Hiking / Cringing Along The Grand Canyon
September 5, 2013 8:14 AM Subscribe
Mrs. Degoao and I are thinking about hiking the Grand Canyon some time either this winter or the following winter. We both have a moderate fear of heights. Is this a bad idea?
So I know there are easier trails, but how close to the edge would we actually get? I would prefer not to be peering down into the abyss constantly, clutching the cliff wall. At the same time, we'd really like to get over this fear. Is this definitely NOT the place to do it?
So I know there are easier trails, but how close to the edge would we actually get? I would prefer not to be peering down into the abyss constantly, clutching the cliff wall. At the same time, we'd really like to get over this fear. Is this definitely NOT the place to do it?
It'll be fine. The trails are big. Yeah you are looking down into the canyon, but isn't that the point?
posted by H. Roark at 8:20 AM on September 5, 2013
posted by H. Roark at 8:20 AM on September 5, 2013
Years back I hiked from the North Rim to the South Rim with my wife. I don't remember it being too vertigo inducing. I was more annoyed by the passing mule trains.
posted by trbrts at 8:31 AM on September 5, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by trbrts at 8:31 AM on September 5, 2013 [1 favorite]
On the easier trails like Bright Angel, yeah, there's very little teetering at the edge of the yawning abyss or whatever. There is quite a lot of 5-foot-wide trail next to a 40-foot drop to the next switchback, shared with a bunch of mule trains that are nearly as wide as the trail.
posted by zeptoweasel at 8:50 AM on September 5, 2013
posted by zeptoweasel at 8:50 AM on September 5, 2013
3 decades ago I went down the South Kaibab and back up the Bright Angel, and don't remember either as being particularly exposed. Even with the mule trains. The drops are there, but they generally felt like steep slopes rather than cliffs, and the trails are suitably wide.
Nothing like the approach to the saddle at Half Dome (let alone the cables), or whatever the day hike I did at Zion which involved some traverse on a sloped trail while hanging on chains or cables.
I did have a particularly terrifying experience with flash flooding that has forever changed my relationship to rain storms in the desert, but I don't remember anything particularly vertigo inducing.
posted by straw at 9:14 AM on September 5, 2013
Nothing like the approach to the saddle at Half Dome (let alone the cables), or whatever the day hike I did at Zion which involved some traverse on a sloped trail while hanging on chains or cables.
I did have a particularly terrifying experience with flash flooding that has forever changed my relationship to rain storms in the desert, but I don't remember anything particularly vertigo inducing.
posted by straw at 9:14 AM on September 5, 2013
Google Maps has a bunch of street views available for various trails, which might give you an idea.
Also, on "How close to the edge/narrow is the trail, exactly?" concerns we've had in various national parks, the rangers have always been incredibly helpful (they do not want to rescue a frozen-with-terror hiker any more than the hiker wants to be frozen with terror), so you might do worse than call or email the visitors center.
posted by rtha at 9:37 AM on September 5, 2013
Also, on "How close to the edge/narrow is the trail, exactly?" concerns we've had in various national parks, the rangers have always been incredibly helpful (they do not want to rescue a frozen-with-terror hiker any more than the hiker wants to be frozen with terror), so you might do worse than call or email the visitors center.
posted by rtha at 9:37 AM on September 5, 2013
I have terrible vertigo and have been on parts of the Bright Angel trail, and it's fine. @zeptoweasel's description is apt. Check some YouTube videos for the trail. This often tells me how horrifying it is.
Two things:
1. When a mule train passes, get on the mountain side, NOT the cliff side.
2. There's a reasonable chance the trails are going to be iced over in winter and even into spring. I was in Grand Canyon one March where the only safe way to hike Bright Angel was with crampons, which we didn't bring to the freaking desert.
posted by cnc at 10:13 AM on September 5, 2013
Two things:
1. When a mule train passes, get on the mountain side, NOT the cliff side.
2. There's a reasonable chance the trails are going to be iced over in winter and even into spring. I was in Grand Canyon one March where the only safe way to hike Bright Angel was with crampons, which we didn't bring to the freaking desert.
posted by cnc at 10:13 AM on September 5, 2013
Take this very seriously. My wife gets afraid of heights. Our first day at Grand Canyon, we went to South Kaibab. We got to the first donkey stop and then turned around; she was terrified. She was just afraid while descending. The trails are narrow and if you are afraid of this sort of thing you will freak out.
We then went up and she must be the only person who goes up the Grand Canyon faster than she goes down. Going up, she just didn't think about the heights for some reason; I guess because you are not looking down.
The next day we went back and did Bright Angel, and she was ready. She fared much better that time. She was afraid for the first twenty minutes or so and she went very, very slowly, but the fear gradually wore off. Even then though she says she can get vertigo looking down the canyon.
