Canyoneering in Death Valley National Park

Descending a rappel in "Abysmal Canyon" in the Black Mountains.

NPS/Abby Wines

What is Canyoneering?

Canyoneering (or canyoning) is an outdoor activity that includes the use of ropes, technical skills, and teamwork to descend a canyon.

Canyoneering in DVNP is very different than in other areas of the United States:

• Sweeping vistas - The views from approach hikes and sections of the canyon can be stunning.
• Long day - Many of the park's canyons take over 10 hours for a fast-moving group to descend.
• Vertical relief - Many of the park's canyons have 2,000-3,000 feet of drop through the technical section.
• Wide canyons - Unlike narrow slot canyons in areas of Utah, DVNP's canyons are typically wide, with only rare sections that a person can touch both walls at the same time.
• Long rappels - Many of the commonly done canyons have rappels up to 200 feet. Some canyoneering routes have single (no rebelay) rappels of 300-580 feet.
• Many rappels - Canyons in the Black Mountains usually have more than 15 rappels. A few canyons, like Hades and Cerberus, have more than 25 rappels.
• Natural anchors - Most of the park's canyons are within the Congressionally-designated Death Valley Wilderness. Bolting is illegal anywhere in Death Valley National Park, with the rare exception of replacing existing unsafe bolts. Most rappels are anchored using pinch points between boulders or constructed rock piles (cairn anchors). Knot chocks are fairly common. Beginners should not canyoneer here without someone that has extensive experience building and evaluating natural anchors.
• Arduous approaches - Many canyoneer routes are reached by hiking and scrambling 2,500 to 3,500 feet up a steep slope to reach the top of the canyon. Loose rock, lack of trails, and exposure to falling makes this part of the activity as dangerous as descending the canyon.
• Car shuttles - Some routes avoid the arduous approaches by long car shuttles between the top and bottom of the canyon.
• Dry - Most canyons in the park are dry. Wetsuits are generally not required.

 

Looking down at the beginning of the steep scramble up to Coffin Canyon. People are using their hands for balance as the climb up the loose rocks.

NPS/Abby Wines

Regulations

Canyoneering does not require a permit currently. However, the park's Wilderness and Backcountry Management Plan outlines eventual plans to implement a permit system.

Placing bolts, pitons, or other fixed hardware is prohibited. The only exception is that unsafe existing bolts can be replaced.

Camping (even sleeping in the back of a vehicle) is only permitted in campgrounds and along some unpaved roads. A permit is required for roadside camping along the most popular unpaved roads. Of specific interest to canyoneers: camping is prohibited at Natural Bridge Trailhead, Dantes View, Dantes View restroom, Willow/Sidewinder Trailhead, Titus Canyon, and at the parking area for the "Princess Bride" canyons.

Driving off roads is illegal. Beware that even tracks that appear to be roads may actually be in designated Wilderness. In particular, be aware of the Wilderness boundary when going to canyons that are approached from Amargosa Valley, such as Fossil Snail and Gastropod Casket.

Guided canyoneering is prohibited. Cost-sharing is allowed (such as the group pitching in to contribute if a group member's rope is core shot), but paying any amount for someone to lead a canyon trip is prohibited. 93% of the park is designated Wilderness, and as such is managed as a place free from most commercial activities.

Drones are prohibited.

 

Canyoneering is a team activity. A person stands ready to assist the next person with a overhanging short drop so they don't need to jump.

NPS/Abby Wines

Safety

Communicate Your Plan in Advance &
Carry Satellite Communication Device

Cell phones have no signal in most of the park. If something goes wrong, you can't rely on park staff noticing your vehicle has been parked in the same place for an unusual amount of time.

Communicate your itenerary to someone not on the trip that can notify the park if you are overdue. Generally it is best to have them wait until the following morning to report you overdue. Many parties exit DVNP canyons hours after dark even when nothing has gone wrong on the trip.

In case of overdue canyoneer or emergency:

• Dial 911. If you are using satellite or WiFi to call, this call may go to another state. Tell them your issue is in Death Valley National Park, Inyo County, California.
• If it is a non-emergent concern, call the park's infromation line at 760-786-3200.

