Canyoneering Route Description

Inconceivable Canyon - 4A III
Death Valley National Park, California.

Quick Facts

01-09-13, 8 people, 1 Day (Travel time in route 8.7 hours) Pictures Icon -- Using the North Approach not the South as described.

Time Required - 7 to 9 hours
Distance - 6.6 miles Total, 0.7 miles Technical
Rappels - 7 Rappels, Longest Rappel 285 feet.
Elevation Range - 210 - 1860 Feet
Shuttle Required - No Vehicle - High Clearance, 4WD Permit Required - No

Gear Used for Canyon

Rappelling and anchor gear, Ropes and or pull cords for rappels up to 285 feet and 60 feet of 1 inch webbing for sling placement.

A dry bag may be a good idea to toss in your pack in the rare event you find the pothole below rap 5 full of water.  It will be very rare for this to happen but possible.

General Comments

The Princes Bride area is a collection of canyons north of Stovepipe Wells in the Cottonwood Mountains on the Panamint Range.  The Princess Bride Collection offers a few fun semi short canyons.  But you do need a high clearance 4WD vehicle to safely go enjoy them.

Thanks to Scott Swaney for locating these canyons, initiating the explorations of them and freely sharing the information.

Parking spots are limited and the spots are only large enough for one or two vehicles.  When driving out to the Princess Bride Canyons try to leave excess vehicles at Stovepipe Wells and take only one or two vehicles to the parking spot to start the canyons.  When choosing vehicles it is best to use the ones with 4WD and some clearance since there are a couple spots with deep rutted sand.

The vehicles will likely not be visible after exiting the canyon and you walk back across the desert toward them.  A GPS or a compass and map can be very helpful to get you pointed back to the cars after exiting the canyon.  If you follow the natural flow of the open desert and the wash like areas, you may find yourself wandering off course.

Inconceivable Canyon uses the the South Approach route.  Inconceivable Canyon has a big rappel of about 285 feet, some spicy downclimbs and a pothole that may be difficult to get out of if wet or muddy.  Inconceivable Canyon is a very fun day out if you are ok with lugging the big rope along.

Inconceivable Canyon gets the technical rating of 4 due to the pothole at the bottom of rap 6 possibly being difficult to get out of, a few spicy downclimbs and the need for good anchor building skills.

The pothole below rap 5 can is deep but can be walked out of on the RDC side if things are dry.  However water in the pothole can make the mud at the bottom very slick making escape from the pothole difficult.  If the pothole is full of water it will be a swimmer for a few feet but the odds of being there when the pothole is full are extremely low.

Note:
There are two approach routes used for the Princess Bride Canyons, North Approach or South Approach.  While each approach route keeps the distance to a minimum for specific canyons, either approach can be used to access any of the Princess Bride Canyons.  There is an easy 0.7 mile route connecting the upper ends of the approaches running between the tops of Fire Swamp and Inconceivable Canyons.

The North Approach is best used for;  Pit of Despair, Cliffs of Insanity and Fire Swamp Canyons.
The South Approach is best used for;  Inconceivable, Buttercup, Humperdinck, Prepare to Die and Miracle Max Canyons.

Travel from upper end of North Approach to upper end of South Approach:
To travel from Fire Swamp to Inconceivable route find your way south about 0.2 miles to a saddle (wP-BrideCct01).  From the saddle route find your way down the slope south about 350 feet down into a wash (wP-BrideCct02) traveling down to the south.  About 900 feet down the drainage is a confluence where side drainage join from east and west (wP-BrideCct03).  Of note the drainage going east from here leads up to the top of what looks like a steep canyon running down the face of the mountain when viewed from the valley floor.  Continue south down the main wash about 500 feet passing another drainage joining in from the west (wP-BrideCct04).  Follow the drainage south about 0.2 miles to where it bends and begins to travel almost due east (InconceivableTp).  This is the top of Inconceivable Canyon and is the upper end of the South Approach route.