Just know what you are getting into. Before I went with my wife, I would have said "oh, this is nothing," but I have no fear of heights. My wife had a great time so I wouldn't let the fear stop you if you want to go to the canyon, but don't listen to people who have no fear of heights who say "eh, it's nothing, really, the trail is plenty wide." For you it may be scary.
posted by massysett at 10:15 AM on September 5, 2013
We then went up and she must be the only person who goes up the Grand Canyon faster than she goes down. Going up, she just didn't think about the heights for some reason; I guess because you are not looking down.
The next day we went back and did Bright Angel, and she was ready. She fared much better that time. She was afraid for the first twenty minutes or so and she went very, very slowly, but the fear gradually wore off. Even then though she says she can get vertigo looking down the canyon.
Just know what you are getting into. Before I went with my wife, I would have said "oh, this is nothing," but I have no fear of heights. My wife had a great time so I wouldn't let the fear stop you if you want to go to the canyon, but don't listen to people who have no fear of heights who say "eh, it's nothing, really, the trail is plenty wide." For you it may be scary.
posted by massysett at 10:15 AM on September 5, 2013
What CNC said - you can't readily/easily hike the Grand Canyon in winter.... it snows! I was there in February a number of years ago, and there was indeed at least a foot or more of snow on the ground and well down into the canyon. (The Grand Canyon is a crevice in a relatively high plateau.) It's very pretty. I think if you read the Grand Canyon national park website about hiking the canyon in winter they start talking about crampons and ice picks. Personally, being moderately afraid of heights myself, I would not want to complicate things thusly.
That said, it might be wise to go in winter as a trial run and get a feel for it, and then come back and hike it the following summer. In winter you can hike around the rim (not particularly scary, lots of railings), it's beautiful, uncrowded... One of the vistas had a shop with huge picture windows, a lit wood stove or fireplace, hot chocolate (shop sold Native American art). There is also that glass walkway that juts out over the canyon... this makes my heart palpitate just thinking about it - but it's there, accessible, and 'safe'. When you come back in summer to do the hike, you'll have a better idea of what to expect, and it might be more do-able.
posted by jrobin276 at 3:51 PM on September 5, 2013
That said, it might be wise to go in winter as a trial run and get a feel for it, and then come back and hike it the following summer. In winter you can hike around the rim (not particularly scary, lots of railings), it's beautiful, uncrowded... One of the vistas had a shop with huge picture windows, a lit wood stove or fireplace, hot chocolate (shop sold Native American art). There is also that glass walkway that juts out over the canyon... this makes my heart palpitate just thinking about it - but it's there, accessible, and 'safe'. When you come back in summer to do the hike, you'll have a better idea of what to expect, and it might be more do-able.
posted by jrobin276 at 3:51 PM on September 5, 2013
I second talking to the rangers, they're super helpful and very patient about answering questions. Something to consider though, are you afraid of edges or heights? I ask because while I generally tell people I'm afraid of heights, it's not the height in and of itself that I'm afraid of. I'm fine in planes, elevators, tall buildings, tall rollercoasters, etc. I am not fine when faced with a steep drop or anywhere I could fall from a great height. I did a lot of clutching at railings when I visited the Grand Canyon last year, but found it easy enough to avoid the really vertiginous areas. The Grand Canyon has plenty of places with steep cliffs overlooking the abyss, but there are also trails and areas where that's less the case. A look at the street view of the trails or a chat with a ranger should help you avoid those areas.
posted by yasaman at 7:51 PM on September 5, 2013
posted by yasaman at 7:51 PM on September 5, 2013
I am moderately afraid of heights and I was fine on the Bright Angel trail as long as I stayed away from the edge. The friend I was hiking with kept standing right on the edge and climbing up on rocks which made me very uncomfortable and I wouldn't do it. But I was fine on the inside of the trail. We didn't go very far down because we aren't very serious hikers and we didn't want to get over tired.
The Grand Canyon is beautiful and if you started down and got scared you could just come back up and admire it from the top.
posted by interplanetjanet at 5:57 AM on September 6, 2013
The Grand Canyon is beautiful and if you started down and got scared you could just come back up and admire it from the top.
posted by interplanetjanet at 5:57 AM on September 6, 2013
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Each time I've 'hiked' down I've gotten about 37 minutes in, done about 7 switchbacks and realized I am getting absolutely nowhere close to the bottom. Seriously. It's very very big. In fact, unless you are truly preparing to reach the bottom and come back up (this takes 2 well thought out days, with camping on the bottom), descending in to the canyon is actually kind of boring.
I've always enjoyed just hiking the rim, you can do 2 hours and stop at several vistas that provide stunning views.
As for heights? It's....not that bad. If you truly do want to terrify yourself take a donkey ride down one of the switchbacks. The donkeys are sturdy and won't fall off the narrow path, but it sure as shit feels like they are about to.
posted by BlerpityBloop at 8:19 AM on September 5, 2013