Desert river float/crack climbing trip

Whats up good people of the internets,

A few friends and I are brainstorming ideas for an expedition style canoe/crack climbing trip with an emphasis on the climbing (obviously). Just wanted to see if anyone had experience with doing one of these types of trips and had any recommendations.

Thanks!

The two options for that via canoe are Labyrinth Canyon on the Green River and Ruby/Horsethief on the Colorado River.

The climbing in Labyrinth is superb Wingate, with a mix of towers and cragging lines. Lots of routes have been done, but to this point it is mostly undocumented online or in guidebooks. The river is flatwater with good camping, though the shuttle is a little long going down to Mineral Bottom. If you want to make it longer, float out to Spanish Bottom through Stillwater Canyon and arrange a jet boat shuttle back to Moab. Keep in mind the Canyonlands NP fixed anchor regulations if you do that.

Ruby/Horsethief is more weathered Wingate - kind of like Colorado National Monument rock. The climbing is mostly on adventurous towers, though there is a good cragging buttress above the Mee Canyon campsite. The area is documented on mountainproject here - Westwater Area. If you are solid on desert 5.10, Tail Wagger is a terrific outing on an extremely remote feeling tower. Ruby/Horsethief has more riffle water than Labyrinth, but nothing that is a problem in a canoe except at high water. Shuttles are quick and easy to arrange, though you need a permit during most times of the year.

Watch the video of Honnold and his buddies. That is Labyrinth / Stillwater. Green River State Park to the confluence or you can also start at Mineral Bottom to make it a shorter float - but a much trickier shuttle if you're trying to handle that by yourselves.

Synchronicity. Thanks for sharing. I was thinking about the idea this morning.

Andrew Gram - I'm interested in moderate cragging in Labyrinth Canyon. Is there climbing between Green River state park and Ruby Ranch? I'm trying to figure out where to put in.

Here's the map I was looking at:
blm.gov/ut/st/en/fo/moab/re…

Certainly more involved but if you ever get a permit to float Gates of Lodore on the Green or the Yampa River, there are a few impressive lines up Steamboat Rock (just below the confluence) that were climbed by Royal Robbins and friends. You can still see some tat blowing in the wind if you look closely.

VGW,

No know climbing above Ruby Ranch. The rock up that way (what little there is) is total choss.
There is a bunch of stuff established in the Bowknot area and in the horseshoe canyon area.

Contact Celin Serbo...he's been on at least 5 climbing trips down that section of river, including the ones you've seen video of.

Cheers,

Josh

Chris Schmidt wrote:Watch the video of Honnold and his buddies. That is Labyrinth / Stillwater. Green River State Park to the confluence or you can also start at Mineral Bottom to make it a shorter float - but a much trickier shuttle if you're trying to handle that by yourselves.

Eric Chabot wrote: Bowknot bend (green river towers) is above mineral bottom, isn't it?