Moab’s Best Canyoneering Trips

Medieval Chamber

This is a great canyon to get ready for what lies ahead on your Moab canyoneering adventures.  There are two rappels on this canyon.  You will have to pay $10 park at the trailhead at Sand Flat Recreation Area.  For more beta on the shuttle and GPS route of the canyon check our roadtripryan.com. From here it’s a short hike down to the first rappel into the Medieval Chamber a 100’ drop into a beautiful slot.  After this just a hundred or so feet ahead is the last rappel 200 feet down and over Morning Glory Arch, Welcome to Utah!  When we were here (April 2022) there were two bolts with massive chains and we had enough rope to rappel down the center of the arch.  This made for a nice free hanging rappel down Morning Glory Arch and is a great way to start the canyoneering trip.

Moonflower Canyon

Moonflower canyon is not only a great adventure it is also an amazing place to park your van for the day and relax after a thrilling adventure down Moonflower Canyon.  Before or after you begin the adventure down Moonflower Canyon make sure to check out the Native American Pictographs to the right of the trail head.  Also there is a nice opportunity to free solo up a Native American ladder up to a stunning view of the Colorado River.  

From the parking lot you’ll head east on Kane Springs Road to the Stairmaster Trail/4X4 Road.  For more beta on the trails here is the roadtripryan page.  This is a short canyon but it has a big approach with about 1,000 feet of elevation gain.  Once at the top you will very rapidly begin your decent down Moonflower Canyon to the first rappel.  There was a large pothole full of water but there is an easy escape along a hand line to get around it.  The first rappel down Moonflower is very intimidating luckily there are two solid anchors on either side for the first rappel instead fo what used to be a dead man anchor.  The first rappel is a gorgeous 200 foot free hanging drop down what seems like the edge of the earth.  After the first rap you will scramble down just a couple hundred feet to the next rappel which is just shy of 200ft.  This rappel will take some time finding the anchor but it is right down the center of the second rap.  This one is less intimidating and less free hanging but still gets the blood flowing.  After the last rappel it’s a short walk out of the canyon back to the van.  No shuttle needed.  

U-Turn Canyon

Located inside Arches National Park is a great quick morning warm-up canyon and a great way to start an adventurous day at Arches NP.  Before you head to the canyon make sure and fill out a free permit at the ranger station.  (it’s a booth in front of the first information center)

U-Turn is a great opportunity for a quick, easy, and stunning short out and back canyon.  This is a great place to take first-timers.  There are three rappels and the first two are on low angle slab so it allows the first time to get the feel for rappelling before the 120-foot free hanging rappel down into U-Turn Canyon.  

The highlight of this canyon is the last rappel into Wall Street in Arches NP.  Also this canyon is short only about 2 hours and can be combined with other canyons from the same parking lot.  

Lower Granary Canyon

Be ready for an all-day event.  Plan for about 10 hours+ between shuttling the vehicles and doing the canyon.   You access the canyon up Long Canyon Road and it does require some ground clearance and has some spicy sections.  This canyon should not be missed by anyone on a Moab canyoneering trip.  Granary is a beautiful canyon way up on top of Long Canyon and provides panoramic views of the La Sal Mountains, Arches, and Moab.  

We only did Lower Granary Canyon and were fortunate enough to hitch a ride up to the refinery with an old rancher so it never hurts to stick your thumb out.  This canyon is a series of Rappels and route finding so make sure your devices are charged and there are backup maps I always rely on Ryans's Beta.  

The highlights of the canyon are rappelling into a sandstone bowl rock formation (See Photos) and the last rappel 200’ near Jug Handel Arch right back to the vehicles.   

Looking Glass Rock

This is one of my all-time favorite adventures.  Looking Glass Rock is not a canyoneering adventure but a highly is recommended for the moderate leader when in Moab.  This is an easy 5.7, sport, 3 pitch climb up the rib of looking glass rock.  The only actual part of this climb that is a 5.7 would be the start.  Other than that and a few sections on pitch 2 I would say as a very moderate leader that it’s a 5.5 at best the rest of the climb.  The climb is well protected and it’s almost a craw/walk at the end.  

