Cerberus Canyon North Fork is a 4AIV technical canyon in Death Valley National Park — the expert-level companion to the main Cerberus route with more demanding rappels and complex technical features in the Death Valley Black Range. This is a serious canyon for experienced technical teams only. The 4AIV rating means expert-level technical difficulty requiring solid vertical skills, route-finding ability in remote terrain, and proper anchor building in a serious Death Valley en

Frisco was founded ~1875 as a booming silver mining town with 6,000 residents, over 20 saloons, and 10+ murders a day — one of the most lawless towns of the American West. The mine caved in at the turn of the century and the town was abandoned. The kilns that fueled the smelters still stand. The cemetery is haunting — the majority of graves are children under age 3, likely from influenza outbreaks and child labor mining deaths. We camped next to the cemetery, brought sage and

The Bright Angel Trail on the South Rim is one of the most popular hikes in the US. Options: rim to river day trip, connect with the South Kaibab, or do the full rim to rim — we met a 59-year-old doing it as a day trip! Garden Creek Canyon and Pipe Creek Canyon are accessible as day trips without a permit, or with permits to stay at Indian Creek Campground. Start early — park fills by 6-7AM. Water available at 1.5 and 3 mile shelters and at Indian Creek. Check weather conditi

Basalt Cave is a Coconino National Forest lava tube — a small entrance that opens into a large chamber with approximately 700ft of walking passage, 20ft ceilings, and 30ft+ width. The slippery, muddy floor indicates the cave is still active. Active scientific data loggers were present — do not touch them. A marked trail minimizes floor impact. Impressive — it kept going further than expected. The Coconino has numerous lava tube caves ranging from small rooms to passages excee

Ah Hol Sah Sink is part of the same breccia pipe collapse cave series as Black Abyss and Indian Shaft — massive sink caves formed by dissolution of gypsum and other soluble minerals within breccia pipes in the Nevada desert. The sink entrance drops into a vast interior breakdown room with significant exploration potential. Location remains protected for conservation purposes. These caves are part of a region of ongoing scientific study. If you are interested in visiting or as

Nevada has a vast backcountry high desert region full of remote limestone ranges not yet checked for caves. We utilized drone technology to cover an extensive amount of ground — recording flight footage to identify leads. Photos by Justin Bailey. We spotted new leads from drone footage. One was a hole in the wall — we hiked up to find it went only 82ft with blind side passages. Ceilings covered in ash silt from previous fires; faint charcoal smell at the back. Named False Hop

Bobcat Pit is an Arizona sinkhole on private property — get permission from the landowner before visiting. The landowner was very generous in explaining the region's history. The basalt surface collapsed onto the redwall limestone where a cavity was dissolved underneath, forming this sinkhole. We found some passage but the sink seeps all of the water taken from this sinkhole — substantial dried silt to dig through. Interesting to see the basalt layers from ancient lava beds,

Ball Cave and Little Ball Cave are a pair of related caves on the same Nevada mountain as Pine Cave and Davies Cave — all discovered and explored together on the same trip. The caves have breakdown chambers and formation character similar to the others on this mountain, suggesting a connected geological history. This mountain range has proven to be a productive area for Nevada cave discovery. Location remains undisclosed for conservation. If you are interested in visiting or

Joshua Tree National Park is one of the most famous parks in the Southwest — a magnet for climbers and desert hikers from all around the US. Hundreds of bouldering, trad, TR, and sport climbing routes on massive Gneiss metamorphic boulders shaped by pressure and heat into smooth features. We headed to Hidden Valley to rig a Top Rope on a 5.6-5.8 route for Heather to practice climbing. After climbing we headed to 49 Palms — a 3-4hr hike to a desert oasis in a canyon. We comple

Davies Cave was the last cave we visited for the day on the mountain that also contains Ball, Little Ball, and Pine Caves. It has a beautiful entrance looking out into the basin and a nice room with some dusty formations. A couple of formations still appear active but for the most part the cave is dormant. There were side passages leading to additional formation rooms that quickly ended in muddy breakdown. The cave has two entrances — interesting to see from the inside out. I

Not a whole lot can beat a night of drinking and an early start into a technical canyon with a nice packraft down the Colorado River. Headaches and dehydration plagued the team as we got up and headed over to the Black Canyon range after a quick breakfast. Once at the trailhead — James, Tena, Heather, Clint, and Paige — we prepared for a day down one of the best canyons in the Black Canyon Range: Weeping Springs Canyon. The Black Canyon Range is about 45 minutes outside of La

Miracle Max Canyon in Death Valley's Princess Bride Range — technical rappels through desert canyon terrain, first descended by Scott Swaney. Named after the miracle-working character from The Princess Bride. Part of the Princess Bride Range collection. Death Valley canyoneering season is November–March. Refer to ropewiki.com.

Little Finland is a little gem of a place in the desert just outside of Las Vegas in the Gold Butte Recreational Area. Wind erosion has carved figures of sculpted sandstone that mimic gargoyles and twisted metal — a natural gallery within the desert. The road is broken-up pavement until about 7 miles before the turnoff, then becomes washboard gravel. Minerals along with wind and water erosion create weaknesses within the rock — the wind sculpts its way through the walls creat

Devils Throat is a sinkhole in Gold Butte Recreation Area near Las Vegas. Between 30-60ft deep with no passage at the bottom. The edge is brittle and crumbling — do not get too close. A worthy roadside stop but not a destination on its own. Pair with Little Finland in Gold Butte for a nice desert day trip from Las Vegas.

Buttercup Canyon in Death Valley's Princess Bride Range — colorful desert walls, solid rappels, first descended by Scott Swaney. Named after Buttercup from The Princess Bride. Combine with Miracle Max, Pits of Despair, and Cliffs of Insanity. Winter only. Refer to ropewiki.com.

Desperado Canyon is a 3AIII technical canyon in the State Line Hills of Nevada — a dry desert canyon with technical rappels accessible as a day trip from Las Vegas. First descended by Scott Swaney and crew. No wetsuit required. Several rappels through colorful desert canyon walls. Refer to ropewiki.com for current beta.

Deep Chasm Canyon in Death Valley's Grapevine Range near Fall Canyon — the main drop is over 200ft into dramatic chasm-like corridor walls. First descent by Scott Swaney. Approach from Fall Canyon trailhead. Death Valley season November–March only. Refer to ropewiki.com for beta.

Cliffs of Insanity Canyon in Death Valley's Princess Bride Range — dramatic cliff walls and technical rappels, first descended by Scott Swaney. Part of the Princess Bride Range. Winter only (Nov–Mar). Refer to ropewiki.com.

Cherry Canyon in the Virgin River Gorge of Arizona — technical rappels through dramatic red sandstone corridor walls, accessible from I-15 near the Nevada-Arizona border. One of the most accessible technical canyons from Las Vegas. Refer to ropewiki.com for current beta.

Pits of Despair Canyon is one of Scott Swaney's Princess Bride Range first descents in Death Valley — technical pit-like features and sweeping valley views. Named after The Princess Bride. Part of the Princess Bride Range collection. Winter only (Nov–Mar). Refer to ropewiki.com.