Canyoneering Route Description
Keyhole Canyon - 3B I
Zion National Park, Utah
Pictures 6-01-08
Pictures 8-01-09
Pictures 9-06-08
Quick Facts
06-01-08, 6 people, 1 Day (Travel time in route 1.7 hours)
09-06-08, 5 people, 1 Day (Travel time in route 2.2 hours)
09-06-08, 2 people, 1 Day (Travel time in route 1.75 hours) In the
Dark!
08-01-09, 3 people, 1 Day (Travel time in route 2.1 hours)
Distance - 0.7 miles Total, 0.2 miles Technical
Rappels - 2 Rappels, Longest Rappel 60 feet done in
two stages (optionally two raps of 30 feet each).
See the
Canyoneer Trip Report Explanation Notes page
for an explanation of how the technical mileage or the gear used
list is determined.
Gear Used for Canyon
Rappelling and anchor gear, 200 foot rope, 50 foot of 9/16†webbing
for handline and wet suits 3mm full recommended.
General Comments
Keyhole Canyon is a great introductory canyon for new people.
The total route is under a mile with less than a quarter mile of it
being technical. In this short distance the canyoneer is
introduced to down climbing, wading / swimming in slot canyons
(including a 60 foot long swim in a very narrow slot) and rappelling
into water (possibly into water deep enough to swim in on the first
rap depending on water levels in the canyon). If a person likes this
canyon, they will have a taste of what lies ahead for them. If
a person does not like the experience, they are only in the canyon
for a short time and do not have to endure a lot of something they
don't like.
We combined Keyhole and Pine Creek Canyons in one day on 06-01-08.
Keyhole Canyon starts and ends in the same place so there is no need
for a shuttle.
If you would like to try something out of the ordinary do Keyhole in
the light, then go back and do it in the dark! On my first
night run through Keyhole, I thought it would be an eerie experience
but found it was very enjoyable and peaceful. Watching the
light dance on the walls as it was reflected off the water added a
lot. Our only regret was neither of us thought to turn our
head lights off while in there.
Getting to the Trailhead and Exit Vehicle (Escape Pod) Parking
To get to the Trailhead
From the East Entrance Gate of Zion National Park on highway 9,
drive 1.9 miles West. There is a small turn out on the south
side of the road that will fit 2 or 3 cars. The route is
started from here and finished here. The waypoint for the
trailhead is where the route leaves the highway about 200 feet
east of this parking area.
To leave the Exit Vehicle / Escape Pod
No exit vehicle is needed as this is a round trip route.
Maps
Map showing entire route.
Click for High-Res version.
Right Click then select "Save Target As" to save the Hi-Res version.
GPS Waypoint Information
Approach Waypoints
ParkKeyhole
Parking turn out for Keyhole Canyon. Large enough for 2
- 3 cars.
N37 13.448 W112 54.076
tKeyholeBeg
Trailhead for the start of Keyhole Canyon.
N37 13.437 W112 54.035
wKeyholeRP-01
Keyhole Route Point 1. On top of ridge to the left of a
small spire.
N37 13.593 W112 54.039
wKeyholeRP-02
Keyhole Route Point 2. A set of bolt and hangers to
assist down climb. Not really needed but there anyway.
N37 13.605 W112 54.042
yKeyholeTp
Top of the Keyhole Canyon Canyoneer Route.
N37 13.612 W112 54.046
Canyon / Technical Section Waypoints
yKeyholeTp
Top of the Keyhole Canyon Canyoneer Route.
N37 13.612 W112 54.046
wKeyholeRP-03
Keyhole Canyon Route Point 3. Log in the slot with a 10
foot DC.
N37 13.607 W112 54.100
wKeyholeRP-04
Keyhole Route Point 4. Canyon opens up.
N37 13.609 W112 54.131
dKeyholeR1
Rap 1 for Keyhole Canyon. 25-30 feet. Anchored LDC from
2 bolt and hangers.
N37 13.614 W112 54.145
dKeyhole
R2 Rap 2 in Keyhole Canyon. Double rap 25 feet to pool
then 25 feet to pool. Anchored RDC from a glue in
anchor. Also a single Bolt and hanger RDC at the top of
the second stage.
N37 13.606 W112 54.181
wKeyholeRP-05
Keyhole Route Point 5. Narrow swim in a slot about 60
feet long.
N37 13.562 W112 54.194
yKeyholeBt
Bottom of the Keyhole Canyon Canyoneer Route.
N37 13.528 W112 54.169
Exit Route Waypoints
yKeyholeBt
Bottom of the Keyhole Canyon Canyoneer Route.
N37 13.528 W112 54.169
tKeyholeEnd
Trailhead for the end of Keyhole Canyon.
N37 13.484 W112 54.155
ParkKeyhole
Parking turn out for Keyhole Canyon. Large enough for 2 - 3
cars.
N37 13.448 W112 54.076
Details
The Approach:
From where you parked the cars walk East on highway 9 about 200 feet
where the route leaves the highway. From there head about 0.2
mile north, up the wash leaving the road. Looking up the wash
is a small spire just to right of the major peak ahead. Hike
up to the top of the ridge between the major peak and the small
spire. Once at the top of the ridge just to the left of a
small spire look down over the ridge to see down into the next wash.
From the top of the ridge it is a steep but easy down climbing to
the bottom of the wash on the other side of the ridge. Part of
the way down there is a set of bolt and hangers for rappelling.
