(Last updated in 2010)
For many hardcore day hikers in the USA this is the mother of all day hikes. It isn't as high as Mt Whitney or as long as Mt Williamson, but it is unique in that it first goes down (very steeply) and then up (forever). If you get exhausted, you cannot count on gravity to push you to the parking lot. It is also extremely hot most of the year, which of course increases the chances that you dehydrate. I personally met hikers who had sprained ankles and twisted knees going down. It is not fun to hike *up* a canyon after an injury. The distance itself (33-34 kms, depending on which map you believe) is not terrible, but certainly enough to intimidate casual hikers. Hardcore hikers have certainly done longer hikes in a day, but this one is, again, unique in that you go down first and up at the end (when you are tired and dehydrated). And, needless to say, psychology matters: as with any one-way hike, there is a point of no return after which you are on your own. The North Rom (2,438m) is only open from mid june to mid october. I have hiked rim to rim in different seasons and, honestly, did not find much of a difference in terms of temperature. The real issue is the rain, which is more likely in july and august. The hottest hike of my life was the rim-to-rim hike of may 2001, so do not believe people who tell you that it is less hot in may. The best month is probably september, because the sun is low enough that most of the hike is in the shade. Alas, in september the days are shorter than in june. There are two possible detours in this hike. The first one is worth every extra step: Ribbon Falls. Ideally, take the left trail at the fork marked "Ribbon Falls bridge". You may lose the trail here but simply cross the creek and head towards the wall until you hit the trail coming from the bridge. Follow the trail to the falls. Look for the sign "Alcove" and climb up to have a frontal view of the falls. The second detour is not worth it. It comes after Cottonwood Camp and it is marked Roaring Springs, but the trail seems to deadend after a little picnic area. The most annoying part of the hike is that there is no easy way to get from the North Rom's trailhead of the North Kaibab trail to the Grand Canyon Lodge (where all the facilities are). Either you have friends driving you or you have to hitchhike. Things on the South Rim are much easier: there is a shuttle that takes 10 minutes from the visitor center to the Kaibab area and drops you off right at the South Kaibab trailhead. (Driving is not a good idea because that road is closed to traffic, so you'd have to walk an additional 2 kms or so). There is a shuttle (leaving from the Grand Canyon Lodge on the North Rom and from the Bright Angel Lodge on the South rim) that brings you back to the rim you started from (as of 2007). But most people use friends: have friends drive around from the South Rim to the north rim (a grueling five/six hour drive) and pick you up at the other end. The South Kaibab trail from the South Rim is extemely steep but gets you to the Colorado river very quickly. The North Kaibab trail is the only choice on the other side: it is very long, relatively "flat" near the river and extremely steep at the very end. I think that hiking the South Kaibab trail at the end would be a killer, so i recommend hiking from the South Rim to the North Rom, not viceversa. Also, this allows for a back-up plan: if anything goes wrong, you can take the Bright Angel trail back up to the South Rim. The South Rim is also a bit less spectacular than the North Rom, so, if you leave before sunrise, you are not missing that much. Another reason to hike south to north is that the North Rom has water, which is desperately needed in the afternoon. Most people leave before sunrise. If you are in good shape and do not plan to stop too many times, you can do the rim-to-rim hike in 12-13 hours. This means that you do not need to start before sunrise unless you are hiking in october (when sunset is at 6pm). If you are not in good shape, you should not even think of trying this hike anyway. So leaving before sunrise may sound a bit unnecessary. The real issue, though, is the heat. It gets extremely hot already at 7am on the South Rim. If you leave before sunrise, you will still get very hot and dehydrate a lot, but not as much. No matter how early i left in the morning, i always got to the Colorado river totally dehyadrated. Also, a real killer is if you hike from the Colorado river to Cottonwood Camp (about three hours with absolutely no shade) in the peak of the heat. You may literally die. So many hikers start early enough that they can reach Cottonwood Camp well before noon. Personally, i hike because i want to see things, so i take my chances and start at sunrise and risk my life hiking the sunniest part of the trail during the hottest part of the day. The best way to avoid dehydration is to continuously soak your hat and your shirt in the creek (there is a creek coasting the North Kaibab trail). There is water along the North Kaibab trail from Cottonwood Camp to the top. And there is water at Phantom Ranch (bottom of the canyon, Colorado river). So you need to carry your own water only for two major stretches: the South Kaibab trail from the South Rim to the Colorado river (about three hours) and from Phantom Ranch to Cottonwood Camp (about three hours). This latter segment, though, coasts the creek, so you can always go to the creek (a 20 meter walk) and drink from the creek. (If you are American, you probably do not trust natural water, so you may want to bring iodine pills or a water filter). See the notes below for further tips on how to survive this hike. Trail description. The trail is very steep downhill from the South Rim to the Colorado river (watch your steps, as the rocks are also very sharp). You cross the river thanks to a suspended bridge. Then you enter the Phantom Ranch camping area. There is water and there are cabins and a telephone for emergencies. The trail is very mild uphill from the river to Cottonwood Camp, a leisure walk albeit a long (and very hot) one. At Cottonwood camp (potable water, picnic tables, a bit of shade) you are halfway up the North Rom. The trail starts going up very steep a little later, at the following water stop. Basically, from the Colorado river to this water stop you are simply following the creek inside one of the subcanyons. At this water stop, the trail parts way with the creek and you start going up the wall in front of you. The good news is that from here to the top there is increasingly more shade. In fact, be careful you don't soak your clothes too much at this water stop because they may not dry anymore. After you reach Supai bridge, the trail is simply a terrifying series of switchbacks, first to the tunnel (potable water) and then (a little less terrifying) to the top. You can see the end: look up to the pine trees at the very top of the wall. That is the parking lot. This is by far the toughest part of the hike, last but not least because you are tired. The second part of the hike (from the Colorado river to the North Rom) is ten times tougher than the first part (from the South Rim to the Colorado river). Here are the main milestones of the Kaibab trail from the South Rim to the north rim of the Grand Canyon. You will remember them for many years. (Click here for the pictures). (Times include stops: it takes 30' from Supai bridge to Supai tunnel, but a 30' stop makes it a 1 hr segment).
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Notes
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Practicalities (2004)
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