From the top you’ll locate the 165 Foot rappel.  There is a bolt set up to rappel down into the window which is highly recommended any mistake down climbing here could be fatal.  We set up a quick rap off the bolt and left our quick link there.  it’s about 7’ into the window.  

Now comes the best part one of the best free hanging rappels I’ve ever done.  This 165’ Rappel drops you out the window and into the looking glass dome it’s an amazing feeling to be dropping down into such amazing scenery.  

**Additional Rope Swing Highly Recommend!**  Once down on the ground do not untie and climb back up to the far lookers right of the dome.  You will see a bunch of bird shit on a ledge.  This is where you want to be right under the bird shit.  *It’s very important here to make sure to have your belayer take in all the slack and have you very tight on belay.  People have been seriously injured here with too much slack in the line and not anticipating rope stretch and have sustained pretty serious injuries.  Once you are tight on the belay jump off the ledge and enjoy the ride.  This was one of our all-time favorite Moab adventures.

New Jack City Rock Climbing : Best Crags for First Time Leaders

We love going to New Jack City I believe it’s one of the best climbing and camping scenarios I’ve ever experienced. With little or no approach and countless routes in the 5.7 - 5.10 range it’s a dream come true for the new lead climber ready to sharpen his skills on the sharp end.  The scenery and geology of Sawtooth Canyon is amazing and always make for a trippy time.  If you are new to the area and are ready to jump right in here are some of our recommended areas to check out if you plan on spending a few days.

While there are quite a bit of moderate climbs throughout the area these are a few of the crags with a larger concentration of Kook certified climbs for the new leader.  

The Valentine Wall

This wall is right at the entrance to the canyon and offers some nice campsites right at the crag.  While it’s not the tallest crag in the area there are a few good easy climbs to warm up on and get a feel for the rock on pretty easy short climbs.  With one 5.6 and three 5.7’s and two 5.8’s it’s great little crag to get familiar with the rock at New Jack City.   

Boy Scout Wall

This is a great beginner crag “hence the name” and receives morning shade and can be quite nice on those warm spring days.  This is one of the taller crags for beginners and has tons of moderate climbs that will get you stoked.  Some recommend routes are Sam I am (5.7) and  Jack Be Nimble (5.8).  A lot of these climbs are close together so you can build anchors and top rope a lot of routes next door this way you can access some harder climbs without having to lead them.  

Raven Rocks

There are some great climbs in the Raven Rocks area but they are a bit more difficultly.  A few of the classics are Cutom Tailored (5.7), Taylor Made (5.8), Rob’s Rambunctious Ride (5.9) and if you are ready to step up to the challenge Holey Moley (5.10a) most of the rest of the climbs here are in the 5.10a range and up.  

Cliffs of Insanity

This is the tallest crag at New Jack City and definitely worth the trek out to.  These climbs can be done either in a single pitch with a 70 meter rope or as a multi-pitch option from the belay ledge (Two Bolts Up).  This is an excellent crag for a first time multi-pitch sport leader and no better place to start that Uncle Funs Basement (5.7).  If you are doing these climbs in a single pitch you will want to bring some longer alpine draws to reduce rope drag on the lower bolts. 

The Crooked Dick Spire

This is a must do route when in New Jack City.  Once you have really familiarized yourself with the rock and are feeling comfortable this is a climb you will not want to miss.  We do this climb every time we come to New Jack it’s a right of passage.  If you are setting this route up as a top rope make sure to leave the last draw in as a directional because it gets interesting at the top with a high likelihood of swinging.  Make sure to stand on the top of the spire and take in the feeling of being on top of a spire!  

