Titanium Chalupa

Titanium Chalupa is a unique full-day canyon in the eastern outskirts of the Santa Rosa Wilderness. A polished granite hallway leads to a prominent, broken headwall, followed by several smaller rappels. The section of long rappels near the top affords views of nearby Plutonium Nopales Canyon. A short walk through the wash below features some interesting exposed bedrock and two more rappels before the confluence with (nontechnical) Agua Alta Canyon.

A high-clearance 4x4 vehicle is all but mandatory to reach the closest legal parking area for this canyon. The 'gatekeeper' obstacle is a steep ditch entry and exit at the start of the 4x4 approach track. From Avenue 66, turn left onto Van Buren and head south on a dirt road between plots of date palms until you reach an intersection at approximately 33.55497, -116.198465. Turn right on the dirt road, pass two locked gates, and enter the wash via the aforementioned ditch crossing. Follow a faint jeep trail 4.6 miles through the wash towards Martinez Canyon and park just before the signed wilderness boundary at 33.51410, -116.23190. The approach hike begins gradually but should not be underestimated, especially in hot weather. Expect full sun exposure on the approach, and significant, occasionally exposed, boulder hopping for the final 600 vertical feet of elevation gain. On a clear day, beautiful views of the Salton Sea to the east reward your efforts. From the parking area, head northwest along the remains of a 4x4 track. At approximately 33.52395, -116.26356, the tire tracks give way to washouts. Continue up the wash for approximately a quarter of a mile, then bear north up a small drainage until you reach a saddle at approximately 33.53062, -116.27751. Here the ascent begins in earnest. Choose the path of least resistance up the steep slope to the northwest, passing a false summit, until you gain the ridge. Follow the ridge to its confluence with the obvious drainage that parallels it to the north, and enter the Titanium Chalupa drainage across the small saddle immediately to the west. The upper portion of the drainage above the drop-in does not appear to hold anything of technical interest.

The remaining two rappels lie approximately three-quarters of a mile down canyon from the base of R5, just before the confluence with the main Agua Alta wash. All rappel lengths are approximate.