Black Rock Gorge
Summary
A long, deep committing canyon, one of the best in the UK.
Canyon Descent:
73m
Highest Drop:
46m
Canyon Length:
1.7km
Minimum Ropes:
2X 50m
Flood Risk:
EXTREME
Access Type:
Public
Rock Type:
Conglomerate
Catchment:
⚠️ 30km2
Duration: in, down and out:
IN: 40 mins DOWN: 4hrs OUT: 10 mins
Anchors
Bolted
Notes
Only attempt at low flow, very committing trip. Dam up stream than can cause flash floods without warning. The rock is conglomerate, all walls are very loose, rocks can easily be knocked into the gorge. several escape ropes (between 40-50m each) are recommended incase levels begin to rise.
Description
Approach by Car: (Unknown)
Approach by foot: (Unknown)
Canyon entry: (Unknown)
Canyon descent: (Unknown)
Exit: (Unknown)
Escapes: (Unknown)
First Decent: (Unknown)
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Have You Descended This Canyon Recently?
If so we would love to hear from you in the comment section below! Let the whole community know more about this canyon, Information such as time taken to: approach, descend and exit are extremely helpful, as well as any new hazards you may have come across whilst canyoning at this location.
If any information on this page is missing, incorrect or out of date, please get in contact with us directly so we can rectify as soon as possible.
Disclaimer
No responsibility or liability is taken for any harm, death or loss of property from using the information found on Canyon Log. Topo features, descriptions and notes may not be accurate and could be misleading. You must carry anchor building materials, be experienced and use your own judgement when canyoning. Flooding can completely change the layout, features and conditions. Insufficient experience may result in death.
![](https://i0.wp.com/canyonlog.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/image.png?w=1200&ssl=1)
External – Descended on 23rd May 2023. Group of 3, 5hrs descent time. “We left the entry rappel in place and retrieved later. The log jams made for a strenuous day out, and the high flow required a lot of caution in sections. We slung logs a few times for anchors. Seems to be a more recent large tree down in the canyon toward the end. The exit ladder is damaged (by a downed tree), but still easy to exit. Cold and tiring, but beautiful and challenging. Don’t underestimate this canyon.”
Attempted to descend on the 3/9/2023. Unfortunately after getting in the river we assessed the conditions to be too high to make a safe descent. There is a large volume of water that passes through this gorge with multiple log jams throughout. For reference the River level at Alness was 0.45m at the time. We had no rain in the 4 days leading up to the attempted descent. Photos have been taken by abseiling in multiple different points in the gorge.