape:Permit required Shuttle:None Vehicle:Passenger | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Start: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Parking: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Condition Reports: | 15 Aug 2025
"After finishing Wife 4, our group decided to head back up and drop into Wife 1. According to Road Trip Ryan, this one isn’t as highly recommended as |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Best season: | Any
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Regions: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
38.2795, -111.2435
38.2835, -111.2460
Search nearby locations
Weather forecast
Waterflow
Introduction[edit]
More technical than some of the other “Wives.” Expect multiple anchors, awkward starts, and a few downclimbs. Published beta (Road Trip Ryan, BluGnome) is not quite right but will give you a place to start, but in practice you’ll find intermediate anchors that change rappel counts and lengths. Rope length estimates in some guides are short. Bring extra.
Approach[edit]
Park at Fruita campgrounds. Hike up to Cohab Canyon. The Wives are on the right side as you walk through the canyon. Definitely grab some GPX/KML and beta to make sure you know which wife is which!
Descent[edit]
Rappels[edit]
- R1: 60 feet - Anchored from a large boulder and drops into a narrow slot.
- R2: 25 feet - The anchor is set back about 15 feet from the edge.
- R3: Need about 85 feet or rope - Anchored from a small chockstone OR a small jug-handle solution pocket.
- R4: 60 feet - Anchored from a small chockstone in an elongated crack at the top of a down climb. The webbing needs to be extended about 20-30 feet to reach the edge. Mostly free-hanging.
Rappel 1
The first drop begins from a massive boulder, rigged with a simple sling. The rappel itself runs about 50–60 feet into a cavern-like alcove, with the final 10 feet easily downclimbed if preferred. The challenge here is not the rappel length but the rope pull. To avoid snagging on the slot walls, you must walk well back when rigging, which consumes additional rope length. On our first descent, a 150 ft rope worked smoothly, leaving plenty for the pull. On the second, we tried a 110 ft rope, which barely covered the rappel, and had to connect about 30 ft of webbing to extend the pull line for clean retrieval. Without that extension, the pull was messy.
Rappel 2
The second rappel is straightforward: anchored with a sling around a very large boulder in the canyon. The drop is about 25 feet. The main consideration is the anchor setup—approaching the boulder requires care, as it slopes off and can be slick. Move carefully while rigging and clipping in.
Rappel 3
As the canyon narrows, you'll encounter two different options for Rappel 3: a chokestone that's wedged between the canyon walls, or a jug-handle-shaped solution pocket just below it. You can downclimb or rappel off the chokestone. If you descend from there, you’ll see the jug handle just beneath it. The two anchors are close to each other, and either one will work for R3.
Once down this short drop, you walk out a bit on relatively flat terrain before encountering a short downclimb that leads to the landing where Rappel 4 begins. However, there's no natural anchor at the landing itself, so the anchor for R4 must be built at the top of the downclimb.
At the top of this slope, on the canyon wall, there’s a crack with a chokestone wedged in it. This is where the R4 anchor is built. From that chokestone, you’ll need about 20 to 30 feet of webbing to extend through the crack, down the slope, and over the edge of the final drop. Without a long enough extension, the rope pull will be a nightmare.
In essence, you must build the R4 anchor first, then get down to the landing where you’ll actually rig the rope for the rappel. That downclimb starts out manageable, but the last few feet become sketchy: the slope steepens, the canyon walls widen, and the landing is set back from the edge.
This is why Rappel 3 is so helpful. If R3 is set up with a long enough rope—about 85 feet from the R3 anchor—you can rappel directly to the landing for R4. This lets you build the anchor above, finish your descent to the landing on rappel, and avoid that awkward downclimb altogether.
Rappel 4 (Final Drop)
Rappel 4 is anchored off a chokestone wedged in a crack at the top of a sloping downclimb. The rope must be extended with 20 to 30 feet of webbing down to the landing where the actual rappel begins. This landing is still several feet back from the edge, so careful rigging is required to get a clean pull.
If your rope isn’t extended far enough or routed cleanly, the pull will be problematic. Even with proper extension, expect to walk a fair distance back from the base to retrieve the rope.
Rope length is critical. On our first run, a 150 ft rope came up short, forcing an awkward finish. On the second, a 200 ft rope was more than adequate and made the sequence much cleaner.
Exit[edit]
Return the same way you came. Be sure to stop by the historic cabin if you're in the mood for some fruit pie. Delicious!
Red tape[edit]
Permits[edit]
A permit is required for any and all canyoneering within the boundaries of Capitol Reef National Park. Permits have a group-size limit that varies depending on the canyon or route. A separate permit is required for each canyoneering route. Currently, there is no quota limit nor permit cost, though that is likely to change at some point in the future. Permits can be obtained onsite through a self-serve kiosk located just outside of the visitor center or by sending and email to [email protected] using the following format:
Subject: Name of canyoneering route and date you will be canyoneering.
Email Body: Date of visit (single day only): Canyoneering route (single route only): Number of people: Vehicle location: Number of motorized vehicles: Vehicle description(s):
If you plan to camp overnight as part of a canyoneering trip, you are required to obtain a free backcountry permit, available at the visitor center.
Additional Access Information:[edit]
- CRNP canyoneering permit information webpage: https://www.nps.gov/care/planyourvisit/canyoneering.htm
- Other: http://www.americancanyoneers.org/access-capitol-reef/
Group-Size Limit:[edit]
Canyoneering groups are limited to a maximum of 12 people in Wives 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 & 6 Canyoneering groups are limited to a maximum of 8 people in TOTGA
Groups larger than 8 or 12 sharing the same affiliation (school, church, club, scout group, family, friends, etc., or combination thereof) may divide into groups smaller than 8 or 12, provided they do not occupy the same canyon, drainage, general area or the same route on the same day.
Park Entrance Fee:[edit]
The Scenic drive is the only area of Capitol Reef where an entry fee or park pass is required. Passes can be attained at the visitor center or at a self-pay kiosk at the start of the scenic drive. Fees are good for seven days and can be found here: http://www.nps.gov/care/planyourvisit/fees.ht
Beta sites[edit]
RoadTripRyan.com : The Wives- Super Amazing Map : The Wives (7 of them)
- BluuGnome.com : The Wives
Trip reports and media[edit]
- http://www.bogley.com/forum/showthread.php?68536-The-Wives-of-Cohab-Canyon-in-Capitol-Reef-National-Park&p=534355#post534355
- Candition.com : The Wives
- https://www.stavislost.com/hikes/trail/the-wives-wife-1