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The Squeeze

One of the best and most difficult canyons in the San Rafael Swell, big brother to Cable: sixteen rappels, the longest 99 feet, and a bolt count kept deliberately low so parties build their own anchors.

Sand anchor skills are not optional. The canyon is conservatively bolted on purpose and the material for cairns is thin, so a party that cannot build a solid anchor from what is on the ground will be stuck. Pothole escapes come with it. Camp at Hidden Splendor the night before: there is a backcountry airstrip, room to camp, and a well graded dirt road in, though a few rock shelves a couple of miles out will stop a sedan. From the rim above Muddy Creek, drop to the signed kiosk and follow the north side of the cliffs. Many GPX tracks run down the river and force repeated crossings; staying on the cliff band until the trail becomes an old 4x4 road keeps you drier. About half an hour in you pass a bunkhouse, then a barbed wire fence spanning the full width of the canyon with a passable gate on the south bank. Continue to the single breakdown on the south wall under the white Navajo band, follow cairns to the base of the cliff, then trend south along the cliff band to the obvious canyon. Plan a long day: seven hours is fast and twelve happens.

Logistics

Sources

• permit: https://ropewiki.com/The_Squeeze
• desc: https://ropewiki.com/index.php?title=The_Squeeze&action=raw
• notes: https://ropewiki.com/index.php?title=The_Squeeze&action=raw