Hidden Haven (WI4, II) is a unique four pitch ice adventure, ascending a tight slot canyon feature in Parowan Canyon, Utah. Bobbi Clemmer and I climbed the route on our way home from Joshua Tree – January 28th, 2025.
While editing photos from the second half of our Joshua Tree trip, I stumbled across these snaps of Hidden Haven, a unique four pitch ice adventure through a tight slot canyon feature in Parowan Canyon, Utah. Over the years Bobbi and I have dabbled in technical canyoneering, and often lament not doing more. Well, climbing Hidden Haven is like reverse canyoneering… in winter… on ice! It’s difficult to understate the majesty of a deep blue waterfall ice climb nestled into a sandstone canyon. After a rather benign 30 minute approach through high-desert forest and a frozen riverbed, the generous first pitch jumps forward from an otherwise multi-hundred foot red rock wall. We were instantly captivated. Unlike some of the uber-ephemeral ice climbs of Zion National Park, which typically involve sustained climbing on brutally anemic smears fed by finicky melt-freeze conditions, Hidden Haven benefits from year round water, forming with reliable juiciness at a moderate grade. After two weeks of heady traditional climbing in the ego guillotine of Joshua Tree, an adventure rooted in mysticism and scenery, rather than difficulty and steely nerves, suited our tastes. In Hidden Haven, that’s exactly what we found.
Love Ten Thousand Too Far? Support independent mountain journalism with $5.10 per month through Patreon (and receive extra bonus content), or with a one-time donation. Any and all support is greatly appreciated.
All four pitches have their magic, but the premier pitches are the first and fourth. Pitch one is the perfect warm-up, a sustained and straightforward 50 foot wall of WI3. Pitches two and three are shorties, WI2 and WI2+ respectively, twisting through tight pinches in a progressively narrowing slot. On pitch three I used palm presses on the smoothest of smooth orange sandstone to work through a particularly thin step – reverse canyoneering. The final pitch is the ultimate prize, a steep and narrow 100 foot ice vein exiting an bottle-like cave feature, providing an echo for every swing. While this pitch has been officially stamped WI4, I’m hard pressed to imagine WI4 caliber ice ever forms given the less than vertical steepness of the chute beneath. Our conditions provided two distinct difficulties: a strange mini-roof feature halfway up with a few moves of technical stemming off the glazed wall on climber’s right, and severe candling like I’ve never seen before, requiring tenuous clearing for secure tool placements. Oh… and just like all candled pitches, protection was dubious at best. Snapping a crampon toe-bail on lead was a third difficulty, but fortunately I was in a good enough stance to place and dangle from a screw, and tag one of Bobbi’s crampons up. Lesson learned: replace crampon toe bails annually. This one was three years old and showing early signs of rust – user error.
Four single-rope rappels from fixed anchors saw us from the grips of Hidden Haven to our gear stash beneath pitch one. 30 minutes later we were at the car, and eight hours later we were tucked into bed in Teton Valley, Idaho. We both concurred Hidden Haven was the most unique place we’d swung an ice tool, leaving us inspired to explore other icy slot canyons in years to come.
A Little More Beta
Hidden Haven is poorly documented on the internet, so I figured I would provide a little extra beta. The climb is located about 15-30 minutes east of Parowan, Utah, a small town with few services. Park at the Hidden Haven Trailhead (to Benson Creek Waterfalls) on the north side of the road. The approach is about 15-30 minutes with minimal elevation gain. Once the trail peters out, follow the hopefully frozen riverbed. The first pitch has bolted anchors on the right and left side. Pitches two and three have bolted anchors, and pitch four uses a large tree on climber’s right. A single 70M rope was barely adequate for us – tie knots, or bring a second rope! In thin conditions pitch one can be bypassed via a steep bolt ladder, but if the first pitch isn’t in… is it really worth it? Ice screws should be the sole protection for an ascent in worthwhile conditions. A competent party can complete the route car-to-car in a leisurely half day, or a speedy few hours.
Want to support? Consider a donation, subscribe, or simply support our sponsors listed below.
Ten Thousand Too Far is generously supported by Icelantic Skis from Golden Colorado, Range Meal Bars, The High Route, Black Diamond Equipment and Barrels & Bins Natural Market.
subscribe for new article updates – no junk ever
DISCLAIMER
Ski mountaineering, rock climbing, ice climbing and all other forms of mountain recreation are inherently dangerous. Should you decide to attempt anything you read about in this article, you are doing so at your own risk! This article is written to the best possible level of accuracy and detail, but I am only human – information could be presented wrong. Furthermore, conditions in the mountains are subject to change at any time. Ten Thousand Too Far and Brandon Wanthal are not liable for any actions or repercussions acted upon or suffered from the result of this article’s reading.
Ten Thousand Too Far 
You guys sure do live a cool life!
LikeLike