Exposure Therapy & the Helix Ladder
A 75-foot overhanging double-helix ladder hanging 600+ feet above the canyon floor. The most exposed feature on the route by a distance.
Exposure Therapy is the upper crux of Jur-Ass-Kicked and the most talked-about feature at Ashley Gorge. The Helix Ladder is a roughly 75-foot overhanging double-helix ladder positioned more than 600 feet above the canyon floor, with nothing beneath you but air.
Overhanging ladder climbing is a different skill from anything else on the route. Your bodyweight hangs off your arms in a way vertical rungs never demand, and the spiral means your orientation keeps changing. People who cruise the rest of Phase 2 sometimes find this genuinely hard.
There is an optional roof finish called Space Man for anyone who wants to make it harder still.
We will be straight about this one: it is spectacular, and it is not a reasonable objective for a first via ferrata. If this feature is why you are coming to Ashley Gorge, build up to it — do Phase 1 first, ideally on a separate trip, and come back for this with the equipment and the technique already familiar.
What to Expect
- ▸75-foot overhanging double-helix ladder
- ▸More than 600 feet of air beneath you
- ▸Optional Space Man roof finish
- ▸The single most photographed Phase 2 feature
Good fit if
Experienced climbers with good upper-body endurance who are genuinely comfortable with extreme exposure.
Skip it if
You are inexperienced or unguided. This is the one sector where we would actively encourage a first-timer to hire a guide or come back another year.
You'll Need Certified Gear
Every sector at Ashley Gorge requires a via ferrata lanyard with an energy absorber, a climbing harness and a certified helmet. Homemade setups are not permitted and the route is monitored. We rent full kits for $40 and lanyards on their own for $25, picked up from our self-service lockers in Roosevelt — 30 minutes from the trailhead, open 24/7.