Holy Cow Canyon
Six rappels with no fixed anchors anywhere in the canyon, past a section holding three arches and a subway shaped bore, finishing on the longest drop at 100 feet.
Every anchor is built or ghosted: fiddlestick, sandtraps, potshots packed with mud and pebbles when sand runs out, and a water anchor if the potholes are full. Bring people who can pull themselves out of a pothole. The approach is where parties lose time. Follow the marked trail to a distinctive large rock at 37.77351, -111.19230, turn right and find the uphill line, then take the ledge at 37.77469, -111.19705, which is exposed and which a confident climber walks while others will want a hand. Over the edge, head west through the cross fins to the top, then northwest into the Holy Cow drainage. A group that went two weeks after the last precipitation of the fall still wore wetsuits and hit chest deep water in one pothole, so treat a dry forecast as no promise. Two narrow sections near the end can be stemmed over if you or your pack are wide. Seven to ten hours.
Logistics
| Manager | BLM Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument |
|---|---|
| Permit | Monument wide rule, not a canyon specific finding. BLM requires a free permit for all overnight stays anywhere in Grand Staircase-Escalante, self issued at developed trailheads or at the Escalante, Cannonville, Kanab and Big Water visitor centers. Day use by a private party requires no permit: BLM issues Special Recreation Permits for commercial use, competitive events, organized groups and recreation events, none of which covers a private party descending a canyon. The lottery permits BLM lists alongside the monument, Coyote Buttes North and Paria Canyon, are Vermilion Cliffs units administered from Kanab and do not apply here. |
| Distance | 4.6 mi |
| Technical | 6 rappels, longest 100 ft |
| Vehicle access | Passenger |
| Coordinates | 37.9243, -111.2207 |
Sources
- permitType: https://ropewiki.com/Holy_Cow_Canyon
- manager: https://www.blm.gov/programs/national-conservation-lands/utah/grand-staircase-escalante-national-monument/plan
- desc: https://ropewiki.com/Holy_Cow_Canyon
- notes: https://ropewiki.com/Holy_Cow_Canyon
- permit: https://www.blm.gov/programs/national-conservation-lands/utah/grand-staircase-escalante-national-monument/plan