Rainbow Canyon… 12/25/20
Approach…Parked off Hwy 190 then went cross-country to the head of the canyon (Santa Rosa Wash).
At the head of the canyon there’s a 20’ drop that is easily down-climbed (DCL).
Rap 1…90’ We anchored off big boulder about 10’ above and behind the edge.
Rap 2…170’+ We anchored off a set of nicely placed bolts near the edge. We first had to clean somebody’s ropes and cordage left behind. Not sure what the story is, but they sure left a lot of shit for us to carry out…
The keeper pot at the bottom is empty…and fuck’n deep…maybe 25’+ and overhung all the way around. Both of us were able to scramble the exposed ledge (DCL) to safety but if you have someone in your party that is sketched, have them rap to the bottom and wait till you are able to throw them a rope and have them ascend out of the hole on the safe side. Funny story…we did everything we could do to stay out of the pit, then one of our rope bags rolled over the edge and into the pit. Since it was a NORHEX bag, we threw the rope down, rapped in to get the bag, and prusiked out.
Rap 3…80’ Nice red webbing anchored from a big rock about 15’ back, plus an old blue webbing from a pile of rocks near the edge. Both tested strong… Again, we found a shit load of abandoned rope and cordage hanging from the anchor. Whatever the story, must have been a good one. Glad there were no bodies at the bottom.
Exit… Ugh! A slog up a ridge DCR. You’ll see it… Followed by the .4 mile walk of shame back to your vehicle.
4 hours car to car…
Team Karl & Deb…
Parked and ready to go…
At the wash leading into Rainbow Canyon…
The head of Rainbow Canyon. There’s a quick downclimb to the first rap DCL…
Rap one…and the anchor boulder…
Happy Rapper…
Looking up Rap 1
Looking down Rap 2…
Karl heading down Rap 2…no idea about the pit at the bottom…yet
When I got down far enough I noticed the pit was about 30′ deep with overhung walls…not possible to climb out. I got off rappel at the large rock attached to the wall, and climbed around on a class 3 ledge DCL.
Here’s Deb making that same ledge climb. Those not comfortable with this scramble should drop in the pit and have another drop a rope in to ascend out.
DOH…the NOR HEX rope bag rolled into the pit 🙁
No problem, anchor the rope, rappel into the pit, retrieve the NOR HEX rope bag….
…and ascend out.
Deb on Rap 3
Looking down canyon for the ridge climb out…
I put a red line on the ridge climb out…
The crux is the first couple hundred feet…still class 3. Be careful with the loose rocks…
Looking up at the exit…I put a red line of our approximate route…
Yeah, don’t want to trip here…
Road walk of shame back to the truck…
Today’s route…great way to spend Christmas 2020