This section was easy enough to just down climb and I am not sure
why someone took the time to install the bolts.
The Canyon / Technical Section:
Once at the bottom of the down climb a wash continues north.
Do not follow the wash north. Instead look left (west) as soon
as you get to the bottom of the down climb. You will see a
narrow slot with lots of rocks along the bottom. The beginning
of that slot is what I have marked as the beginning of the technical
portion of Keyhole Canyon. This narrow section is a
little over 400 feet long and has a few easy down climbs of about 8
to 10 feet. The first one starts from a log wedged between the
walls. This first section can have ankle to knee deep
water or water a little over waist high depending on water levels.
At the end of this narrow section the canyon opens to a pool and a
sandy area.
About 200 feet after the canyon opens, look along the left (south
west) wall for a narrow slot. This is where Rap 1 is located
and is anchored LDC with 2 bolt and hangers. R1 raps down 25
to 30 feet into the narrow slot under a log into a pool of water.
This pool maybe waist deep or be deep enough to require swimming
depending on water levels.
A short distance after R1 is a down climb about 8 feet into a pool
of water a couple feet deep. There is webbing tied to the
choke stone at the top of the down climb to assist. This down
climb can be a little tricky. If the water levels are high in
the canyon, the pool at the bottom of the down climb will be a
swimmer. As you get toward the other side of the pool it
becomes shallow enough to stand.
Immediately after the down climb on the other side of the pool is R2
which is anchored by a single glue in style anchor RDC about head
height. R2 is a double rap. The first section is about
25 feet into a pool a little over knee deep. On the other side
of the pool is the second stage of Rap 2. There is a single
bolt and hanger RDC just below the pool which can be used to finish
the rap if you accidentally pull your ropes before doing the second
stage. The second stage of the rap is down a slope into the
next pool about 25 feet below. This is the last rap in the
canyon and is just over half way through the technical section.
Beyond rap 2 are a few down climbs of anywhere from 4 feet to 9
feet. One of these has a log below to step on for traction.
The top of the log is slick and can be a point of frustration.
If you can locate the notch at the top of the log, it will provide a
foot hold with good traction.
After most of the down climbs is a narrow slot full of water.
When water levels are low a small section of this slot is a swimmer,
but most of it is shallow enough that you can walk on the bottom.
When water levels are higher almost the total length of this narrow
slot is a swimmer. It can be stemmed to avoid full on swimming
but takes a lot more energy than simply swimming. The swim is
about 60 feet long with the walls about 3 feet apart.
A little over 300 feet after the swim is where the canyon opens and
the technical section ends. This section has one easy down
climb of about 6 feet. Taller people can stem the walls to
down climb this. There are sections of water to wade through
on the way out.
When you see a way to climb out LDC you have that option.
Climbing out will avoid a little over a hundred feet of water filled
canyon. If you are enjoying the water you can continue in the
water course until it opens up in the wash at the exit of the
canyon.
The Exit:
After exiting the narrow technical section, continue just over 300
feet down the wash to the road. It is then about 0.1 miles
east on the road to the cars to conclude the route.
GPS Waypoint Information
In the future I may start to have GPX
files for down load but not quite yet.
Most
GPS units and mapping software use the common gpx file format
including Google Earth.
National Geographic TOPO! hides the feature
to import GPX files. To find the feature........
1. Click on "Handhelds" in the menu at the top.
2. Select the option for "Import (from GPS or .txt)
Wizard..
3. Select "In a .gpx file....... and click
on Next
4. Use the window that opens to navigate to the GPX file
you wish to open.
Garmin MapSource will open a GPX file in
the same way it opens other formats by simply using the File
then Open.
If you wish to convert between formats to
get your data from one software title to another you can use the
free GPSBabel software.
Elevations are approximate. Waypoints with no elevation
data will display NaN in place of the elevation.
Elevations are in meters so multiplying by 3.28083 is necessary
to get elevations in feet.
The first letter of a waypoint denotes the type of point.
Rappels start with d. Technical top and bottom of canyons
start with y. the letter w denotes a generic point.
Scenic spots start with s. Trailheads start with t.
Junctions of trails or canyons start with j.
Notes for GPS information:
Waypoint coordinates are listed with
WGS84 datum and in Lat/Lon hddd.ddddd° format.
Waypoints are listed alphabetically by waypoint name
(not in order on the route).
BEFORE entering coordinates from this website, please ensure
your system (GPS or mapping software) is set to the same datum
used here (WGS84). Entering coordinate information with
inconsistent datum's can result in the waypoints being off by
hundreds of feet. It is important to keep this in mind
when entering waypoints from any source.
tStrike2Cyn |
- Place to start up the wash toward Strike 2 Canyon. Be sure to check out the incredible arches on the hills to the west. Walk up under them to see double arches and incredible views.
- N37.87477252073586 W-111.04432057589293
Elevation 1,776.98
Meters - (for feet multiply by 3.28083)
|
yStrike2Tp |
- Top entry for Strike 2 Canyon on a saddle. Rap 1 starts from here and is anchored from a rock about 15 feet back embedded in dirt at the base of the saddle. Rap 1 drops about 200 feet to the top of a down climbable slope IF the webbing is extended a minimum of 30 feet down from the anchor. A longer extension is recommended, see route description.
- N37.876566667109728 W-111.04138330556452
Elevation 1,812.34
Meters - (for feet multiply by 3.28083)
|
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