hikeaneer

It was an unseasonably cold day in October of 2025 when we embarked on an expedition in a remote corner of Capitol Reef NP. Capitol Reef is the most under-appreciated of Utah’s national parks, with scenery comparable to Zion but without the crowds. Solitude is easy to come by, especially if you’re off the beaten path. Our goal for the day was to complete a hikeaneering route called the “Wingate Wander”, which spans two canyons, covers 10 miles of technical terrain with 1500 feet of elevation gain and requires wetsuits, technical gear, and a large dose of fortitude. This route is done so infrequently that one cannot rely on existing anchors or previous trip reports, so it has a very first-descent vibe to it. Beta is available here: Wingate Wander - ropewiki. We began our day at 9am after an hour-and-a-half drive from our base in the North Wash [...]