Big Wash Bouldering

Here is a fun, little-known side canyon that offers some surprisingly quality, easy bouldering in a cool, desert environment. I had originally posted this canyon as Little Wash, because this is what the people that first took me up here called this place, but after looking more closely at the topo myself, I am certain that this canyon is called Big Wash. Regardless, Big Wash is an awesome canyon, one that is worth exploring regardless of whether you go climbing or not. An explorative class 3 scramble up this canyon leads to a box canyon and a cool waterfall about 2 miles back. In the winter, this spot is surrounded by elegant ice cascades. In the spring, it is a muddy plunge pool.

There are boulders and trad possibilities all along this 2 mile hike, but the best bouldering area lies just after the parking lot. Unfortunately this area is also popular with low-lifes, tasteless graffiti "artists" (vandals), and other characters of nefarious sorts. As a result, there is a large amount of broken glass, garbage, and other strange and disturbing detritus in this area. We once found a dead cat in a grocery sack here.

The other downfall to this almost-excellent area is the rock. The sandstone of Debeque Canyon is strange compared to nearby Colorado National Monument or other GJ climbing areas. It is brittle, sharp, and often times questionable. This can add an interesting dynamic to even the easier problems. Fortunately, some of the better boulders (i.e. the Tiffany Boulders) do not suffer from this issue.