This small but significant portion of our trip was a huge milestone for us. It was a year ago when we started to plan our attack on the Grand Canyon, we’ve researched it to within an inch of its life, we’ve looked at pictures with the kids, we’ve compared previous hikes in different countries to the trails of the Grand Canyon so the kids can get an idea of the task ahead. We’ve even banned John from talking about it because he would (daily) harp on “Well, this is/ isn’t like the Grand Canyon” or “In the Grand Canyon blah blah blah”.

We arrived in good time to Mather Campground, at the top of the South Rim, it was lovely and cool at around 26* compared to the previous temperatures climbing up to the 40*s in Flagstaff and Lake Havasu.

We had a walk around the top of the rim with all the other tourists, we were all in awe at the amazing spectacle in front of us, both kids said it was like nothing they had ever imagined – it was “WAAAY BIGGER”

We enjoyed putting together our camp that evening as it’s been a while since we used our tents. After enjoying a picnic feast under the pine trees we got to bed relatively early around 8pm, in order to prepare for the 5am start the next day to hike down the Bright Angel Trail into the canyon.

Our bags were packed, 2 tents, 4 sleeping bags, 6 mats and enough food to feed the whole of Chinley.

Now, 5am may sound like an early start but with hindsight, it wasn’t, we should have left around 3am. We started our hike about 6.00am, the sun was already up and hot.

 

The first part of our climb down was ok as there were quite a few shady spots to stop and rest but as we got lower and the day got hotter, we realised we’d left it too late to avoid the heat. It was cooking up to 40* by the time (11am) we reach Indian Gardens Campground, 4.5 miles down into the canyon. The casual day walkers would pass us (with our packs on) with admiring/ astonished/ pitiful eyes. Henna was a star, she led the way for us, sometimes going out of sight, she was on a mission.

Both kids were absolutely amazing, no moaning or whining, they too have been looking forward to this for a long time.

We made it – to the bottom (well, our bottom, the actual bottom is Phantom Ranch which is 9 miles down). We were all, both exhausted and elated.

What do you do at the bottom of the Grand Canyon from 11am until bed time at 6pm? Thankfully there was a small creek, so we spent a long time sat in/playing in the water, we played cards, Henna got upset as usual and sulked, we ate, a lot, we read, we rested and we attended Ranger Kate’s talk on Rattlesnakes. We made a few friends including the two older women (60’s) who were on a four day hike from the North Rim to the South Rim via Phantom Ranch – inspirational! They were slower than a herd of turtles in treacle, but they did it.

We were looking forward to the temperature dropping after sunset – but it didn’t, it just got bloody darker! It was too hot to sleep in the tents so we slept outside under the stars, no sleeping bags needed. So the haul of gear we’d brought with us was unnecessary!

Learning from our mistake at leaving too late that morning we decided that a 2am get up was in order and we would leave at 3am! Not something I looked forward to because despite going to bed at 6pm, I didn’t fall asleep until 10pm.

The waning moon was up and the stars were bright when we woke up, none of us could face anything to eat at that ridiculous time. It was dark, we had torches and we began our climb out of the Grand Canyon…I didn’t think we were going to make it! It was really hard, we were tired, hungry  and grumpy.

The first hour and a half was very difficult, emotionally and physically. We were all shattered and in a daze and although we had lots of food with us we just couldn’t face eating it.

As the sun began to rise around 4.30am it had a miraculous energising effect, our spirits lifted, we gained our energy and we were bounding away up, up and up. Well, the kids we’re bounding, John and I still had heavy packs on, John’s was full of camping stuff we didn’t need and mine was full of food we hadn’t eaten, so we were plodding. This time Arlo led the way and raced up like a whippet.

Getting up in the middle of the night was the best decision we could have made, we weren’t alone, a few other people left at similar times too. It was shady and cool the whole way up, only the last hour became warm, but not too warm as we approached the top of South Rim as we had done just 24hours earlier.

We’d planned to get to the top in about 6 hours, in fact, we were so energised that we hiked up the Grand Canyon quicker than we’d hiked down, we arrived at the top, emotional, happy and exhausted at 7.45am. Our family pack of M&M’s we’re the perfect fuel and food to get us back up the 4.5miles we’d previously clambered down.

This small section (only 3 days) of our 9 month trip will stay with all four of us forever

Our family motto on the whole of the drip has been “Let’s Do This!” Tears of joy and relief fell from our faces because – WE DID IT!