Travels of The Mercury: Alaska – Canada Travels 2014, Moab, UT; Canyoneering in Rock of Ages/Pritchett Canyon, October 6th.

Today our adventure in canyoneering takes us to Behind the Rocks west of Moab. There are 6 of us including Kim, Lisa, Erin and Neil.

We hike a half mile up Pritchett Canyon and then the climb begins with a scramble up a steep rubble-filled crack between sandstone fins. At the top of the crack the route broadens into a sandy wash between beautiful sandstone cliffs before we scramble up another rubble-filled crack.

Scrambling up the first crack in Rock of Ages.

After the climb up the first crack the canyon broadens into a sandy wash corridor between the fins.
Erin, Kim, Lisa, Neil and Jim.

A thin arch along the curve of a fin.

Jim and I in a maze of rock fins in Behind the Rocks.

When we arrive at the highest point in the climb we look into a maze of parallel sandstone fins cut with deep brush-choked cracks. We’re not in a hurry and we stop here to sit and enjoy the spectacular landscape. The sun warms the rounded rock, a blue dome arcs above us and tall, parallel fins of stone rise before and behind us. We are lost in the moment in this eloquent and intimate maze and somewhat reluctant to move on.

Nearing the top and starting to get a view looking to the west.

As we climb down the crack we pass a large arch. There’s rappel into the amphitheater behind the arch which we’ll have to do sometime. At the bottom the crack begins to ascend and we turn down a drainage that cuts perpendicular to the fins. This leads us to a slot filled with cold waist-deep water. Single file we lower ourselves in, climb over a slimy log jam and drop into the next pool. There are always interesting obstacles to be expected when canyoneering in this sandstone country.

Erin, Lisa and Kim.

(I was having trouble with my camera battery or card and missed getting pics of the interesting gymnastics getting through the pools to the 1st rappel but got things working again in time for the last rappel of the day.)

There’s one short rappel before the drainage opens into a sandy-washed canyon and ends with a 100-ft rappel above an amphitheater. The approach to the pour off is a sloping sandstone ledge. Kim has the difficult job of rigging the rappel. It’s a stretch to get to the anchor points and Kim is hooked into protection before stepping down on the ledge where the footing is slick, fine-grained stone.

A very pleasant hike before the last rappel into Pritchett Canyon.

A spooky sloping ledge rappel into Pritchett Canyon.

We each hook into a daisy-chain safety before stepping down onto the ledge and hooking into the rappel as we concentrate on keeping our footing at the lip of the sloping pour off. Once over the edge we work our way down 20 feet of cliff before free-hanging the rest of the way to the bottom. What a beautiful day Behind the Rocks.