Description

Mapped here is the full course of the Wasatch Ultimate Ridge Linkup (WURL)––a horseshoe route around Little Cottonwood Canyon, following the ridgecrest as completely as possible.

It’s a running, hiking, and rock scrambling epic in the high mountains, rarely on established trails.

The actual distance is greater than what’s recorded here due to complexity of terrain on the ridgelines.

On his [blog page](https://door5.com/2015/08/23/wasatch-ultimate-ridge-linkup-wurl/) about the route, WURL mastermind Jared Campbell describes it as “~36 miles long with ~18kft of elevation gain,” and goes on to say, “There are at least 21 named peaks along the ridge and a handful of unnamed mini-summits.” The feat as it’s recognized among trail runners is to complete the WURL within 24 hours, and elite runners may compete for the [fastest known time](https://fastestknowntime.com/route/wasatch-ultimate-ridge-linkup-ut).

The route lends itself well to crew access at a few points, so it’s typically done with support, but has also been done unsupported.

Anyone aspiring to complete the WURL should plan extensively ahead of time, including scouting missions for routefinding, supply caching, and emergency exits.

Information about the WURL is not abundant online, but some can be found at the following links and elsewhere with some searching. Sources: https://door5.com/2015/08/23/wasatch-ultimate-ridge-linkup-wurl/ https://caltopo.com/m/1K7F http://jasondorais.blogspot.com/2013/09/the-wurl.html