Canyoneering first descents in the Grand Canyon

[Iceaxe]

Canyoneering first descents in the Grand Canyon
Rich Rudow


BY RICH RUDOW'S estimate, the Grand Canyon holds some 300 “really worthy” slot canyons. He should know: Rudow, 47, general manager at GPS-software firm Trimble Outdoors, has spent more than 500 days below the rim since 1989, using his company’s goods to locate and systematically tick off slot-canyon descents.

Rudow had an impressive 2011. In February, he spent 30 days floating the Colorado River, using rafts as a bobbing base camp to explore 22 more slots, six of which were firsts. “These aren’t your in-and-out slots of Utah,” Rudow says. “This is multiday expedition canyoneering.” Think technical, steep, and no guarantee you’ll actually punch through.

Rudow’s crowning achievement came in October 2011, when he led a group of hardcore canyoneers down his most audacious first descent yet—a rim-to-river journey through a remote 1.6-mile-long sliver off of the Yumtheska Mesa, sandwiched between the Havasu and National canyons. He dubbed it Obsession, because for years he knew the canyon was there and must be good. But it took him two days just to get to a point where he could (sort of) see the exit.

“It was the culmination of years of exploration, and epic in every sense,” he says.

“It was also scary as hell.”



http://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor...ich-Rudow.html

[ratagonia]

some of the details may be slightly exaggerated.

Tom

[Byron]

Outstanding. I'm up for this anytime with anyone that is capable.

[moab mark]

Three Thousand foot rappel to the River? Who hauled that rope? I assume it is multiple rappels down to the river. Pretty impressive.

[Byron]

It's probably 300'. The Supai combined with the Redwall wouldn't be three grand. Typo, I'd bet. I'll have to bust out the map and have a look...

[Slot Machine]

OH MAN! Thanks a lot Outside Magazine! I just purchased a 3000 ft rope from Tom's site last night for nothing!

Heh, looks like the total vertical loss from marker #2 (on the map above) to marker #6 is approximately 1200 feet.

There is a series of drops just before the river that look interesting... but not 3000 ft interesting.

36°16'26.49"N , 112°48'57.84"W

See how to embed Google Maps in your posts

Bob

[ratagonia]

OH MAN! Thanks a lot Outside Magazine! I just purchased a 3000 ft rope from Tom's site last night for nothing!

Heh, looks like the total vertical loss from marker #2 (on the map above) to marker #6 is approximately 1200 feet.

There is a series of drops just before the river that look interesting... but not 3000 ft interesting.

36°16'26.49"N , 112°48'57.84"W

Bob

Did I say "nothing"? I thought I said "next to nothing". Six weeks for them to make up that special 5X super-spool for you. One week in transit. Got a forklift at your place? - 150 lb spool of rope is hard to handle.

Now, about that pull cord...

Tom

[Slot Machine]

Did I say "nothing"? I thought I said "next to nothing". Six weeks for them to make up that special 5X super-spool for you. One week in transit. Got a forklift at your place? - 150 lb spool of rope is hard to handle.

Now, about that pull cord...

Tom

Holy crap! You sell canyoneering forklifts now too!?! One of those will save us a lot of strain in the future... certainly if we ever need to do a 3,000 foot rappel.

See, we were very excited for the chance to rappel a half-mile. We had it all worked out; I would carry the 5X spool and my wife would carry the pull cord.

However, I had to make sure she was tough enough before we committed to such a canyon. We fashioned a pull cord and she lugged it around for about 30 seconds, then collapsed. (Verdict: not tough enough.) Not to worry, other than a slipped disk in her back, she is just fine.



Bob

[CarpeyBiggs]

funny thing is... a 3000 foot rappel has been done in grand canyon before.

the guys from PMI rope rappelled from the toroweap viewpoint down to the river as a stunt some years past. don't think they pulled it though, they walked around to lava falls route and back up.

[ratagonia]

Heh, looks like the total vertical loss from marker #2 (on the map above) to marker #6 is approximately 1200 feet.

There is a series of drops just before the river that look interesting... but not 3000 ft interesting.

Bob

One thing you learn on explorations - never trust the map. Yeah, it's a good first estimate, but always to be taken with a grain of salt.

Tom