Epic Travel → North America → Mountain States → Nevada →  ⊗ Ladder of Doom Canyon

  ⊗ Technical Route ⊗

Warning: Do Not Attempt Without Proper Training – click here for details

Location: Stateline Hills, California-Nevada Border, Nevada

Distance: 2.1 miles total, 0.2 miles technical

Elevation Gain: 1200 feet

Time Required: 4-6 hours

Rappels: At least 5 (up to 7), lengths up to 75 feet

Red Tape/Notes: No shuttle required (done as a loop); the route is described in Rick Ianniello’s Las Vegas Slots book – get it here. Basic information (including the gps coordinates for the trailhead), can be found on ropewiki.com here. As always in these areas, keep an eye out for rattlesnakes (I had a face-off with one that lasted way too long in my opinion).

What’s Nearby?: Jubilee Mine, Pioneer Saloon, Zzyzx, Desperado Canyon, Turtle Tears Canyon

We had intended to do Turtle Tears Canyon when we originally came here. But then Tom crashed his drone flying it up Ladder of Doom, so we changed plans and decided to come down Ladder of Doom while keeping an eye out for the drone on the way (we did find the drone eventually, in case you wondered). It was easy enough to find the ascent route and the canyon, although if you’re used to descriptions as detailed as you find on bluugnome, you’ll find Rick Ianniello’s route descriptions to be a little sparse. I suspect he does this on purpose – it’s plenty of information for people who belong on these routes while still preserving some sense of adventure.

Speaking of adventure, this canyon can be completed pretty quickly and provides a nice rapid-fire series of rappels, ending on a 75 foot free-hanging rappel. The majority of the canyon is pretty wide, but once you’re at the bottom there’s a nice, narrow slot with the namesake sketchy ladder at the back. There are also some interesting shallow caves and arch formations along the upper walls of the canyon that you can hike up to and explore.

Epic Travel → North America → Mountain States → Nevada →  ⊗ Ladder of Doom Canyon