Travel from upper end of South Approach to upper end of North Approach:
To travel from the top of Inconceivable to the top of Fire Swamp, walk north up the Inconceivable drainage about 0.2 miles to where a small side drainage joins in from the west (wP-BrideCct04).  Continue north up the drainage about 500 feet to where a couple side drainage join from east and west (wP-BrideCct03).  Of note the drainage going east from here leads up to the top of what looks like a steep canyon running down the face of the mountain when viewed from the valley floor.  Continue north up the drainage about 900 feet to the upper end of the wash (wP-BrideCct02).  Travel north up the slope about 350 feet to a saddle (wP-BrideCct01).  Thee route find your way north about 0.2 miles down to the top of Fire Swamp Canyon (yFireSwampTp).

Driving Directions

To get to the Trailhead

The drive directions start from the gas station in Stovepipe Wells Death Valley.  Stovepipe Wells is a small community on Highway 190 about mid way between Panamint Springs and Furnace Creek. 

From the convenience store / gas station in Stovepipe Wells (wStovpipeStore) look for the paved road on the southwest side of the store that leads west away from highway 190 which leads out toward Marble and Cottonwood Canyons (Cottonwood Canyon Road).  Drive west on the road passing the camp ground along the way. 

About 0.5 miles from highway 190 will be a fork in the road (ExtStovAirStrp).  The fork to the left goes over to an airstrip and is paved.  Stay right at this fork and travel on the dirt road going west. 

Note:
Be aware that a few spots early on in this road have deep sand with ruts that will give some vehicles trouble.  High clearance 4WD is recommended for travel on this dirt road.  Road conditions do change depending on rains, vehicular traffic and if the roads have been graded recently.  While it is possible to get passenger vehicles with all wheel drive through the sand it is not recommended.  A vehicle with clearance is helpful to get through the deep rutted sections.  The 4WD may not be used most of the time but with the sand it could make the difference between being stuck and being able to pull through a rough patch

Follow the dirt road west about 5 miles to where it bends to the right to the northwest (Pk-PrBrideS).  This bend in the road is a good place to park if you are following the South Approach route.

If you are going to be following the North Approach route, continuing past the bend about 0.4 miles to a wide spot in the road where you can park a couple vehicles (Pk-PrBrideN). 

Note:
There are various turnouts or wide spots in the road which are generally intended to be used for vehicles to pass one another and are only large enough for one or two cars to park.  The locations of the wide spots will change over time depending on what is done each time the the road is grated.

To leave the Exit Vehicle / Escape Pod

No exit vehicle is needed.  This is done as an out and back route.

Maps

GPS coordinate information listed at the bottom.  For information about waypoint naming and map symbols, refer to the Glossary page.

Map Link Icon
Click the links for maps of the route.
Map of the drive into the route.
Map of the entire route.
Map of the technical section.

Details

The Approach:
From the parking spot (Pk-PBrideS) begin the South Approach by walking southwest across open desert.

To follow the South Approach walk southwest across open desert on a bearing of about 204 degrees (true) toward the bottom of a ridge about 2.25 miles away.  From the parking area the ridge to aim for is toward the south end of the visible range.  The picture below will help.

Example Pic. Follow the Yellow line to the drainage to begin the North Approach.            Follow the Blue line to the ridge start the South Approach.
This view is from the parking spot for South Approach route.  The view will be slightly different from the parking spot for the North Approach route.

About 2.25 miles after leaving the parking spot is the base of the ridge (wP-BrideS-01) you will start to travel up. 

Start walking southwest up the steep ridge.  After about 0.37 miles the ridge tops out (wP-BrideS-02) about 700 feet higher than the base. The canyon on the right (northwest) of this top out is Humperdinck Canyon.

From the top out continue southwest down the other side toward a saddle (jPBrideS) about 330 feet away.

Note:
The saddle (jPBrideS) is where you will choose a direction depending on your chosen route.  If you are going to Miracle Max or Prepare to Die Canyons you will follow up the ridge to the southwest.  If you plan to do Humperdinck, Buttercup or Inconceivable Canyons you will drop down the west side of the saddle down the steep slope into the Humperdinck drainage.

