Climbing to the Bottom of Mooney Falls with Kids!

We did it! I had nightmares for months before doing this climb with the kids, but we all survived!

The decision to take our kids down to Mooney Falls was not made lightly. Neither was the decision to take them to Havasu Canyon at all.

Graham and I first discovered this magical place in 2011 while on a road trip across the USA. We were able to get permits again in 2012 and went with Graham’s sister and brother-in-law. Through hearing our stories and seeing our pictures, Graham’s parents’ caught the Havasu bug and wanted to visit someday after his mom had knee surgery. We couldn’t believe we’d have to let them go without us, but our kids were 1 and 3 at the time and the thought of bringing them was out of the question for us. I semi-jokingly asked my parents if they’d take the kids so we could join Graham’s parents, to which they replied, “We want to come with you!”

It was 2 whole years before Nana’s knee surgery was scheduled and at that point our kids were 3 and 5. For the first time, the thought of bringing our kids to Havasu seemed exciting, not terrifying. We began to talk seriously about it (Can they hike that far? Is it too much to ask of them? Will they be safe enough around the rushing water? Is Lincoln’s asthma controlled enough to be somewhere with no access to medical care?). As we worked through these questions, we felt a peace and excitement at the thought of doing this trip as a family (with both sets of grandparents!!). We secured our permits on Feb 1st, 2019 (which was a nightmare of its own!) and started to plan our trip.

We trained like crazy, and over the next 8 months fully prepared for our 3 week road trip!

It still took us a few months to decide that we would be bringing our kids to the bottom of Mooney Falls. For those of you who have never been, Mooney is a 200ft waterfall that is accessible at the bottom only by making your way down the side of a cliff through a series of caves, chains and stakes driven into the rock. It is really only the last 60-80 feet that is a challenge, but it is slippery and very exposed. (Graham’s description of it would be “it’s fine.”). Could we skip this part of the experience and just enjoy the other waterfalls and the campground? Yes, and it would be wonderful, but we’ve been to the bottom before and explored the cascading creek down to Beaver Falls and I’ve never seen anything like it. So, if it was possible, we wanted to do it! We talked about bringing harnesses for the kids and rigging something up, but weight and space were limited. Eventually we decided that Graham would help the kids down, one at a time, and if at any point we felt we were doing something unsafe, we would turn around.

Graham is fearless and I’m a worrier. Overall we balance each other out well, but sometime it just means that he’s irritated by my caution and I’m anxious over his dauntlessness. I spent time messaging families who had brought older kids down to Mooney and going over the scenario in my mind. I wish I could have just let it go, but I needed to feel ok with it before we made the climb.

As adults, we are constantly evaluating our surroundings and making decisions about our lives. We get to evaluate our own risk vs. reward factor – is the risk I have to take here worth the reward that will come? Skydiving, free climbing, surfing, or just saying hello to a stranger… they all have their own risks, and we get to decide if the reward is worth it. As parents, we are often making these decisions for our kids. There comes a point though where the risk is so high that we have to consider whether or not we should be making that decision for another human being. If a child is too young to know that an activity might be putting their life at risk, not knowing the full meaning of death, should we as parents be putting our kids in those situations? I don’t think so. As this relates to climbing down Mooney, I had to come to the point where I did not think their lives were at risk. Yes, the climb was dangerous and in the event of a fall, the results could be catastrophic, but the possibility of that was very unlikely. I had the facts – I’ve never heard of anyone falling or dying while making this climb, our kids are experienced hikers and rock climbers and I trust Graham’s ability and strength if a problem were to arise. And so, we decided to do it!

Did I still question our decision? Yes. Did I sleep the night before we went? Not really. As we walked to the falls, did I make Graham promise me once again that he would have the sense to turn back if things got too sketchy? Heck yes!

The climb itself was great… for Graham and the kids! Graham went down first with Lincoln and then Graham’s dad went with Clara. The kids did great. Except for a spot or two where their legs were too short to reach, they did the climb by themselves (with a death grip on them from Graham or Papa at all times!). I let the kids get ahead of me so I could just pretend they weren’t there and that all of this wasn’t happening. In previous years when I had climbed down, Graham had helped me with foot placement and general encouragement. This time I was on my own, with my babies on the cliff below me. There was a time or two where I felt myself slipping into hysteria, but I chose instead to remember the facts, sing a happy song and just concentrate on getting myself to the bottom! My mom and dad were next after me. Mom is terrified of heights, but she was determined to make the climb. This was the most challenging thing she has ever done and, despite wanting to turn back a couple times, she fought through her fears and made it to the bottom!

The rest of the day was everything we dreamed it would be. An oasis in the canyon. Miles of cascading waterfalls. Turquoise water to swim in. A jungle in the middle of Arizona. We hiked and played in the stream all the way to Beaver Falls and all the way back. The climb up was a little bit better, but I still felt a wave of relief come over me when we all reached the top.

Would I do this again? Yes, in a heartbeat! Would I recommend you take your kids here? No, but I also wouldn’t recommend against it. You know your kids, you know what you’re capable of and I’ll let you make that decision. The tribe doesn’t recommend visiting with children under 5 (Lincoln was almost 5) and I understand why they suggest that.

I feel so fortunate that we were able to explore Havasu Canyon as a family. I’m glad I didn’t let my fears hold me back, but I’m also glad we put a lot of thought and research into the decision.

If you have any questions about visiting Havasu or bringing kids along, I’d love to share my experience, just shoot me a message!