Wife 3 Canyon
Beta for Wife 3 in Capitol Reef National Park
Duration
2
- 3.5 hrs.
Longest Rappel
200 ft
Number of Rappels
2 -
4
Country: united states
State/Province: UT
City or Nearest City: Torrey
Camping:
Cook's Mesa Camping Area
Approaches:
First Rappel:
Last Rappel:
Exits:
Calculate time for your adventure
Select your approach, exit, and any shuttles in order to calcualte an estimated time
1. Approaches:
2. Canyon Time:
1 hour(s), 30 minute(s).
3. Exit Time:
Total Adventure Time:
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Essential Canyoneering Gear
Descender - Hoodoo
Carabiners
Quicklinks
Harness
Gloves
Rope
Helmet
Personal Anchor System
Canyoneering Shoes (LA Sportiva TX3)
Webbing (Bluewater)
VT Prusik
Pull Cord
Seasonal Gear Recommendations
for Wife 3 Canyon
Campsites Nearby
Wife 3 Canyon Rappels
2 - 4 rappels
Rappel 1
Rappel 1 Anchor
The anchor for this rappel is set a ways back from the edge. Webbing is wrapped around a strong tree and extended to the edge of the cliff.
Overview
This is the big rappel for this canyon and will drop you 200 ft. to the canyon floor. The first part of the rappel is against the vertical wall but gradually drops you into a free hang for the rest of the rappel.
Tips
Test your pull before the last person down. Or if you are planning to descend another of the Wives canyons in the same day, leave your rope behind and come back to retrieve it before your next descent. Each of the Wives canyons shares the same approach, so it makes the retrieval of your rope a breeze. If leaving your rope behind, just make sure you have another 100 ft. or longer rope.
Rappel 2
Length: 35 ft
Type of Rappel: Optional Downclimb
More anchor information coming soon.
Overview
Most people downclimb this 35 ft chimney. You can throw up a belay or even rappel using a solution pocket up and RDC at the top of the chimney. If downclimbing, you will have to awkwardly squeeze beneath a choke stone partway down the chimney. This is a fun challenge!
Rappel 3
Length: 42 ft
Type of Rappel: Standard
Rappel 3 Anchor
There are solution pockets RDC at the top of this rappel.
Overview
This is the only other required rappel in the canyon. You arrive at this rappel after going through a sandy corridor, and the slot will seem to end. However, the slot just takes a hard left. Where the slot takes this hard left is the top of the next rappel.
Rappel 4
Rappel 4 Anchor
There is an anchor on the wall LDC if you decide to rappel.
Overview
This rappel or downclimb is over two stages. Each stage is about 12-15 ft.
Rappel 1
This is the big rappel for this canyon and will drop you 200 ft. to the canyon floor. The first part of the rappel is against the vertical wall but gradually drops you into a free hang for the rest of the rappel.
Rappel 1
This is the big rappel for this canyon and will drop you 200 ft. to the canyon floor. The first part of the rappel is against the vertical wall but gradually drops you into a free hang for the rest of the rappel.
Rappel 2
Most people downclimb this 35 ft chimney. You can throw up a belay or even rappel using a solution pocket up and RDC at the top of the chimney. If downclimbing, you will have to awkwardly squeeze beneath a choke stone partway down the chimney. This is a fun challenge!
Rappel 2
Most people downclimb this 35 ft chimney. You can throw up a belay or even rappel using a solution pocket up and RDC at the top of the chimney. If downclimbing, you will have to awkwardly squeeze beneath a choke stone partway down the chimney. This is a fun challenge!
Rappel 3
This is the only other required rappel in the canyon. You arrive at this rappel after going through a sandy corridor, and the slot will seem to end. However, the slot just takes a hard left. Where the slot takes this hard left is the top of the next rappel.
Rappel 1
This is the big rappel for this canyon and will drop you 200 ft. to the canyon floor. The first part of the rappel is against the vertical wall but gradually drops you into a free hang for the rest of the rappel.
Rappel 1
This is the big rappel for this canyon and will drop you 200 ft. to the canyon floor. The first part of the rappel is against the vertical wall but gradually drops you into a free hang for the rest of the rappel.
Rappel 2
Most people downclimb this 35 ft chimney. You can throw up a belay or even rappel using a solution pocket up and RDC at the top of the chimney. If downclimbing, you will have to awkwardly squeeze beneath a choke stone partway down the chimney. This is a fun challenge!
Rappel 2
Most people downclimb this 35 ft chimney. You can throw up a belay or even rappel using a solution pocket up and RDC at the top of the chimney. If downclimbing, you will have to awkwardly squeeze beneath a choke stone partway down the chimney. This is a fun challenge!
Rappel 3
This is the only other required rappel in the canyon. You arrive at this rappel after going through a sandy corridor, and the slot will seem to end. However, the slot just takes a hard left. Where the slot takes this hard left is the top of the next rappel.
