Tour of Grand Canyon: “You Will Die if you Pass this Point”

although we passed several of these signs and are still here to tell the tale!

whatever you expect of the grand canyon, i guarantee that in reality all preconceptions will be exceeded! take many camera films.

the canyon itself actually sneaks up on you - remember that unlike a huge mountain range this giant hole in the ground isn’t actually visible until you are standing on the edge and peering dowm into it’s sheer vastness.

we were on a family holiday in 1997, touring around utah, arizona and california. we drove from yosemite up the colorado river valley and we were so excited that we stopped before actually reaching grand canyon town, without doubt the most spectacular part of the canyon. from the vantage point the view took our breath away and yet, this was a mere taster of what was to come!

we visited the view points near grand canyon town at sunset and it was fantastic. as sun dips below the horixon, the colours are so vivid since the rock has a reddish tinge anyway…providing some brilliant photograhs!

the next day we climbed down the canyon for a while - well we managed 3 miles down but my dad went on for a further mile and got some great photos of the river colarado which cannot bearly be seem from the top. but unlike normal hiking, the uphill climb came late in the afternoon, with the sun baking hot (even hotter in the canyon) and with the effects of dehydration kicking in. so it was quite an effort (we are all fit and experienced walkers) but in the end, worth every step.

if you decide to climb down the canyon, bear in mind that you will have to climb all the way back up which, inevitably will be harder than you think. there are literally hundreds of signs to remind you of this - some even with the unnerving slogan “you will die if you pass this point”. and there is absolutely no chance you will make it to the bottom. take lots of water; remember that the temperatures sore as you climb down. There are water stations every mile for you to refill though and public “toilets”. Or you could hire a mule and travel down the Canyon in a mule train (much to the annoyance of the walkers) and for a more spectacular view, you can take a helicopter tourride down the valley.

All in all, a visit to the Grand Canyon is an unforgetable experience and any visit to the US must include a stop here. But your grand canyon photos will never turn out as well as the real thing. And if you are flying to the Western states, take a look out the plane window and you’ll see the huge crack in the earth. Spectacular!