Slollicum Creek

GETTING THERE

Take Exit 135 off of Trans Canada Highway 1 onto BD-9 (Agassiz-Rosedale Highway) north.  Drive 30 miles to Harrison Hot Springs and turn right onto Rockwell Drive. In 3.2 miles, take the left fork onto Hicks Lake Road. In 0.7 mile, take the left fork onto Harrison East Forest Service Road and continue for 4.1 miles to where the bridge crosses Slollicum Creek. Park exit vehicle(s) here, and look upstream to check waterflow and admire the last big falls. To reach the start of the approach, drive back the way you came for 1 mile and turn left onto the first logging road. Drive down the logging road for 0.1 mile, take the left fork, and continue 0.5 mile to the Slollicum Peak Trailhead.

APPROACH

Hike the Slollicum Peak Trail for 0.4 mile to its junction with a logging road. Follow the trail/logging road for 1.2 miles, taking a spur to the left which leads to Slollicum Creek. The elevation gain on the approach is 1,220 feet.

DESCENT 

Slollicum Creek is rarely descended.  Any group going through should be prepared with the knowledge, skills and equipment to inspect and rebuild all anchors, including both bolted anchors and natural anchors.

DCL = Down Canyon Left, DCC = Down Canyon Center, DCR = Down Canyon Right

• Rappel 1- 6 m from DCL tree.
• Jump or Slide - 3 m through the flow.
• Rappel 2 - 7 m from DCR tree.
• Rappel 3 - 12 m from DCR tree.
• Jump - 8 m into a deep pool, landing past the whitewater to avoid an underwater ledge. Rappel 4 bolts are at the far side of the pool.
• Rappel 4 - 15 m from DCR unlinked bolts
• Rappel 5 - 20 m from high DCL tree
• Rappel 6 - 8 m traverse line or rappel from DCL tree to access Rappel 7 anchor at the edge of the drop
• Rappel 7 - 40 m from DCL unlinked bolts into a deep pool
• Rappel 8 - first pitch of Upper Slollicum Creek Falls, 35 m from DCR rock pinch to a hanging rebelay with no feet in the DCR edge of the flow.
• Rappel 9 - second pitch of Upper Slollicum Creek Falls, 55m from DCR unlinked bolts.
• Rappel 10 - 15 m from DCL unlinked bolts.
• Rappel 11 - 17 m from giant log spanning the creek.
• Rappel 12 -15 m from DCR single bolt.
• Rappel 13 - first pitch of Middle Slollicum Creek Falls, 22 m from log spanning the creek to a hanging rebelay on a sloping ledge DCL.
• Rappel 14 - second pitch of Middle Slollicum Creek Falls, 30 m from DCL unlinked bolts.
• Rappel 15 - third pitch of Middle Slollicum Creek Falls, 35 m from DCC unlinked bolts between two streams of the flow. Short boulder scramble to the next drop.
• Rappel 16 - 30 m from DCR log.
• Rappel 17 - first pitch of Lower Slollicum Creek Falls, 4 m traverse line or rappel from DCR unlinked bolts to access Rappel 18 anchor at the edge of the drop. Please assess rockfall risk here and re-rig an anchor off tree to rappel directly to Rappel 19 anchor if questionable.
• Rappel 18 - second pitch of Lower Slollicum Creek Falls, 20 m from DCR unlinked bolts 
• Rappel 19 - third pitch of Lower Slollicum Creek Falls, 50 m from DCR unlinked bolts into a deep pool. Scramble and boulder-hop a short ways downcanyon. We took the DCL dry gully. It would also be possible to follow the watercourse, although the drop(s) would be different than what’s noted below.
• Rappel 20 - 30 m rappel from DCL small tree.

EXIT

Exit the creek just before the bridge via a social trail DCR and scramble up to the vehicles.

EQUIPMENT

Standard canyoning gear including webbing, a wrench, and replacement quick links. 

TRIP PROFILE

• Rappels: 20
• Longest Rappel: 75 meters (250 feet)
• Approach: 2.7 km (1.7 miles)
• Exit: None 
• Time: 7-9 hours total

NOTES

• This canyon is rated v5a4III from mid-August through September (before fall rains).
• Slollicum Creek is rarely descended.  Any group going through should be prepared with the knowledge, skills and equipment to inspect and rebuild all anchors, including both bolted anchors and natural anchors.
• For updated information and recent trip reports from the community, visit the Slollicum Creek (Upper) web page on Ropewiki.

Information for Leaders

Considerations for travel to Canada

• Start by reviewing the latest regulations. Look for information on border crossing and travel to Canada on these websites:
  
  • U.S. Customs and Border Protection
  • U.S. Department of Homeland Security
  • WSDOT (Washington State Department of Transportation)
  • Government of Canada
• Everyone must have a passport or other valid ID like a NEXUS card.
• NEXUS cards can save a lot of time but only work if everyone in the car has one.
• Make sure your vehicle insurance is valid for Canada.
• Make sure your health insurance is valid for Canada.
• Border crossing regulations are strict in both directions. Know what you’re allowed to take and declare everything to avoid problems.
• You may be able to save time by checking alternate border crossings.
• See the Travel Industry Council of Ontario's 9 Travel Tips for Crossing the Canadian/U.S. Land Border blog post for some good tips on traveling to Canada.

• Suitable Activities: Canyoning
• Seasons: August, September
• Weather: View weather forecast

• Difficulty: Intermediate Canyon
• Length: 2.4 mi

• Land Manager: British Columbia Recreation
• Parking Permit Required: see Land Manager
• Recommended Party Size: 6
• Maximum Party Size: 12
• Maximum Route/Place Capacity: 12