Rock of ages canyoneering

Rock of Ages boasts three excellent rappels, the longest of which is 130ft dropping straight in front of one of the coolest arches in Moab. A unique one and a half hour long hike in provides ample opportunity to hone your scrambling skills as you navigate several vertical slots, and throughout this trip there are beautiful potholes to walk, stem and climb through, sometimes full of water! But the most exciting rappel of all waits at the end, with an exposed ledge guarding the last free-hanging drop into a lush desert grotto. 

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This entire route is close to six miles long, with an uphill hour to hour and a half hike in. While it is one of the best canyoning routes in Moab, we recommend it for those with enough fitness to complete the three mile approach trail without issue. This is best booked in warmer temperatures, since it's almost guaranteed to have some water, which is a welcome and refreshing obstacle on hot days. 

 

What to expect: After a 15 minute drive from Moab, we will park and hike into the canyon. The hike usually takes around an hour to an hour and a half. Each rappel is sandwiched between fun scramble-climbing sections, incredible potholes carved from the sandstone, and even an ancient tree truck wedged in a slot to navigate. The landscape in this canyon is incredible; three hundred foot pillars, fins and cliffs guard the trail in, and though close to town, you will feel like you are way out there. The potholes can be dry to chest deep water depending on the season. Best is to prepare to get wet. This can be a chilly excursion when temperatures are below 80. 

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This canyoneering trip is still beginner friendly but is quite a bit more strenuous than the half day trips. It is about a six mile loop in total, with around 800ft of elevation gain. ​

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Duration: This is a typically a 5-7 hour trip town to town. 

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What to Bring:​​

Please bring quick-drying clothing, an extra warm layer (Spring and Fall), and medium size backpack to carry your essentials. Close-toed hiking shoes are required. They will get wet, but Moab is a dry climate so they will dry out quite quickly. We recommend 3 liters of water per person when temperatures are above 90°F, and 2 liters per person in cooler conditions. Plenty of snacks, a hat, sunglasses, and sun protection (sun shirt, sunscreen, chapstick) are essential.

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A dry bag is strongly recommended for items that cannot get wet—we’re happy to loan one if you don’t have your own, just let us know beforehand!

 

We will provide all technical equipment such as ropes, harnesses, helmets, rappelling devices etc.

 

If you have your own equipment and would like to use it, we'll just need to have a look at it to make sure it's up to our standard.