07/24/13 - Bridal Veil Falls, Provo

[jman]

What's slowly becoming a tradition with the group - is doing Bridal Veil on Utah's Pioneer day (July 24).

We got a good size group with us (7 or 8) and decided to hit it up after all of the local festivities and after I got done with work (serious...who works on a state holiday ;) ). We arrived around 5:30 at the parking lot.

The great thing about BVF, is the access and the beauty. It's easily one of the best, and funnest waterfalls in Utah to rappel. Biggest bang for buck, for sure. HOWEVER - you have to be very, very careful that you do not drop rocks off the lip of the falls onto the gaggles of people below. But you can mitigate that by having a spotter at the bottom asking folks to move to either side of the falls and enjoy the show!

You can either rap off the left or right side of the falls (looking up canyon), and by far, the left side is the best. And a 200ft rope WILL reach the bottom if you bring about 40ft of webbing and put the rapide about 3 feet from the lip. Also, forgot about a pull-cord here - there is TOO MUCH Moss that will get stuck in the biner block when you try to retrieve it. We have done this 3 or 4 times now with no luck pulling it down. Besides - the best ethics practiced here are to hike back up and retrieve all of your ropes AND webbing around the tree.

Unfortunately, there is no video, as we already have one in Jeff's Guest's style (see here), but we do have some fun shots combined from the group.

Enjoy!!

[pikan]

I loved Bridal Veil, and I agree, probably the most bang for the buck!

[accadacca]

Awesome man. Incredible pictures!

[Danno]

Awesome pics!
I've not been up there (yet), but could a retrievable anchor setup work there to allow pulling from the bottom without an issue with moss in a biner block?

[jman]

Awesome pics!
I've not been up there (yet), but could a retrievable anchor setup work there to allow pulling from the bottom without an issue with moss in a biner block?

Yes, for sure...and that's something we haven't tried yet.

I would do a 2ring sling retrievable here. A fiddlestick would not be good here.

[ilipichicuma]

Sweet pics! Have you done the upper falls? I liked that one better, though you do need a longer rope, I'd guess the length of the upper rap around 225-230 or something. It was sick, though!

[pikan]

I know the upper falls is exactly 230'. We used 300' rope that got turned into 230' (we measured it) in heaps a few weeks before we did Bridal Veil and it was BARELY long enough. we knew it was going to be close, so we had someone at the bottom spotting for us and there is a shelf at the bottom that we could have staged another anchor on if we had needed to, so it really wasn't too sketchy. but yes 230' rope was just enough!

[Slot Machine]

Sweet photos Brett & co.!

Luke, is BV as cold as Stewart Falls?

<---- The three of us without wetsuits. The other two. ---->

[pikan]

Sweet photos Brett & co.!

Luke, is BV as cold as Stewart Falls?

<---- The three of us without wetsuits. The other two. ---->

Ha, ha.... No, there are only two falls and you get through them pretty quickly I didn't wear a wet suit on BV, although if we had descended the lower falls any later in the day....

I have to correct you though there were 3 wet suits worn that day...you and Josh were the only two without.

<----You and Josh......Me, Blake and Daniel----->

[Sbbuts]

Ha, ha.... No, there are only two falls and you get through them pretty quickly I didn't wear a wet suit on BV, although if we had descended the lower falls any later in the day....

I'd wear a wet suit. The rappel is quick, but there isn't much space around the top to sit and wait so you end up in the stream which will sap your body heat. The wet suit will help to keep you happy, although on a warm day in the middle of the summer, without a long wait at the top, a wet suit would be a luxury and not a necessity.

[ilipichicuma]

I did Bridal Veil without a wetsuit. I would never recommend Stewart without, though. That water is frikkin' cold!

[Kuya]

nice pictures!! I need to go down these falls with that kind of flow! AWESOME!