Erebus Canyon in Death Valley National Park, CA

Canyoneer Erebus Canyon Death Valley National Park, CA

Class 2 3A (150 ft max) 7.5 miles 600 gain 8-11 hrs Shuttle Jan 31, 2025
Effort
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Solitude
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This is a technical canyon. If you are unfamiliar with how to build anchors or the gear required for canyoneering do not attempt this route.

Erebus Canyon carves through the Black Mountains, offering sweeping views over Badwater Basin. While other canyons in the range are said to be more thrilling, we all found this one gorgeous in its own right. I wasn’t leading the charge on this outing. Luke and companions had already tackled plenty of Death Valley’s canyons, while my canyoneering in the park was pretty limited and I’m just happy to do new stuff. From start to finish, the views into Death Valley were spectacular, and the canyon itself had some excellent formations and textures.

We set up a shuttle for the descent, leaving the exit vehicle parked on the side of the road just north of Badwater at an arbitrary spot (36.26146, -116.78020). We all piled into the remaining car and drove up to Dante’s View, arriving just in time for a sunrise start. From the Dante’s View parking area, we took a clear trail north, which ultimately leads to the summit of Mount Perry, but we wouldn’t be going all the way there today.

Shortly after starting, the trail passes over Dante’s View Peak before gradually descending to the saddle that separates Dante’s View Peak from Mount Perry. Along the way, the trail undulates slightly over various humps, but it is easy to follow and, in the morning light, absolutely beautiful. I should probably start waking up earlier for sunrises.

At the saddle, we located the spur ridge we would use to descend from the ridgeline to reach the head of Erebus Canyon. A faint social trail leads down this spur ridge, passes an old mining relic, and then drops north down a steep, scree-covered slope. This drop lasts only a few hundred feet, but more than one person ended up on their butt on the way down, and the consensus was that it wasn’t exactly enjoyable. At the bottom of the slope, we found ourselves at the head of the North Fork of Typhon Canyon, another technical slot. Erebus was located one drainage to the north, so we scrambled out of the drainage on a social trail, crested a shoulder, and entered our canyon.

The first half-mile of Erebus Canyon included some small downclimbs but was otherwise uneventful. I’ll let the photos illustrate the canyon and rappels. Most of our anchors were cairn anchors, but there were also a couple of pinch points, which I have always been terrified of, and a few natural anchors slung over boulders. In typical Death Valley canyon fashion, there are lots of big drops in the wide drainage with expansive views. However, I found it a little frustrating that the most beautiful features were located at the very bottom after the last rappel, so you could just hike up from Badwater Basin to enjoy the majority of the colors without having to do any rappels.

PEAKS ON HIKE
Elevation (ft) / Prominence (ft)
Peaks on hike
Elevation
Prominence
1
Dante's View Peak
5704 ft
744 rise

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Along the Mount Perry Trail.
Along the Mount Perry Trail.
Mount Perry in the center along the ridgeline.
Mount Perry in the center along the ridgeline.
Descending to the lowest saddle before the trail ascends to Mount Perry.
Descending to the lowest saddle before the trail ascends to Mount Perry.
Our turn-off point. A social trail leads down a minor spur ridge.
Our turn-off point. A social trail leads down a minor spur ridge.
Some old mining stuff along the way down.
Some old mining stuff along the way down.
A steep slope dropped us off the spur ridge and into the North Fork of Typhon Canyon. A social trail led out of this drainage and brought us over a lump.
A steep slope dropped us off the spur ridge and into the North Fork of Typhon Canyon. A social trail led out of this drainage and brought us over a lump.
At the head of Erebus Canyon.
At the head of Erebus Canyon.
Some downclimbing obstacles initially.
Some downclimbing obstacles initially.
Approaching Rap 1. Likely avoidable on the right.
Approaching Rap 1. Likely avoidable on the right.
Looking up at Rap 1.
Looking up at Rap 1.
Approaching Rap 2. I bypassed it left-down-canyon.
Approaching Rap 2. I bypassed it left-down-canyon.
Rap 2, seen from the bypass.
Rap 2, seen from the bypass.
Rap 3.
Rap 3.
Pretty narrows just after Rap 3.
Pretty narrows just after Rap 3.
Bottom of Rap 4.
Bottom of Rap 4.
Rap 5.
Rap 5.
Looking down before Rap 6.
Looking down before Rap 6.
View back up Rap 6.
View back up Rap 6.
There was a stretch of walking between Rap 6 and Rap 7.
There was a stretch of walking between Rap 6 and Rap 7.
A fun downclimb along the way.
A fun downclimb along the way.
Very pretty sculpted walls.
Very pretty sculpted walls.
A nicely-carved obstacle.
A nicely-carved obstacle.
Partner-assisted dryfall.
Partner-assisted dryfall.
Short section of gorgeous narrows.
Short section of gorgeous narrows.
Image 24 from gallery
Image 25 from gallery
Image 26 from gallery
Image 27 from gallery
Rap 7.
Rap 7.
Rap 8. Rap 9 seen directly below.
Rap 8. Rap 9 seen directly below.
Rap 9.
Rap 9.
Rap 9.
Rap 9.
View back up at Rap 9 and subsequent downclimbs.
View back up at Rap 9 and subsequent downclimbs.
Rap 10.
Rap 10.
View back up at Rap 10.
View back up at Rap 10.
Rap 11.
Rap 11.
View back up at Rap 11.
View back up at Rap 11.
Rap 12, the biggest drop of the day at about 150'.
Rap 12, the biggest drop of the day at about 150'.
Rap 12.
Rap 12.
Rap 12. You can see friends setting up Rap 13 below.
Rap 12. You can see friends setting up Rap 13 below.
View back at Rap 12.
View back at Rap 12.
Rap 13, two stage.
Rap 13, two stage.
More sculpted rock on the way to Rap 14.
More sculpted rock on the way to Rap 14.
Rap 14, very short. We thought we could downclimb it, but a fluted flare at the bottom made it sketchy.
Rap 14, very short. We thought we could downclimb it, but a fluted flare at the bottom made it sketchy.
I thought this anchor was a wild choice, but I wasn't LAPAR, so I didn't fight to build a cairn anchor.
I thought this anchor was a wild choice, but I wasn't LAPAR, so I didn't fight to build a cairn anchor.
Top of Rap 15.
Top of Rap 15.
Looking back at Rap 15.
Looking back at Rap 15.
Rap 16. This is 2-stage, and a difficult pull. Stage 2 is located around the corner below.
Rap 16. This is 2-stage, and a difficult pull. Stage 2 is located around the corner below.
Rap 17 (or second stage of Rap 16).
Rap 17 (or second stage of Rap 16).
Image 49 from gallery
Rap 18.
Rap 18.
View back at Rap 18.
View back at Rap 18.
Rap 19.
Rap 19.
Close-up toward the remainder of the canyon.
Close-up toward the remainder of the canyon.
The rest of the canyon included just a bunch of fun downclimbs and gorgeous walls.
The rest of the canyon included just a bunch of fun downclimbs and gorgeous walls.
Image 55 from gallery
Image 56 from gallery
Image 57 from gallery
Image 58 from gallery
Image 59 from gallery
Image 60 from gallery
Image 61 from gallery
Exiting Erebus Canyon.
Exiting Erebus Canyon.
From the road, a close-up of Erebus Canyon.
From the road, a close-up of Erebus Canyon.

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