Rim-to-Rim-to-Rim FAQ

Next Saturday (10/15), I’ll be attempting a rim-to-rim-to-rim run/hike at the Grand Canyon.  This is a big undertaking and definitely not a “slam dunk.”  Thought I’d share a little FAQ—the questions folks have been asking me about the run and my thoughts.

Q. What is rim-to-rim-to-rim?

A. We’ll be starting at the South Rim, running down the Bright Angel Trail across the Colorado River (over a bridge) and up to the North Rim via the North Kaibab Trail.  When we get to the top, we’ll turn right around and retrace our steps.  It should be about 48 miles.  There are a couple of options for getting across and back.  This option is a little longer than others, but the descent/ascent from the South Rim is a bit more gradual and the trail has year-round water sources.  We felt that even though it was longer, it was the safer choice.

Q. How long with this take?

A. We’ll be doing it as a continuous run/hike in a single day.  We’ll leave around 4am (in the dark but with headlamps and handheld lights) in order to get on the trail ahead of the mule trains and give ourselves the best chance of completing the crossings and getting out at a reasonable hour.  I’m guessing we’ll be in the Canyon for 15-17 hours including stops.

Q. Are you crazy?!  Why are you doing this?

A. I’m probably at least a little bit crazy.  It’s a bit difficult to express what motivates me to take on this sort of challenge.  The simplified version is: it’s out there and I’m capable of it—so why not?  Few people attempt something this big.  I like being the type of person who is willing to try.  Life is a series of experiences to be collected.  They don’t always come to you—sometimes you have to go get them.  Why not take on something that scares you every once in a while?


Q. Is this safe?

A. We’ve made it as safe as we possibly can.  This is NOT an organized event—there will be no aid stations, no medical staff, no support of any kind aside from what we provide to one another (and, for thousands of dollars after the fact, the National Park Service Search and Rescue squad is our “backup”).  We’re a group of 5 friends—strong endurance athletes (Ironmen, marathoners, etc.) but none of us do adventure racing or ultra-running for a living.  The National Park Service strongly discourages people from hiking down to the river and back in a single day.  Attempting to go all the way across and back is not a great idea.  But my training has been very solid and I’m comfortable with my preparation from both a physical and mental standpoint.  We’ll have food and water (and water filters), first aid supplies (including some basic equipment if something goes wrong and we have to spend the night down there), proper clothing, and a SPOT device (satellite-based emergency tracking/distress device).  I should be able to set up a webpage this week that will show our progress if anyone’s interested in checking in.  We picked this weekend because the weather should be decent—not too cold on the rims and not too hot at the bottom.  I’ve done a ton of training (40-60+ miles per week), have read books, visited websites, etc.  I’m absolutely committed to turning around at any point in the day if things aren’t going as planned and we’ve selected the most well-traveled trails in the canyon.  So while this really isn’t all that safe, with the right preparation we’ve made it substantially less risky.  To be fair, I’ll bet that statistics would show that driving from Colorado to Arizona and back is arguably the riskiest part of the trip.

 
Q. What will you eat and drink?

A. While there is a small canteen at Phantom Ranch (on the floor, just north of the river), I’ll be pretty much self-contained with food.  I’ll get the bulk of my calories with my hydration via a calorie rich Infinit mix that includes electrolytes and other critical nutrients.  I’ll also carry some “product” type food like Clif Bars and PowerBar Chews as well as a little real food like PB&J sandwiches.  There are year-round piped-in water sources along the trail for refilling my CamelBak.  (I’ll carry enough Infinit to make a mix each time I refill).

Q. Do you have life insurance?

A. Yes.  I’m worth substantially more dead than alive. ;-)  In all seriousness, there are a lot of ways this can go wrong (and I don’t write that to be flip).  I respect the magnitude of this undertaking and know that nature (and the Grand Canyon in particular) is not to be trifled with.  This was not undertaken on a whim.  We’ve done a lot of research and have done everything we can to make this successful and safe.  I’m very thankful for the support of my family and friends.  I love the adventure and the unthinkable size of this challenge, but I really don’t want to die and wouldn’t be attempting it if I thought that was a likely outcome.  All that said, in the words of my friend Mike (who will be taking this on with me), “you’d be a fool to attempt it.”