Grand Canyon
- Hiking Safely
Your
Safety Is A Shared Responsibility!
You will be reading much more about safety
throughout your training.
There ARE
NO Easy Trails Into or Out of The Grand Canyon and Hiking Safely
Is Not Optional!
Get A Healthy Start.
Check with your healthcare professional to be sure you are healthy
from the start of your training. Note any current injuries, soreness
or changes in how you feel once you begin your training. See a
healthcare professional for attention and advice.
Your success in hiking Grand Canyon
depends on you doing several key things.
First, (and we
will be repeating this often) there are no easy trails into or
out of Grand Canyon! Put that in your mind from the start and
use the information wisely when you make your final trail selection.
Second, Train.
Take it seriously! Train and prepare yourself according to our
guide, schedule and how your body feels as you begin, during your
more rigorous training days and toward the end of your training
just before you come to Grand Canyon.
Third, communicate.
During the course of your training we will survey you several
times to help you measure your progress and to gather information
so we can help put you in the correct team for your hike. Not
too fast, not to slow!
Walking Connection Guides
– During your Conquer The Canyon, hikes will be led by professional
guides. All told, The Walking Connection has an unblemished record
in leading more than 3300+ hikers into, around and out of Grand
Canyon. As key to your training and preparedness is the leadership
of your guide. They are experts at the Grand Canyon and your safety.
Listen to and follow the them at all times.
Small group hike
– On Hike Day at the Canyon we will walk in teams of 6 -
13 people each. There will be approximately 1 guide for every
six hikers, so you will have ample time to talk with each guide.
Make them aware of any conditions you have prior to hiking so
they can adjust accordingly.
Trails and Trailheads
– We have selected a variety of trails for your
adventure. They have been selected for both the views they offer
and the proximity to nearby roads for easy access. A park service
shuttle system runs between the Village and the trailheads.
More On Trails
– Conquer The Canyon will use three to
four primary trails while hiking. All are quite prominent and
you cannot easily stray off them. Some do link to other trails
in the system. If you come to a fork in the trail STOP and look
all around – front, back and both sides. Note how the Canyon
looks from every angle, including the one you just walked from.
Though the team and individuals will spread out a bit during the
hikes, you must stay in the line of site of the guides at all
times. Keep in mind that if you can't see them, they can't see
you. If you need to step off the trail to relieve yourself, tell
someone and have them wait on the trail until you return. NEVER
HIKE ALONE!
Proper Equipment
– We have prepared an extensive list of the proper equipment
you should have including boots. During Hike Day, you must wear
supportive hiking boots. No Boots, no hike, no excuses, no exceptions!
This list will be published with the online training manual.
Hike Day Weather –
During our hikes we do not anticipate inclement weather. Arizona
tends to be unusually predictable. So here is the weather prediction
for Hike Day at Grand Canyon, May.
First the good news, we are going
to start very early in the morning so that you are at the trailhead
by civil twilight. It will be cool and approximately 40-50 degrees.
It will warm quickly as the sun comes over the horizon turning
hot by the time you see the sun. The rest of the day will be HOT!
Temperatures on the in canyon trails can exceed 80-100+ degrees
as you descend deeper into the canyon. There is very little shade
available on the trails and your guides will use the small areas
for rest and to cool down. Though the temperature will cool down
a bit during your ascension to the canyon rim, you will be hiking
steep inclines so your core temperature will continue to rise.
We cannot stress this enough! It is going to be sunny and hot!
Even with this prediction, there is more good news: You will have
completed your hike and be off the trail before the hottest part
of the day which is late afternoon when temperatures can soar
even higher.
In case of rain...which is highly
unlikely and if anything a brief late afternoon shower, all hikes
will proceed as planned. Keep in mind that rocky surfaces become
slick and that trails can become slippery and muddy. Proper boots
and attention to where you are stepping become much more important.
Medical facilities
– There is a complete medical facility at Grand Canyon Village.
Should you require more extensive treatment, there is a medical
center and hospital in Flagstaff, about a one-hour drive.
Medical emergencies
– The vast majority of inner canyon injuries involve lower
leg injuries and dehydration. During your training we will tell
you how to prevent and avoid these injuries. However, air medical
transport is available but is very costly. Grand Canyon is a National
Park and provides exclusive service in the Park. Therefore any
individual who requires medical transport will be responsible
for this cost.
There is a very simple
formula to avoid injury in Grand Canyon. Much of what
is interesting to see are the wide panoramic views in front of
you. So when you're looking up, don't move. The
rocks and uneven surfaces are at your feet. So when you
are moving, look down.
Finally, getting on and off a
bus or in and out of a van is more dangerous than one would think.
It seems that many lower leg injuries are caused by this, rather
than hiking the canyon. So when you are getting on or off the
bus, don't talk. Look where you are going as you step down and
be mindful of the person in front of you with the fully extended
hiking poles.
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STEP: Training - Online Guidebook
Hike On!
