Remote trad packrafting trip?

I come seeking guidance!

I have a packraft, and I'm trying to come up with a way to combine packrafting with climbing. 

My dream is to find a big, remote Trad multipitch route that's pretty near (<5 miles) to a raftable river. By remote I mean that the whole trip would be in the wilderness. For example, I wouldn't want to raft the Colorado river to smith rock since there are roads do close. Everything I can think of with a river is either not wilderness or the river is way too heinous for me to raft. 

Thoughts?

First, I think it would be a wee bit further than 5 miles to Smith Rock from the Colorado River!!!

I believe that several parties have reached ( or, at least, departed from) the Cirque of the Unclimbables in the Logan Mountains in Canada by rafting the South Nahanni River, but that river may be beyond the capabilities of a pack raft. It is very definitely far from any roads.

What about along the Green River in UT?
Maybe not remote or big enough..

https://www.dailycamera.com/2010/05/25/chris-weidner-exploration-and-discovery-on-utahs-green-river/amp/

Desolation and Grays Canyons on the Green River. Some established routes in the area already. 

Yeah, The Siren needs a second ascent and would be a big adventure.  The whitewater is Deso is fun but not too big.  You'll be really loaded down in a packraft with climbing gear and stuff for a week.

Westwater Area Ruby/Horsethief has no whitewater, but has lots of climbing at Mee Canyon and by the Black Rocks.  

Labyrinth has a bunch of crack climbs and some towers, but is totally flat.  Better in a canoe.

There is a big tower at Grand Gulch on the San Juan that may not have had a second ascent.

Arrigetch in gateway to the arctic. 

Look up trips by Jacob and Bronwyn, they have done pack rafting - climbing trips all over the place, into the Cirque of Unclimbables, Baffin Island, Greenland etc. 

True wilderness in those places 

Check this out

https://www.mountainproject.com/forum/topic/113701570/north-to-the-arrigetch-video

I've heard about some really rad trips in Denali National Park. I recall some folks bringing a packraft on a trip the Ruth to climb Goldfinger https://www.mountainproject.com/route/107682846/goldfinger

 Check out Jenny's report on her experience: “I’ve always wanted to fly into the Alaska Range, rock climb for a week, and then hike and packraft back to town.”

https://www.switchbacktravel.com/climbing-packrafting-alaska-range

Alaska is where you should focus your search! Look into the Arrigetch Range or any of the multiple “smaller” ranges throughout the state. 

For a short trip, the Woz outside of Homer, AK is fantastic. Float plane in, camp and sport climb for a few days, packraft out, one short section of class III. I usually end up using the packraft to collect firewood, too. Next time I head out I’ll take the drill, receding glaciers mean new rock. 

Alan Rubin wrote:

First, I think it would be a wee bit further than 5 miles to Smith Rock from the Colorado River!!!

I believe that several parties have reached ( or, at least, departed from) the Cirque of the Unclimbables in the Logan Mountains in Canada by rafting the South Nahanni River, but that river may be beyond the capabilities of a pack raft. It is very definitely far from any roads.

Thunder Peak: http://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/13201214060/Thunder-Mountain-Mt-Nirvana-Unsupported-Ascent-and-Peak-46

Aren't there a bunch of rivers in Utah that get relatively small in the late spring but still enough to packraft that float under some great sandstone walls?  I remember seeing other people packrafting those but not climbing.

I second the recommendation for Labyrinth on the Green.   I’ve packrafted it without climbing gear and I was drooling the entire time.   There is a lifetime of climbing in that canyon that is only accessible by water.  Abbey Towers are amazing. 

The Cirque of the Unclimbables is exactly what you’re looking for and will be the best trip you’ve ever been on and will ever go on. There are several river options to get there. Feel free to PM me and I can provide any necessary details. 

Not OP. I didn’t realize Cirque of the Unclimbables could be a packraft trip. I was just starting to plan for a trip out there this summer. I hope to take 2 months off to climb in Alaska and Canada. I’ll definitely hit you up for details when I wrap this job filming crab fishermen and have the mental energy to think again.  

@OP, I hit me up if you’re looking for partners. I live in AK, have a packraft and will be looking for partners for that and some other adventures up here. Mendenhall Towers, maybe a granite dome FA out of Haines, the Beckey Route on Emmerich (packrafting the Chilkat river is part of that one, though that’s pretty quick compared to the bushwhack after), and… who knows what else?

Andrew Gram wrote:

Yeah, The Siren needs a second ascent and would be a big adventure.  The whitewater is Deso is fun but not too big.  You'll be really loaded down in a packraft with climbing gear and stuff for a week.

Westwater Area Ruby/Horsethief has no whitewater, but has lots of climbing at Mee Canyon and by the Black Rocks.  

Labyrinth has a bunch of crack climbs and some towers, but is totally flat.  Better in a canoe.

There is a big tower at Grand Gulch on the San Juan that may not have had a second ascent.

That seems like a perfect way to start!
I'm a beginner rafter, so the wealth of information on rafting the green will be a huge help

RandyLee wrote:

Not OP. I didn’t realize Cirque of the Unclimbables could be a packraft trip. I was just starting to plan for a trip out there this summer. I hope to take 2 months off to climb in Alaska and Canada. I’ll definitely hit you up for details when I wrap this job filming crab fishermen and have the mental energy to think again.  

@OP, I hit me up if you’re looking for partners. I live in AK, have a packraft and will be looking for partners for that and some other adventures up here. Mendenhall Towers, maybe a granite dome FA out of Haines, the Beckey Route on Emmerich (packrafting the Chilkat river is part of that one, though that’s pretty quick compared to the bushwhack after), and… who knows what else?

I definitely will!!

Right now I'm a very poor college student with more stoke than means. I'm using this thread to sketch out a handful of adventure plans to keep me going until I can get out there. I'll keep you in mind for when I make it up to Alaska next, hopefully we can make something work!