To continue to Humperdinck, Buttercup or Inconceivable Canyon drop down the steep slope on the west side of the saddle down into the drainage for Humperdinck Canyon (yHumperdinkTp).

To continue to Buttercup and Inconceivable Canyons cross Humperdinck Canyon then start going up the steep slope on the west side.

About 450 feet up the slope is a level-ish spot on the slope (wP-BrideS-03).  Continue northwest up the slope.

About 900 feet farther up the slope is the top of a crappy looking canyon / drainage (wP-BrideS-04) that runs down to the northeast.  Continue northwest up the slope.

About 250 feet farther up the slope is a top out (wP-BrideS-05).  From this top out a gentle ridge runs up to the west.  Do not follow up the ridge.  Instead continue northwest contouring down and over to the Buttercup drainage about 0.2 miles away northwest on a bearing of about 330 degrees (true).  The walk over to the Buttercup drainage is easy and fairly intuitive as you contour northwest staying above the cliff band dropping off to the south.

After dropping down into the Buttercup Drainage (yButtercupTp) turn left (west) to walk up canyon.

A few hundred feet up canyon you will notice a side drainage joining in from the south (wP-BrideS-06).  Stay right and continue up the main wash to the northwest.

About 500 feet up the wash will be the bottom of a dry fall (wP-BrideS-07).  When you get to the bottom of the dry fall, leave the wash and scramble up the right (north - right facing up canyon) side of the wash up the steep dirt and rock slope. 

Travel northwest up the slope for about 400 feet to the top out on a ridge (wP-BrideS-08).

Continue northwest down the other side of the ridge for about 350 feet and drop down into the Inconceivable Canyon drainage (yIncnceiveTp).

The Canyoneering / Technical Section:
Once down in Inconceivable Canyon (yIncnceiveTp) turn right and start walking east down the wash.

About 700 feet down the wash is the start (wIncnceiveRP1) of a section with 6 easy drops to scramble down with each being up to 8 feet high.

After the series of short drops is a drop (wIncnceiveRP2) of about 30 feet with a chute running down it.  The drop is bypassed by downclimbing on the RDC (south) side.  The start of the bypass involves a very awkward traverse along the RDC side then the rest of the downclimb is a pretty easy scramble / downclimb along a featured wall.  Lowering packs and doing the bypass without your pack on is a good idea here.  Rap 1 is about 100 feet down canyon of the bypassed drop.

Rap 1 (dIncnceiveR1) anchored from a cairn anchor about 10 feet back from the drop and drops about 180 feet with a couple of small almost downclimbable stages near the bottom.

After rap 1 is easy travel for about 150 feet to a downclimb of about 15 feet.  The downclimb is moderately difficult but is in a chute with lots of features for and and foot holds.  Shortly after the downclimb is rap 2.

Rap 2 (dIncnceiveR2) is anchored from a cairn anchor and drops about 85 feet down a sloped wall that then goes vertical for the last half.

Easy travel after rap 2 for about 200 feet to the top of a downclimb of about 25 feet in a chute.  The downclimb looks difficult from the top but as you start down you soon find is an overall moderately easy downclimb.  About 50 feet down canyon is the top of rap 3.

Rap 3 (dIncnceiveR3) is anchored LDC from a pinch point created by a chokestone and drops about 35 feet over two stages with the last stage being downclimable.

After rap 3 are a few short easy downclimbs and scrambles on the way down canyon to rap 4.

Rap 4 (dIncnceiveR4-6) is about 450 down canyon of rap 3, is anchored LDC using a large creosote bush about 10 feet back from the drop then drops about 40 feet over two stages.

Rap 5 is right at the bottom of rap 4, is anchored from a chokestone rock pile and drops about 285 feet over two stages to a deep pothole at the bottom.  The pothole at the bottom of rap 5 can be escaped on the RDC side but water and slick mud can make this difficult.  In the rare event the pothole gets filled with water it will be a swimmer for a few feet.  Be prepared to help one another up out of this large pothole especially if it gets wet and muddy.