I hope this helps you on your upcoming adventure out to New Jack City  

additional photos provided by @vanningaintnojoke www.vanningaintnojoke.com

Red Rocks Climbing - 3,000 Routes, No Camping Sites

Just right outside of Vegas is some of the best sandstone sport climbing in the US.  Red Rocks is an amazing sport climbing playground with over 3,000 sport routes.  The only issue here is camping and the lack there of.  Every time we come to Red Rocks there’s a new place for all the dirtbags to camp on one side or the other of HWY 159. 

There is one established campground outside of Red Rocks but it only has 53 sites and with the amount of visitors that now come to Red Rocks the campsites just isn't enough. 

There are more options for dispersed camping out on Lovell Canyon Road which is about an hour drive to Red Rocks.  Also keep in mind that when leaving Red Rocks you will have to do the windy but incredibly scenic 12 mile (30 Minute) loop back to HWY 159. Now your commute back to your campsite is now 45 minutes.  

When we first went to Red Rocks we were pretty surprised at how much driving we would have to do to and from where we were sleeping.  We found that sleeping on the side of the road next to the sign was our best option to avoid the long climbing commute.  Also it is very hard to find a safe spot in Vegas that doesn't have security.  Most of the neighborhoods on the way up to Red Rocks are gated with security which makes stealth camping on the streets near impossible we were kicked out of two spots.  

An alternative although it requires more driving is to park at the Link Paid parking area behind the ferris wheel

With all this being said this is such an amazing place to climb that it is worth all the hassle and just enjoy your time and take in the spectacular rock formations and scenery.  I put together a few great areas for the moderate climbers to check out to make the most of their day at Red Rocks before having to commute back to the campsite.  

All of these crags are on the first pull out.  

Panty Wall

You will get nice morning sun here and this is a great crag to get started on and feel the sandstone and get warmed up for an amazing day.  There’s a lot of moderate climbs the new leader can show up to and crush that are about 60’ tall and have a nice view from the top.  A few fun routes are Brief Encounter (5.8), Sacred Undergarment Squeeze Job (5.8), and Office Party (5.9).  There are also some great 5.7’s to warm up on or lead for your first time at the Panty Wall.  

The Hamlet Wall

After you’ve crushed a few climbs at Panty Wall Head over the The Hamlet Wall.  This is the moderate lead sport climbers heaven with plenty of well protected bolted climbs ranging from 5.4 to 5.10a.  This is just like climbing in the gym the holds are amazing and the routes are very well protected allowing you to really progress and start to feel the groove here at Red Rocks. You can also still potentially catch some shade here in the morning but this will be in the sun for the most of the day so it’s best to get after it earlier if you are here and it’s hot out.  

Civilization Crag

Once you are feeling pretty solid about your climbing and are ready to head to a crag with a little bit more challenging moderate climbs this is a great crag to head to.  You will want to use some beta for the approach as you can easily get off track on the many spur trails at Red Rocks.  There are 17 sport routes over here and a large majority of them are under 5.9.  This is a great place to come and dance around the crag to find the shady climbs.  This is a fun crag and great to transition to after a good morning at Panty and The Hamlet Wall. 

Big Bad Wolf S (5.9) 3 Pitches

After a solid day of crushing single pitch sport routes at Red Rocks today’s adventure is located in Calico Basin which is just east of the Red Rocks entrance.  This is a great opportunity for a moderate (5.9) three pitch sport route up 220 feet. The first pitch is the most challenging pitch (5.9) after this you will be on two pitches 80’, 70’ of sustained 5.8 slab.  There is the option to do it in four pitches but a 60 meter rope will get you to the anchors and you can skip the last pitch.  The last pitch consist of 5th class scramble moves but it would be wise to stay roped in and use the bolts to get tot the anchor.  This is definitely worth doing and will get afternoon shade so you could even squeeze it in after a morning of climbing in Red Rocks.  

We hope this helps you on your next adventure to Red Rocks, Happy Climbing!  

