Purgatory Canyon is one of the more demanding routes in Death Valley's Black Range — a 3AIV technical descent with multiple significant rappels and challenging terrain. The canyon lives up to its name with a demanding approach and serious technical commitment. Only for experienced desert canyoneers with proper gear and preparation. The views from Purgatory Canyon are extraordinary — Badwater Basin and the valley floor spread out below in one of Death Valley's most dramatic pa

Leprechaun Canyon is a beautiful short non-technical slot canyon near Hanksville, Utah with swirling orange and red sandstone walls — one of the most photogenic slots in the state. Access is relatively easy and no technical gear or permits are required, making it an accessible introduction to Utah slot canyon hiking. The canyon walls are sculpted by water and wind into flowing curves and wave-like patterns that make for exceptional photography. Best visited in the golden hour

Waltenberg Canyon is a serious remote technical canyon in Grand Canyon National Park — a committing descent from the South Rim to the Tonto Platform through impressive geological layers. Like all Grand Canyon technical canyons, the commitment level demands careful planning, experience, and respect for the environment. The canyon delivers big rappels and stunning Inner Canyon geology. The Tonto Platform provides a stunning vantage point that few visitors to the Grand Canyon ev

Deimos Canyon is one of Death Valley's technical Black Range canyons — multiple rappels with big views across Badwater Basin below sea level. Named after the moon of Mars (fear), Deimos delivers demanding desert terrain with rewarding canyon scenery. Best visited in winter when temperatures are manageable. The approach requires significant elevation gain from the valley floor. The canyon has several rappels with colorful canyon walls and interesting geology. One of the classi

Lucky Nugget Pit is a newly discovered vertical cave pit in Nevada. The discovery adds to the growing inventory of Nevada caves, particularly vertical shafts in the desert limestone and dolomite terrain. Geological features of the pit suggest interesting hydrothermal history consistent with other regional cave discoveries. Location remains undisclosed for conservation. If you are interested in Nevada caving and want to get involved with responsible exploration and documentati

Ashdown Gorge is a beautiful one or two-day hike located just east of Cedar City in the Cedar Breaks region. There are two options: hike from the bottom up as a long day trip or set up a car shuttle, start from the top, and head down at a casual pace — allowing you to camp at designated areas and enjoy the canyon more fully. Ashdown Gorge reminded me of the upper section of the Zion Narrows without all the people. The sandstone layers made for beautiful scenery and the river

Death Valley canyoneering season runs roughly November through March — when temperatures are manageable and the canyons are at their most enjoyable. The Black Range in particular offers some of the most technically interesting and visually stunning canyon routes in the Southwest. Each season brings new perspective and growth. The desert filters out those unwilling to invest in proper preparation, gear, and experience. The canyons reward patience and commitment with experience

Ice Cube Canyon 'The Maze' is a Las Vegas classic in the Red Rock National Conservation Area. This canyon can take a full day and is for experienced canyoneers only. The technical portions are straightforward but significant effort is required to hike up and over to the tail of the canyon and complete within daylight. I wore a 5mm farmer john wetsuit — highly recommend proper exposure protection. The intermission between the two narrow sections involves desert boulder hopping

Cerberus — the three-headed guardian of the underworld — is an apt name for this Death Valley Black Range canyon with its multi-fork drainage system. Cerberus Canyon offers multiple rappels and the big-view desert scenery that makes the Black Range a premier winter canyoneering destination. The canyon is demanding and requires experience in desert technical canyoneering. Its colorful walls and canyon geology showcase the ancient volcanic and hydrothermal history of the Death

Middle Echo Canyon is a technical canyon in Zion National Park — a permit is required. Approach from the top via Stave Springs or from the bottom at Weeping Rock. The canyon had some interesting sections but was quite short and wasn't the all-day canyon I'm typically used to. There is usually a semi-keeper pothole in this canyon but snowmelt had filled it on our visit. Rappels are only up to 20ft with a few downclimbs. The canyon has upper, middle, and lower sections and pass