Rap 6 is anchored from a small arch / hole in the rock down in the small pothole after the large pothole below rap 5 and drops about 175 feet down a mostly sloped wall.  At the bottom of rap 6 is a pothole that may be waist deep if full of water but again this would be very rare.

About 75 feet down canyon of rap 6 is a downclimb of about 15 feet.  Shortly after is a longer downclimb of about 30 feet that is gently sloped an and broke up over stages so it is more of a scramble.

Rap 7 (dIncnceiveR7) is anchored from an arch about 20 feet back from the drop and drops about 170 feet using a total of about 190 feet of rope travel.  Rap 7 has a little bit of free hang on the way down.

About 300 feet down canyon is a drop of about 12 feet (wIncnceiveRP3) that can be downclimbed or easily bypassed on either side.

About 500 feet farther down canyon is a ramp of about 12 feet (wIncnceiveRP4) to scramble down near where a few other drainages join in from LDC.

About another 500 feet down the wash a slot forms running through a conglomerate section of rock (wIncnceiveRP5).

About 200 feet down canyon is a confluence (yIncnceiveBt) where another conglomerate slot joins in from the right (south).

The Exit:
From the confluence in the conglomerate rock (yIncnceiveBt), continue northeast down the Buttercup drainage still in the deep conglomerate slot.

As you pass the confluence of Inconceivable Canyon the conglomerate slot you are in will gradually get wider.  About 0.27 miles past the confluence of Inconceivable Canyon the conglomerate slot is coming to an end and is very wide.  When you get to a point where the side walls of the slot are only about 10 feet high (jP-BrideExt) you will be greeted with open desert ahead to the north east.  As you exit the conglomerate slot you will want to walk back to your cars but they will not be in sight. 

From the end of the conglomerate slot (jP-BrideExt) the cars are about 1.9 miles away and not in view.  If you have GPS you can plot a go to for the waypoint where you parked your cars and go for it. 

Note - Navigation Hint:
From the exit of the conglomerate slot walking directly toward the cars will have you walking across the alluvial fan and will be tedious walking.  The easiest walking for the exit is to veer right (north east) and walk out toward the more flat wash systems then follow them north back to the car.  This will save you from too much tedious walking.  However doing this with nothing to point you toward the cars could end you you wandering the desert for a while since the washes are wide and wondering and the cars or road are not visible until you get pretty close to them.

If you have a compass you can set a course of 18 degrees magnetic north (which is 31 degrees true north here) to be pointed directly at the cars.

To navigate back to the cars visually you can use the mountain range way off in the distance to the north.  Looking at the mountain range locate the pointed peak in the image below which is Thimble Peak.  Look for the dip along the range to the left of Thimble Peak then aim for the left side of the dip.  The image below will make this more clear.

Example Pic. When you exit the conglomerate slot you can visually navigate to the cars by locating the point noted in the picture and walking a straight line to it.

Which ever method you chose to navigate back, walk 1.9 miles to the cars to complete the route (Pk-PBrideS).

GPS Waypoint Information

Downloadable GPX files available at BG-Gear Store (easier than manual entry and a great way to support Bluugnome).
Waypoint naming convention and map symbol information can be found on the Glossary page.  Elevations are approximate.
BEFORE
manually entering coordinates set your system to WGS84 datum and Lat/Lon hddd.ddddd° coordinate format
Inconsistent datum's and coordinate formats will result in location errors.