5 Activities to do in the Jemez National Recreation Area

Just an hour and a half Northwest of Albuquerque is the Jemez National Recreation Area.  If you are traveling through New Mexico and looking to get off the beaten path and experience a truly magical place the Jemez is not to be missed.  There are really endless opportunities here for outdoor enthusiasts.  

Hot Springs

There are 6 Hot Springs in total in the Jemez Mountains.  I’m only going to share my personal favorite although all of them are worth visiting.  

San Antonio Hot Springs - This is one of my all-time favorite hot natural hot springs.  When FR 376 road is open you can drive up to a parking lot about a mile away from the springs.  If the road is close then it’s about a 6-mile hike into the springs.   The springs are a series of rock pools built along San Diego Canyon.  The hottest pool is around 104 degrees at the source and as the water cascades down into the other pools it becomes gradually colder so on warm summer days you can always find a temperature that’s perfect.  

Climbing

On Hwy 4 just a few miles West of the Valles Caldera is Las Conchas Climbing Area.  Here there is some amazing climbing in a serene setting along the East Fork Jemez River.  While a good amount of climbing here is a bit on the more difficult side there are some great opportunities for moderate leaders to climb quite a few routes in one day.  A great place to start for all climbers in all levels is the Cattle Wall.  This crag has a little something for everyone and offers sport climbs ranging from 5.6 - 5.12.  Another great crag for the moderate leader is Gateway Rock.  With climbs ranging from 5.6 to 5.11 it’s also a great place to start.  

There is something for everyone at Las Conchas it’s in a really magical setting.  

Fishing

While I never claimed to be an angler I had an amazing time fishing the waters of the Jemez.  I had some success fishing the Upper and Lower Rio Cebolla as well as the East Fork of the Jemez.  We mainly caught brown trout and a few rainbows.  We also had success fishing at Fenton Lake State Park in the Upper Rio Cebolla.  We really enjoyed the Fenton Lake State Park it has a really cool campground and we took our SUP out a few times and fished.   

Hiking

There is a lot of options for hiking here in Jemez.  There are a lot of trails located in the Valles Caldera National Monument one of our favorite trails in the Caldera is Cerro Grande Trail.  This is a 4.5-mile climb up 1200 feet to the summit of Cerro Grande Peak overlooking the Valle Grande.  The summit is at 10,190 feet and is one of the higher peaks in the area.  This was a pretty easy hike to get to a summit so we felt obligated to do it and were rewarded with incredible views of the land of enchantment from the top of the summit.  

Another scenic and easier hike is along the East Fork starting at Las Conchas and making your way as far as you feel comfortable.  This is a very scenic and relatively flat trail that will end at some point and then will require creek crossings and some bush waking but it will take you through a beautiful lush canyon that you never would expect in New Mexico.   

Cheap Campgrounds

While there is plenty of Dispersed camping along FR 376 and other Forest Roads in the Jemez Mountains there are some incredibly affordable camping options at the National Forest Campgrounds and even at Fenton Lake State Park.  If you have a national park pass you can pay 1/2 the price for these campgrounds which in 2022 was only $5 per night!  That’s the cheapest I think I’ve ever paid for camping.

Pocatello Idaho Rock Climbing & Free Camping

Pocatello Idaho Rock Climbing & Free Camping

The best part of vanlife, hands down, is meeting all the crazy cool kookz along the way.  We met up with our van friends Josh and River aka @leashed_nomads in Pocatello, Idaho, where they call home base.  If we didn't know these guys, we would have blown through Pocatello and missed all the gems this place had to offer.  

Our first stop with the @leashed_nomads was the Sunnyside Climbing Area,  this is an awesome free outdoor climbing area that is basically a climbing gym.  All routes were bolted by the Public Access Fund for the community of Pocatello.  While most routes are sport-climbs, starting from 5.6 and up. This is a great place for beginners and advanced rock climbers to get outside and enjoy a nice free public rock climbing area.  We were so stoked on this crag, we wished every city had a rock climbing park like this.  There’s more climbing also on the other side of the park which is called Shadyside Climbing Area.  Every route can be lead climbed or top-roped making it a great place for all levels.  The climbs are short but the rock is solid.  Before you blow through Pocatello we highly recommend stopping over at this crag.  

