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Page Type:
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Trip Report |
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Date Climbed/Hiked:
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Feb 20, 2015 |
Activities:
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Hiking |
Season:
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Winter |
Tanriverdi Falls hike
Tanriverdi Falls is one of the crown jewels of the Santa Ana Mountains, and probably seen by only a handful of people each decade. There is no trail and no easy way to get there. I considered the long approach from the bottom of Hot Spring Canyon, coming from Chiquito Basin (heavy poison oak), Los Pinos ridge, and the north ridge of Old Sugarloaf, but decided descending from the top of the canyon was still the best. Jerry Schad's Afoot and Afield in Orange County covers the hike from the bottom, a 9 hour round trip according to his write up. It also covers the hike to the second waterfall from the top, but not the wild mid-canyon section below it. I had hiked to the second waterfall in 2013 and scouted above it. The difference this time was the conviction to make it to the big falls. I would not recommend making an attempt without conviction. In fact, having done it, I don't recommend any attempt unless you are a skilled canyoneer. It is difficult and dangerous and for about an hour I was genuinely concerned that I would not make it out.I am not a canyoneer, so I descended to Tanriverdi Falls and returned up canyon to the trailhead using no ropes. For each waterfall I could not downclimb, my strategy was to find a bypass left or right, or scale the canyon wall high enough that I could traverse past it. Most of the rocks in the canyon are worn as smooth as glass from the water so down climbing the bigger falls was a non-starter. I used the names from the original report, matching up what I saw with their pictures and descriptions to the best of my ability. There were two falls they left unnamed (2nd falls from top, falls just prior to Tanriverdi) so I used my own names for those.
Upper Hot Spring Falls
Gut Check Falls (2nd Falls)
Single Track Falls
Sled Falls
Dread Lock Falls? (not sure)
Ohh Baby Pool
One of the bypass routes I used
BJs Landing
Preview Falls
Tanriverdi Falls
At Tanriverdi Falls
This was the toughest route finding I have ever faced, the nastiest bushwhacking, and probably the most dangerous I hike I've done. Was it worth it? Maybe, but only because I got out alive. Fair warning, I can't recommend this hike, unless you crave danger with a side of masochism. It would be a lot easier to rappel down the falls than bypass them, so I leave it to the canyoneers.