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Cypress Creek


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Cypress Creek

A Basic Canyon, usually rated v3a3II in normal flows, that is an easily accessible canyon in Cypress Provincial Park in Canada's West Vancouver, British Columbia. With four enjoyable rappels and some playful jumps, Cypress Creek has a wonderful slot feeling to it and is a great canyon for beginners.

GETTING THERE

Take Exit 4 off of Canada Highway 1, west of Vancouver, and turn right onto Woodgreen Drive. You'll soon find yourself in a complex residential neighborhood, and it's easy to get lost. There are a number of signs pointing to Cypress Falls Park to help keep you on track. Follow Woodgreen Drive up the hill and take the third right, onto Woodgreen Place. In ~500 feet continue onto a gravel road, which leads to the dirt parking lot.

APPROACH

Follow the trail through the field, leading directly out of the parking lot, and bear left as it turns into the woods. There is a high option and a low option, but both lead to the Cypress Falls overlook, the top of the 4th and final rappel, and the bridge that crosses the creek shortly thereafter.

After crossing the creek, continue to follow the trail uphill, more or less following the creek, for ~10 min. It eventually veers away from the creek and leads to a gate and a quarry road. Turn left up the road, passing a yellow gate, onto a gravel road. Start counting telephone poles. Just before the second telephone pole, the trail continue into the woods on the right. From here, the trail is flagged, opens up into a field of sorts, and connects with an old logging road. Continue to follow flagging. The flagging may lead you along the road or onto a trail in the woods just below the road. When the road turns upwards into the woods, head left. Arrive at a vegetated rock outcropping that overlooks the creek. To the right there are some fixed lines that help canyoners descend to the creek. The is the drop-in.

DESCENT 

Cypress Creek has four rappels, the longest of which is 100 feet (30 m), and several short jumps, with a 12-foot jump at the end. All rappels end in a swimming release. It is possible to escape between the first and second rappels, and between the third and fourth rappels. The fourth rappel, which is the most challenging, can be optional, as the trail is adjacent to the top of it. With a few short 5-foot jumps early on, which are all optional, Cypress Creek offers a good progression for beginners to practice jumping before arriving at the 12-foot jump at the end.

The rock in Cypress Creek is quite sharp, so it's important that those managing the rappels take steps to manage rope abrasion by padding or creeping the rope.

  • Rappel 1: 40 ft (15 m) from bolts DCL (Down Canyon Left) into deep pool. There are bolts for a hand line installed, and although it's a short distance, it can protect the rigger at a high exposure anchor. There was once webbing set as a fixed hand line which has since deteriorated, but rigging a retrievable hand line will help minimize impact long term. This rappel is in the flow. At low to moderate levels, the rappeller should cross the flow to the ledge on rappeller's left, then continue the descent to the left of the log. At higher flows, the rappeller is best off staying between the logs.
  • Rappel 2: 70 ft (25 m) from bolts DCL. This is a two stage rappel. Stage one is into a deep pothole that requires some awkward roped swimming to cross, followed by stage two which is a slippery vertical rappel. Staying rappeller's left in the groove can help avoid slipping. Note that as of 2018, there is a pair of bolts above the pothole, so that at high water the team can rig the two stages separately. This is unnecessary at low to moderate flows, and the rope pull is just fine despite going around a corner. Down climb a log jam and find Rappel 3 in ~100 feet.
  • Rappel 3: 60 ft (20m) from bolts DCL. These bolted anchors are exposed, but the footing is good. This may be the prettiest rappel in the canyon, into a beautiful granite alcove. You can choose to stay on the side of the flow or directly in it (but not out of it)
  • Rappel 4: 100 ft (30 m) from bolts DCR. This is the rooster tail rappel visible from the Cypress Falls overlook. At low water, there is no rooster tail, but the rappel is still sporty. Traverse around the base of the overlook to find bolts DCR. Access to the bolts is quite exposed, so a meat anchor hand line is not a bad idea. This rappel is in the flow the entire way and ends in a short but powerful constriction, just before arriving in the pool and coming off rappel.

Continue down the creek for another 15 min or so, and encounter a 12-foot jump from an easy flat launch. While there is plenty of anchor material to rig a rappel, jumping is more efficient and fun!

EXIT

After the final jump, follow the creek for another ~10 min until you see an obvious trail heading up to the right into the woods. This trail is used by more than just canyoners - its creek access for visitors. Follow the trail up the steep embankment for ~10 min, and intersect with the main trail. Head left on the main trail, and you'll be back at your car in another 5 min.

EQUIPMENT

Standard canyoning gear including replacement webbing and quick links. A hand line is useful.

TRIP PROFILE

  • Rappels: 4
  • Longest Rappel: 98 feet
  • Approach: ~1 mile
  • Exit: ~0.5 mile
  • Time: 4-6 hours total

NOTES

  • This canyon is rated v3a3II at moderate-low water levels, and v3a4II in early to mid-season. 
  • For more information and recent trip reports from the community, visit the Cypress Creek listing at ropewiki.

information for leaders

  • Difficulty: Basic Canyon
  • Length: 1.5 mi
  • Elevation Gain: 600 ft
  • Land Manager: Cypress Provincal Park
  • Parking Permit Required: None
  • Recommended Party Size: 8
  • Maximum Party Size: 12
  • Maximum Route/Place Capacity: 12
Map
  • CNTS North Vancouver 92G/06
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