Rappel 1
This is the big rappel for this canyon and will drop you 200 ft. to the canyon floor. The first part of the rappel is against the vertical wall but gradually drops you into a free hang for the rest of the rappel.
Rappel 1
This is the big rappel for this canyon and will drop you 200 ft. to the canyon floor. The first part of the rappel is against the vertical wall but gradually drops you into a free hang for the rest of the rappel.
Rappel 2
Most people downclimb this 35 ft chimney. You can throw up a belay or even rappel using a solution pocket up and RDC at the top of the chimney. If downclimbing, you will have to awkwardly squeeze beneath a choke stone partway down the chimney. This is a fun challenge!
Rappel 2
Most people downclimb this 35 ft chimney. You can throw up a belay or even rappel using a solution pocket up and RDC at the top of the chimney. If downclimbing, you will have to awkwardly squeeze beneath a choke stone partway down the chimney. This is a fun challenge!
Rappel 3
This is the only other required rappel in the canyon. You arrive at this rappel after going through a sandy corridor, and the slot will seem to end. However, the slot just takes a hard left. Where the slot takes this hard left is the top of the next rappel.
Rappel 1
This is the big rappel for this canyon and will drop you 200 ft. to the canyon floor. The first part of the rappel is against the vertical wall but gradually drops you into a free hang for the rest of the rappel.
Rappel 1
This is the big rappel for this canyon and will drop you 200 ft. to the canyon floor. The first part of the rappel is against the vertical wall but gradually drops you into a free hang for the rest of the rappel.
Rappel 2
Most people downclimb this 35 ft chimney. You can throw up a belay or even rappel using a solution pocket up and RDC at the top of the chimney. If downclimbing, you will have to awkwardly squeeze beneath a choke stone partway down the chimney. This is a fun challenge!
Rappel 2
Most people downclimb this 35 ft chimney. You can throw up a belay or even rappel using a solution pocket up and RDC at the top of the chimney. If downclimbing, you will have to awkwardly squeeze beneath a choke stone partway down the chimney. This is a fun challenge!
Rappel 3
This is the only other required rappel in the canyon. You arrive at this rappel after going through a sandy corridor, and the slot will seem to end. However, the slot just takes a hard left. Where the slot takes this hard left is the top of the next rappel.
Rappel 1
This is the big rappel for this canyon and will drop you 200 ft. to the canyon floor. The first part of the rappel is against the vertical wall but gradually drops you into a free hang for the rest of the rappel.
Rappel 1
This is the big rappel for this canyon and will drop you 200 ft. to the canyon floor. The first part of the rappel is against the vertical wall but gradually drops you into a free hang for the rest of the rappel.
Rappel 2
Most people downclimb this 35 ft chimney. You can throw up a belay or even rappel using a solution pocket up and RDC at the top of the chimney. If downclimbing, you will have to awkwardly squeeze beneath a choke stone partway down the chimney. This is a fun challenge!
Rappel 2
Most people downclimb this 35 ft chimney. You can throw up a belay or even rappel using a solution pocket up and RDC at the top of the chimney. If downclimbing, you will have to awkwardly squeeze beneath a choke stone partway down the chimney. This is a fun challenge!
Rappel 3
This is the only other required rappel in the canyon. You arrive at this rappel after going through a sandy corridor, and the slot will seem to end. However, the slot just takes a hard left. Where the slot takes this hard left is the top of the next rappel.
Wife 3 Canyon Trip Reports
September 26, 2020
We did this canyon along with Wife 5. We left our long rope at the top of this rappel since we were returning to descend the Wife 5 Canyon. Conditions were great and the canyon was dry with some really neat wind-blown corridors with sand. Fun, short canyon with a big rappel. Definitely one of the better of the 7 Wives Canyons in Capitol Reef.
July 5, 2021
This was our second canyon of the day. We did Cassidy Arch earlier in the day. The approach to Wife 3 was pretty tiring for us. It was a steady dose of uphill hiking for most of the approach. So come prepared with some strong legs and water. Someone has added webbing to a solution pocket on the wall directly behind the entry point of the rappel, so now it is anchored off of both, the large tree and the solution pocket. I guess it provides redundancy but the solution pocket will wear down over time. The pull from the bottom of this first almost 200 ft. rappel is awful, so make sure that the last person down rigs on the most extended part of the webbing. Or another solution to avoid a horrendous pull is just to leave your rope if you are hiking back up to descend another of the 7 Wives Canyons. We chose to pull and it took a couple of us to get the pull initiated. All other anchors were in good condition. Some in our group chose to downclimb the second rappel down the chimney, but some rappelled it. If you are a confident downclimber, I would downclimb, because it is an awkward squeezy rappel. The first and third raps really make this canyon though!