Lower Waterholes 300ft. rappel. Need info.

[schrods]

The info I'm finding on the 300 ft. rappel in Lower Waterholes Canyon is a bit confusing. Can anyone with recent experience there, walk me through the technical side of what you did to complete this drop. Most interested in info regarding the anchor station installed by Tom Jones in 2009.

Is this a true hanging rappel or is there a place to stand while setting up your gear for the next rappel?

How did you go about getting off and on ropes and cleaning your ropes from the previous station?

[ratagonia]

The info I'm finding on the 300 ft. rappel in Lower Waterholes Canyon is a bit confusing. Can anyone with recent experience there, walk me through the technical side of what you did to complete this drop. Most interested in info regarding the anchor station installed by Tom Jones in 2009.

Is this a true hanging rappel or is there a place to stand while setting up your gear for the next rappel?

How did you go about getting off and on ropes and cleaning your ropes from the previous station?

http://www.canyoneeringusa.com/rave/0902wa/

What more do you need to know?

Tom :moses:

[MrAdam]

There is some info on the big rap here.....

http://www.canyoneering.net/forums/showthread.php?4944-Waterholes-Canyon

Beware the rope eating crack!

[schrods]

Thanks Tom. Don't know how I missed this.

So from the pic of the bolts being installed, I take it there is enough room to stand and install your gear for the last part of this drop?

From this station, is it an easy pull to retrieve your ropes from the previous station 90 - 100 ft. up, or are you using anchors inside the "comfortable slot" and just dropping the very short distance to get onto the "edge of world" anchor?

[ratagonia]

Thanks Tom. Don't know how I missed this.

So from the pic of the bolts being installed, I take it there is enough room to stand and install your gear for the last part of this drop?

From this station, is it an easy pull to retrieve your ropes from the previous station 90 - 100 ft. up, or are you using anchors inside the "comfortable slot" and just dropping the very short distance to get onto the "edge of world" anchor?

There is a bit of a foot ledge, enough for two people. But it is a steep position.

The other station is at most 30 feet above, so yes, easy to recover the rope from there.

I have heard of people STILL getting their rope stuck. Not sure of the entire story, but it seems their pull side blew into the crack because they were not paying attention to it.

Be sure to MEASURE your rope before heading out there.

Tom

[Bshelton]

I did lower waterholes in 2010 and used an alternative route avoiding the 300'r.

RDC from the 300' rap point you will find another bolt station. This rap point will be the first of several additional fun rappels ( if I remember right 5 total). We completed these with 2-60m ropes but we did not need it all. I believe the longest rappel was in the 100'- 120' range and the shortest in the 50' range. Some free hanging, others low and high angle.

I realize this is not perfect beta but due to a snow storm blowing in on us we didn't have much time to take notes. I do recall one mid wall rap station that would not hold more than 3 folks comfortably. Using this route was much more challenging and fun than the 300' IMHO.

All anchors were in good condition ( I'm sure they may need some webbing at this point)

I found beta on this route online, I will try and dig it up and post if your interested.

BTW we shuttled kayaks up river to the exit- this made for some fun paddling after the canyon (and once the snow stopped)

Remember to get a permit, I was 10 minutes late getting to the tribal office and could not get one once. Being 6 hours from home we poached it figuring we would be safe. Sure enough upon returning to the trailhead- you guessed it, tribal police. We kept driving and came back later to pick up the trailhead vehicle green sticker on the window and all. The plan was to say we ran out of gas if they were still there. I'm not sure how that would have turned out.

One of the best canyon trips I've been on, of course the combined river paddle was key.

Does anyone else have beta or an opinion on the optional route? From what I understand, it was the original route some years back.

[Bshelton]

Beta I used.

http://www.bluugnome.com/canyoneer_tripreport_lower-water-holes_grand-canyon.aspx

[MrAdam]

BTW we shuttled kayaks up river to the exit- this made for some fun paddling after the canyon.

How did you go about shuttling the kayaks to the exit of the canyon?I have been considering doing Waterholes over Thanksgiving and packrafting out, but a kayak waiting at the exit sounds like a much better idea!

[Bshelton]

Paid a local fishing guide $50 I don't have his contact information any longer but I just skimmed the Internet to find him.

[ratagonia]

Just carry a boat:

http://www.store.canyoneeringusa.com/component/rokecwid/?Itemid=108#ecwid:category=2754060&mode=product&product=14344893

Tom

[Brian in SLC]

And two spatulas to row it, apparently...ha ha!

[MrAdam]

Just carry a boat:

http://www.store.canyoneeringusa.com/component/rokecwid/?Itemid=108#ecwid:category=2754060&mode=product&product=14344893

Tom

I want one of the Supai rafts sooooooo badly! A couple of the people I did 29 mile canyon with back in April had them and the Supai rafts look awesome. Lightweight, pack small and easy to inflate. I used an Explorer 200 raft (pool toy) and was not a fan. That thing is heavy and takes up a lot of space in the pack!

[schrods]

BTW we shuttled kayaks up river to the exit- this made for some fun paddling after the canyon




I'd be flying in from western NY so I'm limited in the amount of equipment I can bring. Combine that with the prices of the pack rafts for just the one use and I'm left with searching for other methods to get to Lee's Ferry.


Anyone with contacts for rentals AND a shuttle from Lee's back to the trailhead?


Also, is overnight camping allowed at the rivers edge? I might be interested in chilling out in the canyon for the night before we paddle out.

[Bshelton]

I'll see if I can dig up the company that shuttle our boats. Depending on where you are driving in from, you may want to look for rentals there. I don't know of any rentals available anyplace near the canyon. Flagstaff would be the closest place I can think of.

[Taylor]

Kayakpowell.com in Page, AZ

[MrAdam]

I'd be flying in from western NY so I'm limited in the amount of equipment I can bring. Combine that with the prices of the pack rafts for just the one use and I'm left with searching for other methods to get to Lee's Ferry.

Here is a much cheaper packraft that I used to float the Colorado after a descent of 29 Mile Canyon. It is heavier, bulkier and doesnt paddle as well as the Supai Adventure rafts, but it gets the job done.

http://www.amazon.com/Intex-Explorer-200-Boat-Set/dp/B000051ZHS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1351008975&sr=8-1&keywords=EXPLORER+200