Class III–III+ Rapid · Cataract Canyon
Rapid 5
Large beach below; wave-train drop.
Rapid 5 is an unnamed upper Cataract rapid that sits 0.1 mile below Rapid 4. A large beach below the rapid is commonly used by trips pausing before the Rapid 6/7 sequence. Class III at most flows with a defined wave train. Webb/Belnap/Weisheit note a large sand beach immediately below Rapid 5 — a common lunch or side-camp spot for parties staged for the Rapid 6 / North Sea (Rapid 7) approach.
Difficulty
Read-and-run Class III at moderate flows. Often cited as III+ when the wave train merges with Rapid 4 at high water.
Scouting
Generally run on sight.