Holes in the Wall Cave is a newly discovered Nevada cave — a lava tube system with interesting interconnected passages and volcanic geology. Like many Nevada cave discoveries, the location remains undisclosed for protection and conservation purposes. The cave represents another find in the ongoing exploration of Nevada's underworld. Nevada's volcanic regions harbor lava tube caves that are quite different from the limestone hypogenic caves more common in other areas. If you a

Little Wild Horse Canyon is one of the best non-technical slot canyon hikes in Utah — a narrow, winding slot with gorgeous orange sandstone walls and tight squeezes that make it an exciting hike even without technical gear. Located near Goblin Valley, this canyon is accessible to hikers of all skill levels. Combining Little Wild Horse with Bell Canyon makes for a fantastic full-day loop through some of the most spectacular slot canyon terrain in the state. The light in the na

Cine Shaft and Old Glory Hole are two newly discovered Nevada vertical cave pits found in close proximity to one another. Both pits have interesting geological characteristics and add to the growing inventory of Nevada's subterranean landscape. The cluster of discoveries in this region continues to demonstrate the exploration potential of Nevada's desert mountains. Locations remain undisclosed. Nevada cave exploration is ongoing and there are many opportunities to contribute

There are many canyons that feed into Oak Creek and the region around West Clear Creek. The 'I' canyons — Immaculate, Insomnia, and Illusion — are three fantastic canyons in north Arizona. We hit the trail around 8am with a late start and hiked down to the tail of the canyon. The first section was green with moss and fairly open. On one rap we set up a redirect to help people avoid an exposed traverse. We worked down to the bigger drops leading to the final sections. Then we

Hiko Sink is a newly discovered Nevada desert sinkhole cave. Like several recent discoveries in the area, it was found during ongoing exploration efforts following the relocation of Charley's Folly Cave. The sinkhole has cave-like features and has been added to the Nevada cave documentation inventory. Location remains undisclosed for protection. Reach out to the Nevada Cave Survey or your local NSS grotto to learn about responsible cave exploration in Nevada.

Angel Lake Pit is a newly discovered vertical cave pit in Nevada's Ruby Mountains. The discovery adds another entry to the growing inventory of Nevada caves, particularly in ranges that have seen less systematic exploration. The pit has interesting geological features and is part of the broader Ruby Mountains cave landscape. Location remains undisclosed. Nevada continues to reveal new cave systems to those willing to invest the time in ridge walking and exploration. If you ar

Goblin Valley State Park is one of Utah's most unique landscapes — a valley filled with thousands of mushroom-shaped sandstone hoodoos called goblins. The formations were carved by differential erosion of the Entrada sandstone and create an otherworldly terrain unlike anything else in the Southwest. The park is relatively uncrowded compared to Zion or Arches and the freedom to wander among the goblins off-trail makes it a wonderful destination for exploration and photography.

Kearsarge Pass is a beautiful hike in the High Sierras — somewhat popular and also used as a connection point for JMT and High Sierra Trail hikers to resupply. The trail starts somewhat steep, climbing above 10,000ft quickly, passing several alpine lakes before gaining the pass at 11,790ft. We scored a beautiful lakefront campsite for the overnight stay. The lakes were incredible and the Sierra environment was captivating. Some snow patches to work around — adding great varia

A beautiful oasis within the largest tributary in the Grand Canyon — Whispering Falls is a 250ft waterfall in the heart of Kanab Creek. It is also a technical canyoneering route when coming from the east (a day's approach). An alternative sneak route is available for river runners and dedicated canyoneers coming from the west tributaries. As I got on rap I could hear the small trickle of water whispering down the sloped slab face. Once lower, clear waters of the pool collecti

Passing through geologic time — rock layers that tell stories of oceans, volcanic events, life, death, and times of dry and wet conditions. The Grand Canyon continues to impress me beyond expectations. We started with a late start, hiking down 1,300ft to the tail end of 150 Mile Canyon via a use trail. We lost the trail halfway down and switchbacked through scree and talus to the cottonwood trees. Once in the wash of 150, we hiked through the Coconino and Supai layers to the