Day 3 (23-Sep-13) Zion National Park (46 miles)

 

We were again up at 06:00 and found ourselves driving at break-neck speed back up to Zion NP by 07:00hrs. Once there we got on the bus for ride to The Grotto, the starting point for the famous hike up to Angel’s Landing – also listed in the Top 10 hikes by National Geographic. The hike is steep and so not for the faint of heart. It is also very vertiginous, with massive drop-offs either side of the very narrow saddle leading up to the summit. It is thus not suited for those who suffer from vertigo either. We set off at 08:20hrs, with air temperature decidedly chilly. However, after 10-15 minutes of strenuous exercise, our bodies soon warmed up.

 

At one point during the ascent I became alarmed by a loud yet squeaky noise. Suspecting that we were being chased by a giant hamster, I turned, and immediately realised the source of this ungodly sound was Simon’s rapid shallow breathing.  Clearly agitated, Simon protested that this condition was ‘normal’, and proceeded to show the display on his Suunto Ambit2 as evidence. However, on checking his profile settings, it transpired he had selected ‘Lessor Loris’ as user; a deceit as outrageous as Simon’s entries into his food diary.

 

On reaching the col Astrid decided to stay behind, while Simon and I pushed onto the summit. The route along this last section was indeed very tricky, and demanded total concentration, as one false slip could spell disaster. However, the prize was worth every pensive step, with the summit affording spectacular panoramic views of the Zion canyon and the giant rocky sentinels either side. Simon then proceeded to shatter the tranquillity of the moment by approaching every other visitor to this haloed spot with an abridged version of his life story. In fear of being either stoned to death, or thrown off the summit by the assembled masses, I beat a hasty retreat back to Astrid. Simon followed close behind, ensuring everyone else still making their way up the narrow ledge was likewise lectured.

After descending back to the Grotto we immediately caught the bus for the short ride to the Temple of Sinawava. We then walked the 1 mile to the entry point into the Virgin River for the famed hike up to The Narrows. This involved wading upstream for 2.5 miles, in cold water, against a fairly strong current, and over a series of small rapids. However, despite these challenging conditions, our efforts were amply rewarded with views of the canyon walls, rising steeply several thousand feet on both river banks, slowly encroaching on each other. In places, the darkness was almost total, with no means of telling the time of day, despite the bright mid-afternoon sunny conditions high above. At The Narrows itself, the walls were just a few feet apart, leaving those that had managed to venture this far into the slot canyon wondering if this might be the entrance to Middle Earth.

 

After retracing our steps back to Terra Firma we caught the bus again for the ride back to the park entrance, arriving back at the car at 17:10hrs. After 9 hours of almost constant hard physical exercise, and having had just an apple for lunch, we were all famished. We thus gorged ourselves at a local Mexican restaurant, washed down with a few beers.