Weather: Heat, Wind & Flash Floods

Official temperatures at the Furnace Creek weather station can reach 100 degrees from March through October. However, temperatures in canyons often exceed the official daily high because of radiative heat from the rock walls.

Sustained winds of 25 miles per hour with gusts up to 45 mph happen fairly often. Strong winds can make footing difficult on the exposed ridge scrambles to the top of a canyon. Communication with teammates gets more difficult. Grit can blow into eyes.

Cold conditions should be expected during early starts on ridges. Sunrise starts at Dantes View are often around freezing temperatures with strong winds that subside after the sun has been up for while. Canyoneers should pack layers in case they are caught in the canyon after sunset, when it will cool down again.

Death Valley's landscape is shaped by intermittant flash floods. These floods carve the canyons, wash away rappel anchors, and destroy roads. It would be deadly to be caught in a canyon during a flood. However, this is a lot less likely to happen in Death Valley than in canyons in Utah, because the drainages in DVNP are relatively short. Intense storms are much more likely in the summer, when it's too hot to canyoneer. Winter rains are usually light showers rather than downpours.

The National Weather Service has a zone forecast for Death Valley National Park that gives wind predictions and temperatures expected on the valley floor and in the mountains.

 

These two webbing pieces were the same color. The one on the left faded by exposure to UV damage from sunlight. Webbing that is faded, abraded, or feels crunchy should be replaced. Always inspect the entire strand of webbing. Pull-tests are not sufficient.

NPS/Abby Wines

What To Bring

Good Teammates

Canyoneers rely on each other extensively to reduce risk. One person might provide a temporary "meat anchor" to allow teammates to rappel down a difficult short climb. Then the teammates might assist the last person down by coaching them or providing a shoulder as a foothold.

One unskilled group member can slow the group substantially. If every member of the group is skilled at building and evaluating anchors, the group can move efficiently.

Larger groups (8-12 people) can be faster than small groups (2 or 3 people) in these canyons. If nearly everyone has a rope and is able to build anchors, then large groups can move fast because the tasks of building anchors and retrieving ropes are divided among people while others are moving forward to the next obstacle.

Map and Route Description

Carefully assess your location before beginning your first rappel. Make sure you are entering the canyon you think you are. For example, if someone only has enough rope for Styx Canyon (110' max) but ends up in adjacent Cerberus (270-foot max), they will be in trouble.

Many people use their cell phones for navigation. Make sure you download an offline version of base maps before you arrive in Death Valley.

Headlamp

Death Valley's canyons are long, and winter daylight is short. Expect to use a headlamp.

First Aid Kit

Extra Clothing

Could you spend an unexpected night in the canyon? Temperatures often drop 25 degrees overnight.

Extra Food

Lots of water

Ropes, Harnesses, and Rappelling Equipment

Know how much rope you will need to complete the canyon safely, and consider bringing extra. Ropes frequently get stuck when being pulled after rappels. Ropes can also be damaged by rock fall or sharp edges.

Every group member should have their own harness and rappel device.

Anchor Equipment

Most anchors in DVNP involve leaving webbing and a metal quicklink behind. Flash floods, rodents, UV damage from sunlight, and abrasion can damage and weaken webbing left by prior groups. Bring 5-10 feet of webbing per rappel. If you are the first group in a canyon that season, or the canyon has experienced a flash flood since the last group, you may need to replace webbing at every rappel anchor. Best practice is to remove the old webbing when you put a new strand on. Webbing should be black or a neutral color. No bright colors, please.

Backup Equipment

The ability to stop, move up, or down while hanging mid-rope is a lifesaving skill that must be learned before you need it. Can you create extra friction? Do you have ascenders?

Helmet

Rock falls can cause severe injuries. Your rappel rope will frequently dislodge small rocks above you. If providing a "fireman belay" from the bottom of a rappel, deploy enough rope that the person on the ground can stand out of the rock fall zone.

 

A typical cairn anchor. Webbing is wrapped around the medium rock in back. In front of that is a large rock with a shallow trench under it. The rest of the rocks are arranged in front like a horseshoe. The pull side of the rope is leading to the "meat anchor", who really should be more in line.

NPS

Anchors

Setting new bolts is prohibited unless replacing existing unsafe bolts.

