Eaton canyon Falls meets youtube...
some people think this is just a class 3 scramble to get around Eaton Falls...not anymore at least...a lot of extra misuse and eroded terrain. Perhaps they think the route was hard because they went the wrong way and on the way back down it will be easy....not so. I havent done it yet so I cant really give any opinion on how technical it is, but I know it sees rescues so its at least easy to get lost on route, not to mention recent conditions of the route which makes the little info available posted years ago quite unreliable.
Video is listed as being from April....
Eaton canyon rescue
Pretty cool vid. I guess no background available on that one?
I've looked at EC Falls. It didn't look like class 3 to me. Loose crap and steep. I've seen people scramble up to the right, but it looks like a fool's errand to me. I know you can drop in from above, but I believe there are a couple of waterfalls between the main waterfall and the drop in point.
I've looked at EC Falls. It didn't look like class 3 to me. Loose crap and steep. I've seen people scramble up to the right, but it looks like a fool's errand to me. I know you can drop in from above, but I believe there are a couple of waterfalls between the main waterfall and the drop in point.
Dont know the details..my thought is the hiker climbed the ridge and then called for help from above the falls.
Heres the internet info:
"The correct route is actually really easy to find nowadays, thanks to the significant gang traffic and graffiti arrows pointing the way(!) Just go back downstream from the falls until you can scramble up the ridge on the west side of the canyon. It is a good solid third class route. It follows a scary knife-edge ridge for a short distance before exiting to the right at one of two points. The first option traverses on narrow toe-ledges past mountain mahogany to a good use-trail. The second option continues up the ridge another 20-30 feet and then drops steeply (but much more safely!) down to the same use-trail."
http://alumnus.caltech.edu/~hollin/inde ... oning.html
note: its this second option that maybe is not legit anymore for class 4 hiking. The first option I was told is around 5.9 now.
"In order to access the area behind the first fall, one must climb and traverse a sheer rock wall to the left of the falls (nicknamed "Razorback" by the locals) 70 feet above the canyon floor. Another, less difficult manner, is to climb the north wall of the canyon (to the right of the falls) following the former access to the tunnel."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eaton_Canyon
note: the north wall of the canyon is certainly not less difficult than Acrophobia or Razorback ridge and has several exposed sections and will not land a person just above the last waterfall.
"Getting to the top side of Eaton Falls is another story all together. About 150 yards from the last bend that takes you to the falls there is a nearly hidden skree trail leading uphill on the left (west) side of the canyon. Follow the skee trail up about 20 yards to the beginning of the climb. You have to freeclimb almost 60 feet up doing some level three climbing before you hit the first area you can actually stand up, give your legs and arms a rest, and panic at the idea of falling. There is another, shorter climb of about 15-20 feet just above and to the right of where you emerge on the "platform." This is honestly the hardest climbing of the whole trip. If you make a mistake here you will most likely die from the fall. "
http://home.earthlink.net/~scopaeniform/id43.html
note: this was 2006 and apparently it is a much harder climb with the option 1 traverse even harder
Search&Rescue pic from 2000(its in way worse condition) when it was "class 3"
http://montrosesar.org/highline2.jpg
http://montrosesar.org/highline4.jpg
From the pictures you might be able to see why this hiker didnt want to go back down.
Heres the internet info:
"The correct route is actually really easy to find nowadays, thanks to the significant gang traffic and graffiti arrows pointing the way(!) Just go back downstream from the falls until you can scramble up the ridge on the west side of the canyon. It is a good solid third class route. It follows a scary knife-edge ridge for a short distance before exiting to the right at one of two points. The first option traverses on narrow toe-ledges past mountain mahogany to a good use-trail. The second option continues up the ridge another 20-30 feet and then drops steeply (but much more safely!) down to the same use-trail."
http://alumnus.caltech.edu/~hollin/inde ... oning.html
note: its this second option that maybe is not legit anymore for class 4 hiking. The first option I was told is around 5.9 now.
"In order to access the area behind the first fall, one must climb and traverse a sheer rock wall to the left of the falls (nicknamed "Razorback" by the locals) 70 feet above the canyon floor. Another, less difficult manner, is to climb the north wall of the canyon (to the right of the falls) following the former access to the tunnel."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eaton_Canyon
note: the north wall of the canyon is certainly not less difficult than Acrophobia or Razorback ridge and has several exposed sections and will not land a person just above the last waterfall.
"Getting to the top side of Eaton Falls is another story all together. About 150 yards from the last bend that takes you to the falls there is a nearly hidden skree trail leading uphill on the left (west) side of the canyon. Follow the skee trail up about 20 yards to the beginning of the climb. You have to freeclimb almost 60 feet up doing some level three climbing before you hit the first area you can actually stand up, give your legs and arms a rest, and panic at the idea of falling. There is another, shorter climb of about 15-20 feet just above and to the right of where you emerge on the "platform." This is honestly the hardest climbing of the whole trip. If you make a mistake here you will most likely die from the fall. "
http://home.earthlink.net/~scopaeniform/id43.html
note: this was 2006 and apparently it is a much harder climb with the option 1 traverse even harder
Search&Rescue pic from 2000(its in way worse condition) when it was "class 3"
http://montrosesar.org/highline2.jpg
http://montrosesar.org/highline4.jpg
From the pictures you might be able to see why this hiker didnt want to go back down.
Took a look at this area myself as to get a better viewpoint.
Razorback ridge commences at a turn in the creek. Its class 3 and not very difficult from a standards viewpoint...a lot of room to roam. Constant view of Eaton Falls. Has Graffiti(& trash currently). I think the photos make it look harder than it is, rock is very good quality the whole way. It starts at trail.
Just downstream of that on the same side is a use trail going up a small landslide. Now that one istarts right away class 4/5. No doubt people are getting mixed up as to where to start and some go up this dangerous way...as the rock is really unstable.
Other side of canyon("right side", directly across from Razorback ridge) has a class 2 start, but requires some sense of knowing where you are going. Sort of a rugged route that didnt look used much at all. I have no idea if it acutally gives easy access to above the falls, but the route is certainly high enough. This approach starts offtrail.
Razorback ridge commences at a turn in the creek. Its class 3 and not very difficult from a standards viewpoint...a lot of room to roam. Constant view of Eaton Falls. Has Graffiti(& trash currently). I think the photos make it look harder than it is, rock is very good quality the whole way. It starts at trail.
Just downstream of that on the same side is a use trail going up a small landslide. Now that one istarts right away class 4/5. No doubt people are getting mixed up as to where to start and some go up this dangerous way...as the rock is really unstable.
Other side of canyon("right side", directly across from Razorback ridge) has a class 2 start, but requires some sense of knowing where you are going. Sort of a rugged route that didnt look used much at all. I have no idea if it acutally gives easy access to above the falls, but the route is certainly high enough. This approach starts offtrail.
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Sewellymon
- Posts: 104
- Joined: Tue Feb 12, 2008 8:55 pm
any old skool dudes remember BITD? used to be wooden stairs that led to a tunnel which deposited you a couple hundred yards upstream from the First Falls.... whereupon you'd hiked along a cool cat-walk above the stream for a ways before you actually touched ground. could scramble up 4 or 5 falls B4 the tall one