Das Boot, Zion National Park

LOGISTICS
Rating	3B III
Preferred Season	Summer or fall
Time Commitment	7 to 12 hours including The Subway
Longest Rappel	60 feet (20 m)
Access	If continuing through The Subway, requires car spot, shuttle service or short hitchhike.
Permit Required?	YES - Separate permits are required for The Subway and Das Boot.  Quota and group size limits are considerably smaller for Das Boot, and the Das Boot permit, too, can be hard to get. It is listed on the reservation page as "Upper Left Fork (Das Boot)". Reservations for each are made separately, however, the two action permits are combined into a SuperPermit that only requires one permit fee.
Emergency	Zion Wilderness Desk: 435-772-0170 Zion EMERGENCY: 435-772-3322
Seasonal   Adjustments	See Subway (from the Top) seasonal adjustments, but exposure to cold water is considerably longer than in The Subway.
EQUIPMENT
Essentials	Helmets, rappelling gear, webbing and rapid links.
Cold Water   Protection	Full wetsuits or drysuits. Drybags for your gear.
Drinking Water	Clear spring water available to filter once in the drainage.
DIFFICULTIES
Flash Flood Risk	High - The upper section of the canyon is long and unrelenting, with no high ground or exit.
Skills Required	Careful navigation is required to enter the canyon at the right spot.  Long exposure to cold water.
Anchors	Primarily natural anchors.

Das Boot is a variation on the Subway from the Top, and most parties will descend Das Boot and continue down The Subway. The Park manages the two areas separately, so different rules apply in the two sections. Some Das Boot parties will find a permit for The Subway unavailable, in which case you can hike out The Subway approach, but it is steeply uphill and very hot in summer.

The Approach

Hiking From the Wildcat Canyon trailhead, follow the trail 30 minutes past the first trail junction (The Hop Valley Connector), then right (South) at the second trail toward Northgate Peaks. Follow this a short way (about 2 minutes) before leaving the trail to the left and dropping into a slickrock bowl. There is a prominent, unmaintained, but well-cairned trail along this entire "backcountry" route. IF you are not following a prominent trail, you are getting lost. Hike down slickrock into a beautiful forest. Follow the trail through the forest and out onto a ridge that then heads left, dropping into Russell Gulch.

This is where the Das Boot variation heads off from the usual Subway path. Pay attention! Careful navigation is essential. Looking down from the ridge, note a slickrock pass above the usual slickrock pass. Descend and cross Russell Gulch, then climb to the higher slickrock pass. From there, climb straight up and slightly right to gain a bench. Cross the corner of the bench and descend shallow gullies heading southeast toward a complex of gullies and ridges toward the Left Fork visible ahead. Make sure there is a substantial ridge on your right. Work your way down trying to avoid difficulties (3rd class) to a canyon bottom. Follow the canyon past some brushy sections, some sandy sections and some slickrock sections to where it drops into the Left Fork. Avoid rappelling in by traversing upcanyon on an easy, narrow ledge about 40 feet above the canyon floor, to where a steep brushy slope descends 40 feet to the bottom of the canyon.

The narrows begin immediately so wade on in. Wade, swim, climb, rappel, etc. for about 2 hours. It is beautiful and challenging down there, and even on a brutally hot day, pleasantly cold in Das Boot. The end of Das Boot is a 30 foot waterfall, with a large ledge on the right. Rappel the waterfall directly off a logjam or chockstone. There used to be a tree off to the right, but it expired. Downcanyon 100 yards (100 m) is the intersection with the regular Subway route. (If short on time, one can ascend the regular Subway start, rather than completing the Subway). Enjoy The Subway or the exit.

If exiting before The Subway, walk up Russell Gulch 100 yards (100m) and find The Subway approach trail as it descends on the right side. Follow the trail (well-cairned) back to the Northgate Peaks trail and the Wildcat Canyon trailhead. It is steeply uphill, and longer than you might expect.

 

If continuing through The Subway, use the canyon description for The Subway.

PDF Canyon Guide A printable canyon description and map you can take with you.

Zion: Canyoneering Have all Zion's classic canyons in one convenient book.

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Subway Area Driving Map	Detailed Route Maps Click on any map to browse a larger view, then right-click to save and print.
Upper Subway Map	Subway Variations

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Deluxe Maps Deluxe maps are available in two formats: • 1 Mb files in the Map Download Center, designed for printing on 11" x 17" paper  • Canyoneering Maps for Purchase in the Canyoneering USA Store. Printed maps are 13" x 19", nicely presented on 24 lb. white paper.

Left and Right Forks

Author's Experience

I first visited Das Boot in 2001 using beta supplied by Steve Ramras, and has visited it every year or every-other year since then. 

Das Boot and The Subway, 7/14/05 - A cool respite during Bake Fest '05, with Denise Manweiler, Eric Godfrey, and Jim Schnepel.
Das Boot and The Subway, 4/25/08 - Tom, Sarah Stratton and Karen from Chicago barely avoid catastrophe.

Exterior Links

Trip Reports

Das Boot, 8/4/07 - Dan Ransom and a group of characters from uutah.com (aka Bogley) descend Das Boot and The Subway.

Stories

Das Boot, November 1998 - This Dave Pitney adventure is one of the best Canyon Tales -- a must-read for every canyoneer preparing to descend Das Boot.

Alternative Descriptions

The Subway, Chris Brennen
Das Boot, BluuGnome
The Subway, Joe Braun

• Gear up for Das Boot Gear up for Das Boot
• In the depths of Das Boot In the depths of Das Boot
• Remnants of an Elk Remnants of an Elk
• Rapping beyond the elk Rapping beyond the elk
• Last Rap in Das Boot Last Rap in Das Boot
• Into Russell Gulch Into Russell Gulch
• Last rap in Russell Gulch Last rap in Russell Gulch
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