Best practice is to have a person provide a "meat anchor backup" for all rappelers except the last one. This can be done by sitting in a depression or behind a rock with the other side of the rope attached to their harness. Ideally the meat anchor backup is behind and in line with the natural anchor being tested and backed up. If the anchor is above ground level (as knot chocks often are), then the backup can be connected to the rappel line using a second rope connected with a knot like a butterfly close to the lip of the rappel.

Another best practice is to consider the less-experienced canyoneers that might travel a canyon after you. Did you leave the anchors in a condition that they can be easily inspected and understood by the next group?

Retrievable rigging can sometimes be used which allows the canyoneer to rappel without leaving behind webbing. This is an advanced technique. Bear in mind that these techniques can cause problems during rope retrieval if there is a ledge with rocks that the falling ropes can wrap themselves around.

Pinch points

When two large boulders touch each other, or a boulder is wedged against the canyon wall, the resulting pinch point can be slung with a small loop of webbing.

Counter-balance

Occasionally there is a canyon feature that two people can rappel off using opposite ends of the same rope. Each person's body weight provides the anchor for the other person. The final rappel in Styx Canyon provides an opportunity for this off a giant boulder straddling the end of the canyon.

Cairn (rock piles)

The ideal design for strength and future inspectability is a horseshoe. People sometimes want to build a pyramid, but rocks behind the rock that the webbing is tied to have no purpose. Burying the webbing under a pile of rocks makes it likely that webbing will be pinched between two rocks. The webbing will stretch when weighted, so the design should avoid having a rock sit on top of webbing. Anchors that are buried under rocks, or buried underground (a 'deadman') are less likely to be fully inspected by the next group through the canyon.

Webbing can be girth hitched around a large rock at the back. Or you may often see the webbing girth hitched around a medium-sized oblong shaped solid rock placed behind a large rock. In this case, there is usually a shallow trench excavated under the big rock so the webbing is not pinched between the rock and hard ground. With this design, the medium rock can be pulled out to inspect the webbing without having to move the big rock.

Other rocks are placed in front of the big rock, but slightly off to either side of the webbing strand.

Cairn anchors can be built so that ropes can be rigged to be retrievable off of them, leaving no webbing. However, this is an advanced skill that has not caught on widely. It is most appropriate for canyon routes that are rarely done.

Knot chocks

Most often used in limestone sections of DVNP canyons, a piece of webbing can be tied into a knot and placed in a crevice as an anchor. These are generally done in pairs, and should be always be backed up for all but the last rappeler.

 

Canyons in the Black Mountains typically go through interesting rock layers.

NPS/Abby Wines

Routes

There are over 300 canyons in Death Valley National Park that require technical canyoneering skills to descend.

Several private web sites exist that provide varying amounts of detailed information about routes. Consider the total number of rappels listed to be approximate. Depending on your group's skill level and whether it is still light out, you may find yourself rappelling more or less than the number listed.

If you are new to Death Valley canyoneering, go with someone experienced in building and evaluating cairn (rock pile) anchors. Some popular canyons (for a reason!):

Short day, no car shuttle:

• Coffin Canyon
• High Noon Canyon
• Helios Canyon - access to canyon is especially steep, loose, and exposed
• Rainbow Canyon - one sketchy move starting return to car from the canyon
• Humperdinck Canyon - need high clearance, 4x4 is recommended due to deep sand
• Darwin Falls Canyon (but the road is currently closed due to flood damage)

Short day, needs car shuttle:

• Scorpion Canyon
• Vinegaroon Canyon
• Arachnophobia Canyon

You'll probably get out in daylight, no car shuttle:

• "Princess Bride" canyons: Pit of Despair Canyon, Buttercup Canyon, etc.Need high clearance, 4x4 is recommended due to deep sand.
• Natural Bridge Canyon

You'll probably get out in daylight, needs car shuttle:

• Styx Canyon

Long day, no car shuttle:

• Grotto Canyon (Layer Fork is the best) - need high clearance
• Charon Canyon
• Abysmal Canyon

Long day, long car shuttle:

• Hades Canyon
• Cerberus Canyon
• Typhon Canyon