I found an entry today on Stephen Taylor’sendurance training blog that documents a Rim to River to Rim hike he and his girl friend, now fiance, Susan completed on November 25th only 2 days after running the Ironman Arizona Triathlon. It reminded me of a topic I’ve always wanted to write about which is discussing the difficulty of attempting this hike. Thanks to the Internet, there are more and more trip photos and trip logs from folks who have hiked from Rim to River to Rim in one day which is generating more interest in this trip.

Many people attempt the trip each year in spite of the warnings that the National Park Service have posted about the dangers. I’ve mentioned in a prior blog entry that this very hike was considered by Backpacker magazine as one of the most dangerous in America. Well it is dangerous and even deadly for for the unprepared and ill informed. Over 250 people are rescued each year from the canyon and many more hobble out sick and dehydrated after attempting this hike. 

Stephen and Susan starting their hike at 5am

The Rim to River to Rim route that Stephen and Susan hiked is an out and back along the Bright Angel Trail from the South Rim to the Colorado River where Pipe Creek meets the river and back to the Rim. They hiked about 15 miles (24 KM)  with a 4,460 ft  (1,360 meter) drop in elevation from top to bottom. The trail is wide and in great shape for hiking and there is always water at Indian Garden, 4.5 miles from the top. There is also water running at the 1.5 and 3 mile Resthouses from April through October.  Bathrooms are found at the 1.5 mile Resthouse, Indian Garden and there is new pit toilet installed at the turnaround point on the Colorado River.

This may sound simple on the surface but the tricky part of any Grand Canyon hike is that the hard part of the trip comes at the end which is the opposite of what you experience hiking up a mountain. With hiking up a mountain the difficult part is the first half where we are huffing and puffing up to the top. In the Grand Canyon, the first half is all downhill and you have to spend the last half of the hike huffing and puffing.  The rule of thumb is to allow yourself twice as much time heading out as you need going down.

How do you put the odds in your favor when tackling this task?  The best advice is not to attempt this hike as your first Grand Canyon hike. Stephen mentions on his blog that he had completed a Rim to Rim to Rim trip in October of 2007 so this was a much shorter trip for him this time around. Besides that , here is what else you need to consider before attempting a Rim to River to Rim Grand Canyon hike:

• Training: Remember Stephen and Susan are highly trained endurance athletes so they can make it look easy. This is not easy! Prepare for this hike as if you are preparing for a marathon. Count on being on your feet all day. Hike anywhere you have a significant elevation change and you may have to hike up and down the same hill multiple times to get a feel for the elevation change of the trail. Spend up to an hour at a time on the stair mill at the gym as well. Don’t forget to work your core muscles as well
• Packing: Pack for the event that this will take longer than expected. Bring an extra layer of clothing, extra food, emergency poncho, headlamp, and other emergency supplies. I know this sounds weird but you will see videos and pictures of people doing this online that hike this with just a water bottle and snacks. What you don’t see is some of these people getting stuck on the trail at night with a ranger coming to assist them.
• Timing: Do not attempt this hike in the summer!!Temperatures reach over 100 F at the bottom from May to September. The best time to do this is in October because of the temperatures because water is still running at the top two resthouses on the trail. If you can carry enough water, early November is even better since the temperatures are much cooler.
• Attitude: Be mentally prepared to turn around prior to reaching the river.  Know your abilities and don’t let your ego get in the way of your safety. There is a saying in the canyon and I’ll paraphrase; “getting down is optional, getting out is mandatory”.

Obviously this hike can be done. I’ve done this many times myself. The point I’m trying to get across in this post is that this hike is not as easy as it looks on the Internet and it is not for everyone. Personally, I prefer to take it slower and enjoy the scenery.