There’s also plenty of open space around Pocatello providing plenty of free camping options. Two places we camped out were Blackrock Canyon and Goodenough Creek Campsite.  While Blackrock Canyon is closest to Pocatello, it’s worth the drive out to Goodenough Creek, which had more vegetation for shade, as well as, a creek.  Both campsites have drop toilets and fire pits.  

There’s also a good deal of Mountain biking in the hills around Pocatello but we didn't have time to squeeze that in.  Thanks to Josh and River we got to experience a little bit of what Pocatello has to offer.  We highly recommend making time for a stop over in this adventurous little Idaho town.

New Jack City Camping and Climbing

We got the opportunity to jump on board a climbing trip with Lee (@freedomthevanbulance) and Steve (@freetired) there was no way we were going to turn this adventure down.  New Jack City (aka Sawtooth Canyon) is a sport climbing playground just a few miles outside of Barstow, California.  New Jack City has over 450 sport climbs varying from 5.6 to 5.13 on a volcanic like metamorphic rock.   All the climbs are found in clusters of awesome formations poking out along the high desert of California.  Since we are beginner climbers this was a great area to get our feet wet.

Prior to this trip we solely top roped, thanks to our talented climbing friends leading all the routes.  But this trip was different thanks to the expertise of Steve and Lee we were going to learn to top rope, clean, and repel.  I don't think the atmosphere could have been more perfect we were able to park our van right at the base of a 5.6 and get lessons out our front door.  Most of the routes here are short and exposure usually isn't an issue so it was a great place to learn without being absolutely petrified.  

One of the highlights of the trip was climbing “The Crooked Dick Spire” which was our first ever spire to climb and at 5.9 it wasn't too difficult to the whole crew got to top the spire.  One of our favorite things about New Jack City is that every zone had plenty of climbs for the whole crew to do.  Another good wall for learning was the “Boy Scout Wall” which had climbs of varying difficulties from 5.7 to 5.11c all the climbs on this wall were fun solid climbs and we couldn't recommend New Jack City more for camping and climbing.  

The camping here is also as awesome as the rock climbing.  There are shade structures at most the campsites along with pit toilets.  This is on BLM land so there is a 14 night limit.  We really enjoyed climbing right outside of the vans every morning after it warmed up.  We came in early march and it was still a bit chilly mid 50s but that didn't stop the kooks from crushing some routes.  

Best Beginner Rock Climbing Zones at Smith Rock

First off Smith Rock is a must do if you are in Central Oregon it is an incredible landscape and great for exploring if you aren't into rock climbing.  We have only been climbing for a few months now when ever we get the chance.

Our Smith Rock climbing adventures all began at the Skull Hollow Campground just a few miles NE of the State Park entrance.  We were lucky enough to meet the @vanningaintnojoke crew at Descend on Bend and they were nice enough to take us climbing with them.  

Hint - If you want to get into climbing for cheap all you need is shoes, harness, and a belay device and the right camping site to beg other climbers to take you with them.

Rope De Dope Block 

Gavin Lead Climbing another route for the Kookz

Gavin Getting ready to Lead Climb Rope De Dope Crack

Great day for learning!

This is the best place to start if you have no lead climbing experience because you can set a top rope for all these climbs.  This was great news for the Kookz.  Luckily we were with an amazing climber and he set up about 5 ropes for us to get comfortable on and learn how to belay each other.  Our two favorite climb were the Rope De Dope Crack (5.8) which is an awesome crack to get some experience on.   We also really enjoyed Shamu (5.9) and Mini Bender (5.9) to challenge us a bit.  We found the climbs on the East face a bit to easy so we stuck to something to keep the Kookz struggling.   Rope De Dope also has picnic tables and shade all day so we came back to this block twice its a great place to spend the day climbing there’s enough routes to keep you busy all day and it was great to lean belaying and rappelling at this block.

