Leprachaun Canyon - Middle Fork, Top Down, North Wash, San Rafael Swell, Tight Slot Canyon Squeeze

Leprechaun Canyon in the North Wash area of the San Rafael Swell is south of the little town of Hanksville and north of Hite Marina on Lake Powell. The canyon is extremely tight. In fact, I wasn't able to film the tightest, most claustrophobic passages in Leprechaun because they were just too constricted to pull out my camera and film. Or, the climbing was too difficult to have a hand available to film with.
This is the Middle Fork of the Leprechaun, there's also a Left and Right Fork of the canyon as well. According to what I've read the Middle Fork is tightest of these variations, but lets be honest, you need to be comfortable in tight spaces to enjoy any of these slots. Bring a cool head and patient approach to this adventure - there were times where I was fighting back panic.
There are several rappels (though only 15 meters or less) and while they may be able to be downclimbed by very confident canyon veterans, I was happy to have a rope. In my opinion, its not the rappels that make this squeeze-fest challenging. It's the constant climbing, chimneying, grinding, and promise of unknown obstacles that make this such a grand adventure.
Expect to get beat up. And to feel relieved when you finish. This channel includes a lot of kid-friendly adventures. This is not one of those.
Also, pack light. I had some camera gear, a drone, a harness, a 30 meter rope, a lunch and a water bottle in my pack. It was way too much. My pack felt like a pig weighing my down, especially on the second half of the day. Only take what you need and share the load with a partner.
Road Trip Ryan has an excellent and technically accurate description of the canyon on his site. Thanks to him for the great info! https://www.roadtripryan.com/go/t/uta...
Richard Pattison has a great YouTube video of the canyon as well. I recommend checking out these resources before you go!    • Leprechaun Canyon, North Wash, Utah