Alt route out of Death Hollow/Escalante

[ibenick]

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[CarpeyBiggs]

it's not scary hard. i've done it a couple times. it takes you up to where the dirt road ends just off of highway 12 near the big radio tower. check out tom's description of it. it's definitely doable. i call it class 3, because it is somewhat steep. you MIGHT have to use your hands, but i don't recall that.

it's hard to miss the spot, because there are well worn trails down to the river. i think your route drawn is incorrect though. i think the trail heads up the sandstone from the big sandy bench in the left portion of your photo. just keep an eye out, and choose your route up the sandstone carefully.

should be fine.

[CarpeyBiggs]

see this thread....

http://www.bogley.com/forum/showthre...t=death+hollow

[ibenick]

Thanks! I don't know how I missed that other thread.

[stefan]

it's hard to miss the spot, because there are well worn trails down to the river. i think your route drawn is incorrect though. i think the trail heads up the sandstone from the big sandy bench in the left portion of your photo. just keep an eye out, and choose your route up the sandstone carefully.

as dan says, keep an eye out for the trails in the sand near the river (it is possible to overlook it). and looking up across the sandstone, it's the first place below death hollow that looks like it'll actually go.

[jman]

I did it last year and it wasn't bad at all. It is class 3 and sometimes you gotta use your hands for holds, but otherwise it's not tough at all. Just steep.

[ibenick]

delete

[CarpeyBiggs]

tom's map is fairly accurate. i think you could do it with a backpack. i've done it with a pack and wetsuits and canyoneering gear. i don't remember it being a problem. but i'm not you, so i don't know for sure.

[CarpeyBiggs]

and yes, the map you posted is closer, but i think you actually have to cross back to the east side of the little black "slot" once you near the top of the sandstone bench, IIRC, then you kind of follow another bench for a little ways before you gain the very top.

[ibenick]

I'm pretty good with descending slickrock and I've spent a lot of time in the desert so I think I'll be good. It's just a little sketchy because there seems to be a wide variance in opinions of how difficult it is. Guess I'll found out tomorrow morning!

Just curious, what were you doing down there with wetsuits? Upper Death Hollow?

[asdf]

Pretty sure they were doing micro death.

[stefan]

I'm pretty good with descending slickrock and I've spent a lot of time in the desert so I think I'll be good. It's just a little sketchy because there seems to be a wide variance in opinions of how difficult it is.

it's a steep route that is made more difficult with a heavy pack as tom mentions. if you're accustomed to descending steep slickrock with a big backpack, it shouldn't be sketchy if the route down the slopes is chosen thoughtfully. and difficulty is in the eye of the beholder: one person's nightmare is another's sweetspot. but as off-trail backpacking in the desert goes, this is steep but not unreasonable.

[bigred72]

How far did you go up Death Hollow? I happened to stumble on your pictures of your trip on Picasa....great pics.

[ibenick]

Just a mile or so. It was my fifth time in Death, we originally planned BMT to Hwy 12 as in years past but had to change things up a bit due to time constraints.