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Stretched Pebble Canyon difficulty?
#1
Can anyone report on the first major obstacle in Stretched Pebble Canyon?  From the few photos I’ve seen it is a dryfall with an overhanging chock stone that I think is bypassed by climbing a wall on the right of the canyon.  I’m wondering first if that is correct, and second what that bypass climb is like as far as steepness, holds and exposure.  Some of the later obstacles seem to be not tragically high chutes that can be chimneyed in a way I’m familiar and comfortable with so it’s this first one I’m most worried about.

Thanks!
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#2
(2021-12-02, 03:15 PM)DVexile Wrote: Can anyone report on the first major obstacle in Stretched Pebble Canyon?  

Here are some helpful links. I've yet to explore this popular destination. Best wishes.

https://www.americansouthwest.net/slot_c...anyon.html

Here's a fellow climbing up the dry fall you're wondering about.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wrZO6jZ2xrQ

And one about the geology of the canyon.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAyfTHKqq2w
Life begins in Death Valley
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#3
If I recall correctly, the bypass on the right (west) side for the chockstone dry-fall early on in the canyon is relatively straightforward, I think you climb up a steep side-drainage then cross over the solid rock canyon wall, and yes there's exposure but the rock has good traction (more like Utah sandstone than anything too slick) and I think I opted to just "crab-walk" across. I found it considerably easier than the chimney dry-falls (could be personal preference though), and I recall being less nervous than I was on the bypass for the first major dry-fall in Grotto. But this was over 10 years ago so my memory could be lacking. Also, I think there is a second chockstone dry-fall considerably further up-canyon that's a lot more challenging to bypass than this first one. I vaguely remember having to stand on the chockstone when coming off the bypass and the chockstone was wobbling which was a bit scary.

If you do this hike, please share photos! I haven't found a trip report anywhere that documents all of the dry-falls in the early part of the canyon but that would probably be very beneficial to future visitors to the canyon.
Link to my DV trip reports, and map of named places in DV (official and unofficial): http://kaurijacobphotography.yolasite.com
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#4
@DeathValleyDazed - Thanks! I found those as well. This is a good one too: https://birdandhike.com/Hike/DEVA/Str_Pe...Pebble.htm

@Kauri - Thanks! That's just the kind of description I was looking for. Sounds like the kind of thing I'm comfortable with so worth hiking in for a first hand look and attempt. My understanding was that some of the later obstacles I'd likely turn around at but I am hoping to avoid turning around at the very first one! I'll hopefully return with photos to share.
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#5
My experience in Stretched Pebble was that the first fall had a relatively easy, solid bypass. The second fall had a much sketchier bypass that was a pretty loose/crumbly climb. If you're comfortable chimney climbing, that is a good fall for that. I can't remember if the second part of the second fall was climbable or not. I took the bypass up and the falls down.
Check out my travel blog: www.pocketsfullofdust.com
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#6
Just to not leave the thread hanging, in the end I didn't make it to Stretched Pebble this trip. The forecast for the day was potentially rainy and I didn't want to be chimneying wet rocks so I did another hike instead. Naturally the forecast didn't pan out and it was perfectly dry so I could have done it, but that's desert weathering forecasting! Thanks again to everyone for the help, I'll get it done in a future trip for sure.
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