Click to show / expand the list of waypoints below........
Inconceivable Canyon () - The Canyon and Exit
  1. yIncnceiveTp          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 36.58417   W -117.27754        Elev: 1,805 Feet
    Top of Inconceivable Canyon. This is where the drainage for Inconceivable makes a bend and begins to travel almost due east.
  2. wIncnceiveRP1          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 36.58461   W -117.27529        Elev: NaN Feet
    Start of a section with a series of small drops. 6 drops of up to 8 feet each and all easy scrambles.
  3. wIncnceiveRP2          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 36.58489   W -117.27461        Elev: NaN Feet
    A drop of about 30 feet with a chute running down it. The drop is bypassed by downclimbing on the RDC (south) side. The start of the bypass involves a very awkward traverse along the RDC side then the rest of the downclimb is a pretty easy scramble / downclimb along a featured wall. Lowering packs and doing the bypass without your pack on is a good idea here.
  4. dIncnceiveR1          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 36.58482   W -117.27428        Elev: 1,680 Feet
    Rap 1 - Inconceivable Canyon. Is anchored from a cairn anchor about 10 feet back from the drop and drops about 180 feet with a couple of small almost downclimbable stages near the bottom.
  5. dIncnceiveR2          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 36.58454   W -117.27388        Elev: NaN Feet
    Rap 2 - Inconceivable Canyon. Is anchored from a cairn anchor and drops about 85 feet down a sloped wall that then goes vertical for the last half. Just before reaching rap 2 is a moderately difficult downclimb of about 15 feet in a chute.
  6. dIncnceiveR3          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 36.58461   W -117.27307        Elev: NaN Feet
    Rap 3 - Inconceivable Canyon. Is anchored LDC from a pinch point created by a chokestone and drops about 35 feet over two stages with the last stage being downclimable. About 50 feet before reaching the top of rap 3 is a downclimb of about 25 feet that looks difficult from the top but is only moderately difficult.
  7. dIncnceiveR4-6          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 36.58527   W -117.27188        Elev: NaN Feet
    Raps 4 thru 6 - Inconceivable Canyon. Rap 4 is anchoredLDC from a large creosote bush about 10 feet back from the drop then drops about 40 feet over two stages. Rap 5 is right at the bottom of rap 4, is anchored from a chokestone rock pile and drops about 285 feet over two stages to a deep pothole at the bottom. The pothole at the bottom of rap 5 can be escaped on the RDC side but water and slick mud can make this difficult. In the rare event the pothole gets filled with water it will be a swimmer for a few feet. Be prepared to help one another up out of this large pothole especially if it gets wet and muddy. Rap 6 is anchored from a small arch / hole in the rock down in the small pothole after the large pothole below rap 5 and drops about 175 feet down a mostly sloped wall. At the bottom of rap 6 is a pothole that may be waist deep if full of water but again this would be very rare.
  8. dIncnceiveR7          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 36.58566   W -117.27128        Elev: NaN Feet
    Rap 7 - Inconceivable Canyon. Anchored from an arch about 20 feet back from the drop and drops about 170 feet using a total of about 190 feet of rope travel. Rap 7 has a little bit of free hang on the way down.
  9. wIncnceiveRP3          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 36.58532   W -117.27035        Elev: 748 Feet
    Drop of about 12 feet that can be downclimbed or easily bypassed on either side.
  10. wIncnceiveRP4          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 36.58576   W -117.26911        Elev: 665 Feet
    Ramp of about 12 feet to scramble down near where some other drainages join in from RDC.
  11. wIncnceiveRP5          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 36.58525   W -117.26770        Elev: NaN Feet
    Start of a slot running down through a conglomerate slot.
  12. yIncnceiveBt          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 36.58528   W -117.26697        Elev: 635 Feet
    Confluence of the Buttercup and Inconceivable Draianges. This is in a deep slot carved through conglomerate rock.
  13. jP-BrideExt          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 36.58765   W -117.26333        Elev: 560 Feet
    This is where the conglomerate slot is now very wide and comming to and end the side walls are about 10 feet high on both sides.
  14. Pk-PBrideS          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 36.61036   W -117.24602        Elev: 210 Feet
