Training & preparing for a rim to rim to rim hike at Grand Canyon.
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 29 มิ.ย. 2024
- Embark on the adventure of a lifetime with our comprehensive Rim-to-Rim-to-Rim Grand Canyon hike training & preparation guide. This video is your one-stop resource for all the training tips and planning strategies you need to conquer this epic trail. Whether you’re a seasoned hiker or a determined beginner, our expert insights will help you navigate the challenging terrain and stunning landscapes of the Grand Canyon. Get ready to transform your hiking dreams into reality!”
I am going to adapt a quote from Yogi Berra and say, “Rim to Rim is 90% mental, the other half is physical” Everyone is different, but to me the practical and psychological aspects of preparing for a rim to rim hike are probably as important or more important than the physical training aspects
The best training for hiking Grand Canyon is hiking Grand Canyon. However, if you do not have access to the Canyon, you should look for an environment that best approximates it, steep up and down conditions on a rocky, dusty trail at a high elevation. But even if you live in a city, you can at least go up and down the steps at a high-rise building.
Here is another caution, don’t overtrain. Especially in the week or two preceding the hike, you want to be sure you don’t cause wear injuries to your ankles, knees and so forth. I usually reduce my walking distances a few days before a rim to rim hike. Plus, on regular hikes, I still do a bit of jogging. On a rim to rim, I do not jog. I cannot risk wearing out a body part or tripping and falling. You need to carefully preserve your ability to do a possibly difficult hike when you go rim to rim.
Moving on to more practical tips, the first is to lose some weight.
Next, consider whether you will be going on a supported or unsupported hike. Supported means you have a friend or family member meeting you on the other side, which is great. That person can meet you down the trail a mile or two, offer you a Gatorade or a beer, and give you a ride from the trailhead to your hotel or resupply you for an immediate return to the other rim. But there is also a certain joy in the independence of doing it entirely on your own-and of not needing to entertain a friend or relative after you have completed the hike and likely want a bath and a good night’s sleep.
My strategy is to get a very early start on the hike. At first, it was 4am, but with experience, I have moved it back to 1 am. It takes me two hours to get on the trail in the morning, which means I get up at 11 pm the night before the hike. Of necessity, this means that you need to have your breakfast ready in your room. I bring a cooler with fruit and yogurt, and I also bring a coffee maker so I do not need to fiddle with single cups of coffee. You can get an inexpensive coffee maker for about $13 at Walmart, probably not much more than a few cups of Starbucks coffee if you later decide to abandon it when you leave. Speaking of food, be careful of your dinner before the hike. The last thing you want on the trail are stomach problems.
A small but important tip, protect your trail food from rodents. They can inhabit cabins as well as campsites. I had a trip ruined by rodents in a North Rim cabin, there was no way to replace my food at 1 in the morning, so I scrapped the hike. I now use a thick locking plastic container for the trail food to avoid this happening again. School of hard knocks. Also, beware of squirrels on the trail. If you leave your pack alone, they will chew through the pack to get to your food, potentially ruining both.
I prefer an early start as the trails are quiet, and if there is going to be something going wrong, it gives you some daylight hours to solve it. On one hike my hiking companion had medical issues and I thought we would have to take a helicopter out. I was glad that it was early afternoon and there were still hours left to get the matter resolved. In the end, we were able to hike out and things were not as bad as they seemed, but I learned a lesson to give myself extra time to resolve problems, and I would rather resolve those problems in the daylight when everyone is still working, as opposed to late at night.
Treated water is usually available at predictible stops along the trail, but water shut-offs have been occuring without notice, particularly as they repair the transcanyon pipeline
Next, know your weaknesses, they may well surface on the hike.
Make it fun, not work. Hope for the best and prepare for the worst. Protect your health. There is no shame in putting it off to try another day. But if you do make it, it is a grand and victorious feeling, to stand on the edge of the Canyon and look to the other side, and say, just a few hours ago I was standing there, and my two little feet have carried me here. It is a great feeling to set and achieve goals like hiking rim to rim, or rim to rim to rim.
A hiker in a sports coat? That's okay, you know what you're talking about. Thank you for the useful tips and advice.
LOL. It was cool and I was trying to look respectable. I am most comfortable in a t-shirt, but anything for TH-cam!
I would recommend anyone planning this tour to watch your video. As an experienced hiker, you provided useful information and tips for such a demanding hike.
Thank you for your kind comment.
I really like the practical and common Sense suggestions. Thank you for the video.
You're very welcome!
Sage advice.
Thank you.
You really are an expert on this and it shows. Sounds like fantastic advice and lots of practical information.
Aw, thanks, you are too kind.
A masterclass on preparation for the hike, by an obviously experienced hiker. Thank you for sharing your knowledge.
Thank you. You are too kind. I like to share what I have learned.
Great information for a possible future hike. I appreciate your providing it.
I am pleased that is is helpful!
What a wonderful video. Thank you for sharing. Good job.
Thanks for watching!
Such amazing vlogs forever I really enjoyed it stay connected
Thanks for watching!
Read last watched, and missed the part in the end where you're standing in front of the kaibab trail. That's pretty clever.
Thanks for noticing and staying until the end!
This is the best training video for hiking at Grand Canyon R3 that I have ever seen. Thank you for sharing your experiences and great tips as well. GC hiker, you have done a wonderful job. I am impressed and good work.
Aw, you are much too kind. Thanks for watching and thanks for your kind comment.
As always, great advice! It's always good to hear how one is prepared for this hike! Thanks for sharing GC 😊
Thanks so much for watching!
Very useful information. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you!
I think I'll only go once in a lifetime, so I'll probably prioritize the view over the price. I would love to experience the Grand Canyon😊👍
I hope you can make the visit!
Thanks for sharing ❤ learned a lot ❤ You have a unique and engaging style. Thoroughly enjoyed every minute! Great channel and subscribed ❤
Thank you for your kind comments. I have subscribed as well.
That is a goal for me!
It is great to set and accomplish goals!
Fantastic video!
Thank you!
Thank you for this super informative video! I like the way you do it! A shower and soft bed sounds great! ❤
Thanks so much for watching. Even though the time in the room is short, it is really refreshing to get off the trail, get cleaned up and fed, and get a short rest.
I completely agree! How do you feel about hiking in the dark? 1 am start sounds hard!
@@immnotaboutthatlife2086 It is a compromise I am willing to make to get done with the hike in the daylight. And, actually I must admit I enjoy the solitude on the trail at night, and the view of the stars and the sunrise. I don't sleep that well before a hike, so I am often up anyway.
Great advice. I hope to make that hike someday.
I hope you can too!
your TH-cam channel is most wonderful
Like 36 AND NEW Subscriber 👍
Thanks so much, I have reciprocated!
@@RationalTalk Thanks so much new TH-cam friend !
@@trendingwwwandw 🙂