The Dihedrals

The Dihedrals have an amazing view.

Dani climbs up a fun line in The Dihedrals

Plenty of fun for everyone here

This was our first stop at Smith Rock we had a large crew so we headed to The Dihedrals.  Here you will need to lead climb to set the route.  The scenery from the Dihedrals was the best we had on climbs in the park we started on Ginger Snap (5.8) and did Rodney’s Chocolate Frosted Love Donut (5.8) and a few other lower level climbs on the slabs.  There’s a lot of climbs here for all levels so everyone was stoked.

Morning Glory Wall

Easily our favorite climbs of the trip was 5 Gallon Buckets (5.8) on the Morning Glory Wall.  We strolled up late afternoon and jumped right on to one of the parks most popular climbs.  These climbs were easily the tallest outdoor climbs we have ever done.  we also test our luck on Outsiders (5.9) and struggled a bit but the climbs was fun it has amazing holds so it made for a great experience.  The Morning Glory Wall was by far our favorite climbs we did all trip in the park.  

Monkey Face and Central Oregon

Two Climbers enjoy the view after climbing Monkey Face

Enjoying the view of Mt. Jefferson

Monkey Face Light Burst

We got into rock climbing through vanlife and have been lucky enough to meet other van lifers who are willing to take us out onto the rocks.  Hell, if you hang out at Skull Hollow campground enough you’ll find a crew to take you out.  That’s what we did!  Few (Budget Friendly) Items we recommend to get into rock climbing are below.

Black Diamond Momentum Harness, Graphite, Large

Great Lakes MP

Buy on Amazon

PETZL Grigri 2 Belay Device - Turquoise

PETZL

Buy on Amazon

Evolv Defy Climbing Shoe - Black/Sulphur 10.5

Evolv

Buy on Amazon

Three Activities to do in and Around Bend, Oregon

Bend has endless activities, but if you are struggling to narrow some down. Here are three activities to do in and around Bend area that won’t break the bank while keeping the stoke level high.

Phil’s Trail Head

If you mountain bike, this is area is a haven for endless flow and fun system of smooth trails right outside you van, car or RV. 

If you are just visiting for a day ride, you can park at the main parking lot, where most of the trails start and finish. 

There is a sweet little pump track to the right of the trailhead sign. Be sure to check it out, it was pretty fun. 

If you are trying to have an epic mountain bike camp out, then you will want to park off 4610 in free dispersed camping. You will be near the upper parts of most of the trail complex. We were able to connect on to Ben’s to the top, then we connected that with upper whoops, Phil’s, then Kent’s back to our campsite off 4610. 

Upper whoops was our favorite. There were jumps, berms and down hill flow. It was so much fun. We had to go back and do it again! It really is a central Oregon gem.  

Standing Wave at McKay River Park

McKay River Park is pretty awesome. It is a man-built white water rafting course. There is a beginner side with mellow white water “drops.” And then, down the center, is where all the experienced white water rafters send it.
Further down the second section, in the middle, is the standing wave. You really can’t miss it. There are river rats surfing there from sunrise till sunset. 

Bend Rock Climbing Gym

This place was awesome on the one rainy day we had in Bend. 

There are showers, a nearby food truck, and if you get there before noon or on a Thursday, you can climb for $16, which is $2 cheaper. There are about 9 Auto Belay’s in just one of the rooms. With difficulties ranging from 5.7 to 5.12-, there was something for everyone to climb on in the same room, including heaps of bouldering from V0-V9. There was also a weight lifting area in there as well. 

In the front room, there was about 7 tall-wall auto-belay’s and the rest of the room was lead belay climbing and the rest was bouldering. 

If you buy a day pass, it also gives you access to the Yoga classes. So be sure to check that out.