    A bend to the right while driving the road out toward Marble Canyon. If following the South Approach route to the Princess Bride Canyons park hear near the bend in the road.
Inconceivable Canyon (1) - Drive in to Trailhead
  1. wStovpipeStore          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 36.60663   W -117.14688        Elev: 0 Feet
    Convenience store / gas station at Stove Pipe Wells.
  2. ExtStovAirStrp          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 36.60696   W -117.15503        Elev: NaN Feet
    Turn off to go over to an airstrip. To drive out toward the Marble and Cottonwood Canyon area stay left at the fork to drive west.
  3. Pk-PBrideS          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 36.61036   W -117.24602        Elev: 210 Feet
    A bend to the right while driving the road out toward Marble Canyon. If following the South Approach route to the Princess Bride Canyons park hear near the bend in the road.
Inconceivable Canyon (2) - Approach
  1. Pk-PBrideS          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 36.61036   W -117.24602        Elev: 210 Feet
    A bend to the right while driving the road out toward Marble Canyon. If following the South Approach route to the Princess Bride Canyons park hear near the bend in the road.
  2. wP-BrideS-01          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 36.58107   W -117.26235        Elev: 640 Feet
    Bottom of the ridge to start the climb up the South Approach for the Princess Bride Canyons.
  3. wP-BrideS-02          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 36.57768   W -117.26737        Elev: 1,440 Feet
    Top out on the first ridge of the South Approach. Continue southwest down the other side of the top out.
  4. jPBrideS          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 36.57685   W -117.26773        Elev: 1,410 Feet
    A saddle about 330 feet after going over a peak along the ridge. To go to Humperdinck, Buttercup or Inconceivable Canyons drop down the steep slope to the north west down into Humperdinck Canyon. To go to Miracle Max or Prepare to Die Canyons continue southwest up along the ridge.
  5. yHumperdinkTp          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 36.57689   W -117.26846        Elev: 1,330 Feet
    Top of Humperdinck Canyon. At this point the dranage is a wide wash with little to nothing of interest above here. To drop down Humerdinck Canyon travel north down the wash. If you are continuing to Buttercup of Inconceivable Canyons cross the wash and start up the steep slope to the west.
  6. wP-BrideS-03          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 36.57765   W -117.26968        Elev: 1,470 Feet
    A levelish spot along the slope up out of Humperdinck Canyon on the way to Buttercup and Inconceivable Canyons.
  7. wP-BrideS-04          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 36.57904   W -117.27219        Elev: 1,755 Feet
    Top of a crappy looking canyon / draiange running down to the northeast. Continue northwest up the slope.
  8. wP-BrideS-05          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 36.57952   W -117.27271        Elev: 1,790 Feet
    Slope tops out here. To continue to Buttercup and Inconceivable Canyons continue northwest contouring down to the Buttercup drainage about 0.2 miles northwest.
  9. yButtercupTp          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 36.58211   W -117.27378        Elev: 1,665 Feet
    Top of Buttercup Canyon. This where the canyon starts to drop steeply down with wide open flat wash up canyon of here.
  10. wP-BrideS-06          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 36.58204   W -117.27503        Elev: 1,680 Feet
    A side drainage dropping in from the south (RDC) into the Buttercup drainage. This is a few hundred feet up canyon of the technical section of Buttercup Canyon. To continue to Inconceivable Canyon continue northwest up the Buttercup wash.
  11. wP-BrideS-07          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 36.58252   W -117.27650        Elev: 1,770 Feet
    The bottom of a dry fall in the Buttercup drainage about 0.2 miles up canyon of the technical section. To go to Inconceivable Canyon do not try to go up the dry fall, instead leave the draiange and travel north up the steep slope.
  12. wP-BrideS-08          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 36.58349   W -117.27701        Elev: 1,860 Feet
    Crest of a ridge between the Buttercup and Inconceivable Canyons. To go into Inconceivable Canyon travel down the slopes to the northwest toward a confluence in the Inconceivable drainage about 350 to the northwest.
  13. yIncnceiveTp          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 36.58417   W -117.27754        Elev: 1,805 Feet
    Top of Inconceivable Canyon. This is where the drainage for Inconceivable makes a bend and begins to travel almost due east.