I did a double crossing of the Grand Canyon, from the South Rim to the North Rim and back again. This is about 47 miles, but there are only two hills ;}
The double crossing took about 14 hours, with temperatures ranging from freezing to horribly hot, but outstandingly beautiful. Preparation is key to this run, as you are self supported. It is also important to choose the time of year carefully and plan to be able to run on one of several days. Bad weather can make this trip dangerous! The main danger is the heat, which can be intense, especially if it is unseasonably hot. The other issue is with water. There are several water opportunities on the run, but the pipes fail quite often. You need to be able to postpone the run a day or more to allow for repair time.
You should read the article on running the double crossing in the April 2008 edition of Ultrarunning magazine.
The double crossing took about 14 hours, with temperatures ranging from freezing to horribly hot, but outstandingly beautiful. Preparation is key to this run, as you are self supported. It is also important to choose the time of year carefully and plan to be able to run on one of several days. Bad weather can make this trip dangerous! The main danger is the heat, which can be intense, especially if it is unseasonably hot. The other issue is with water. There are several water opportunities on the run, but the pipes fail quite often. You need to be able to postpone the run a day or more to allow for repair time.
You should read the article on running the double crossing in the April 2008 edition of Ultrarunning magazine.
My wife dropped me off at the Bright Angel Trailhead on the South Rim, the start of the 50 mile rim-to-rim-to-rim run. I was very grateful for her getting up this early.
The run started at 3:15am; the start time is a compromise. You want to start early to avoid the heat later, but running the bright angle trail in the dark is tough. The combination of what appears to be a bottomless abyss to one side, combined with the knowledge of deep puddles of concentrated mule urine make you cautious. There are many logs across the path to prevent water erosion, but these steps make the decent more interesting.
I considered the South Kaibab trail, which is shorter & steeper, but prettier. However, given that I would be at the bottom but sunrise, it seemed pointless. Coming up the South Kaibab trail is a Really Bad Idea, as there is no water.
The run started at 3:15am; the start time is a compromise. You want to start early to avoid the heat later, but running the bright angle trail in the dark is tough. The combination of what appears to be a bottomless abyss to one side, combined with the knowledge of deep puddles of concentrated mule urine make you cautious. There are many logs across the path to prevent water erosion, but these steps make the decent more interesting.
I considered the South Kaibab trail, which is shorter & steeper, but prettier. However, given that I would be at the bottom but sunrise, it seemed pointless. Coming up the South Kaibab trail is a Really Bad Idea, as there is no water.
My wife dropped me off at the Bright Angel Trailhead on the South Rim, the start of the 50 mile rim-to-rim-to-rim run. I was very grateful for her getting up this early.
The run started at 3:15am; the start time is a compromise. You want to start early to avoid the heat later, but running the bright angle trail in the dark is tough. The combination of what appears to be a bottomless abyss to one side, combined with the knowledge of deep puddles of concentrated mule urine make you cautious. There are many logs across the path to prevent water erosion, but these steps make the decent more interesting.
I considered the South Kaibab trail, which is shorter & steeper, but prettier. However, given that I would be at the bottom but sunrise, it seemed pointless. Coming up the South Kaibab trail is a Really Bad Idea, as there is no water.
The run started at 3:15am; the start time is a compromise. You want to start early to avoid the heat later, but running the bright angle trail in the dark is tough. The combination of what appears to be a bottomless abyss to one side, combined with the knowledge of deep puddles of concentrated mule urine make you cautious. There are many logs across the path to prevent water erosion, but these steps make the decent more interesting.
I considered the South Kaibab trail, which is shorter & steeper, but prettier. However, given that I would be at the bottom but sunrise, it seemed pointless. Coming up the South Kaibab trail is a Really Bad Idea, as there is no water.
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