Mt Whitney Zone
Posted By: chicagoan Grand Canyon R2R2R - 09/03/18 10:47 PM
Pardon for being off topic. I am looking for information on Grand Canyon R2R2R but can't find a good forum anywhere, time to come back my reliable Whitney forum smile

I am planning to a possible r2r2r hike in mid-late Oct (around week of 10/17 or 10/24), preferably one day hike. With one day, my main concern is if I bail out somehow, where is my bailout point and what is my backup plan? Hopeless to get a camping site at the bottom of the canyon (otherwise, I would carry my gears down to the bottom and leave them there). North rim has camping sites but I hate to carry all the gears up and down just for backup purpose. If I do carry them to north rim, I will probably make it a multiple day trip and spend a few days there, which is a not a bad option actually.

Any advice? Thanks!
Posted By: Steve C Re: Grand Canyon R2R2R - 09/04/18 03:56 PM
I've only done a one-way R2R, but I would think that if you are carrying overnight gear, there is no way you will succeed in a one-day R2R2R.

Also, the North Rim facilities are scheduled to close on Oct. 15 for the winter, so you might not find any services at the north rim.

I hope others here have more information for you.

Hiking across the Grand Canyon is a fantastic experience. Good Luck!
Posted By: bruce Re: Grand Canyon R2R2R - 09/04/18 05:25 PM
You better go in early October at the latest because they turn off the water at most water station by Oct. 15.

If you're going to do it in one day then the only bailout options I know of would be to stay in a hotel near the North Rim and make it a 2 day hike. You'd have to google the logistics for that and check likelihood that a room would be available.

The only other option would be to carry a lightweight sleeping bag and just crash near the trail where you wouldn't be seen by a ranger. After all you are in the Grand Canyon and there is no way out but UP. No one is going to bail you out in the canyon.
Posted By: Paul King Re: Grand Canyon R2R2R - 09/04/18 06:34 PM
The parking lot will be open on the North Rim. You could start there and have more options on the South Rim(hotels)if you weren't up to the return trip that day.
It's a tough hike but can be done with the right training. I would recommend going down S. Kaibab and back up Bright Angel if starting from the South Rim. Good luck!
Posted By: chicagoan Re: Grand Canyon R2R2R - 09/05/18 01:59 PM
Thanks everyone. I will do more research on the north rim and decide what to do.
Posted By: balsss Re: Grand Canyon R2R2R - 09/18/18 03:11 AM
we did the grand canyon R2R2R in 2016 late summer as a day hike. I won't recommend it to any one. You may pull it off if you are in good condition, well prepared and have company. Please dont attempt it as a day hike and pl pl don't go alone.

Even after that declaration if your nerves still plan to attempt it as a day-hike, here are the words of caution and detail.

we hiked down south kaibab trail and came back up bright angels. Internet is full of statistics but what you need most is a strong will and a good company. South kaibab trail is very steep so its better you hike down and take a lesser evil bright angles for your way back up.

1. carry a lot of water.. I am sure i emptied my 3L sack twice.
2. it took an overall 20 hours of hiking point to point at an average pace, taking lot of photoes, stopping every few miles.
3. south kaibab doesn't have any shade, no campgrounds, no emergency huts.
4. bright angels had at least 1 place just about 1-2 miles towards the end where you can find an emergency phone to dial 911.. but then pl don't expect any evacuation. SARs on grand canyon would take a lot of time. Day hike is a strict no-no and you will be doing the Rangers a favor by not attempting it rather than asking for help.
5. exhaustion in day-hike is almost certain and slogging those last few miles really need a strong will power.
6. PLEASE NOTE YOU WILL BE HIKING DOWN FIRST AND THEN HIKING UP. This is a killer of a format for a day hike. If you don't know what it means, you better stay off. If you are not sure you can do the 15+ overall miles with 4k elevation gain in the 2nd half, then pl don't do this.
7. there is one campground on bright angels trail, i don't remember if the water is potable or not. I think yes, but I carried my everything all the time. its partly shaded too but you are already exhausted after 10 hours and having few miles still ahead UP is so very dangerous at that point. PLEASE READ AND PLAN WELL.

Other than that, the views are spectacular, in fact you won't absorb the beauty in a single day because your focus is on the hike probably, worse if not.

Will I do it again? yes, we all made it up once and we will do again surely because we will plan and prepare the hell out of it if at all we go that route a second time. because its one of the most memorable hikes of our life time...

Will I recommend it to others? NO. Please don't go without preparation and signing off a waiver for yourself.

If you can get a reservation to stay at the bottom for the night, thats wonderful but I am sure thats not easy. We waited for many months to split that hike into 2-days but finally decided to take the day-hike head on.

atb.
Posted By: Erling Re: Grand Canyon R2R2R - 09/18/18 02:58 PM
Your story is about a R2R and not R2R2R as you say you have done. I am hoping to do a R2R exactly as you describe it in 2-3 weeks, but I think 8-9 hours is enough. R2R2R as a dayhike is for serious athletes.
Posted By: Snacking Bear Re: Grand Canyon R2R2R - 09/18/18 03:14 PM
or fit enough people hungry for the pain.
Posted By: Steve C Re: Grand Canyon R2R2R - 09/18/18 03:57 PM
> Your story is about a R2R and not R2R2R as you say you have done
It sounds like balsss actually did the south rim down and back, going down one trail and back up the other.

To clarify acronyms, R2R usually means hiking down from the North Rim, crossing the Colorado River, then hiking up to the South Rim. Or the opposite.

R2R2R means TWO complete crossings -- hike from South Rim across to the North Rim, and then turn around and hike all the way back. A lot of ultra-runners have this on their bucket-list. So much so that the Grand Canyon N.P. has rules to prevent large groups of runners from doing this as a group.
Posted By: balsss Re: Grand Canyon R2R2R - 09/18/18 03:57 PM
Originally Posted By: Erling
Your story is about a R2R and not R2R2R as you say you have done. I am hoping to do a R2R exactly as you describe it in 2-3 weeks, but I think 8-9 hours is enough. R2R2R as a dayhike is for serious athletes.


the general sense is R2R2R meant to be Rim-to-River-to-Rim... R2R is Rim-to-River and an overnight stay... I may be wrong altogether as I see 'Steve C's reply saying otherwise. I am not a local and my definitions are purely based on internet. I should have specified it explicitly in the my original reply.. anyway, yes you can do it much faster, just that we took lot of time to absorb it than to exert ourselves all out. ymmv. all the very best,enjoy the grandeur of the canyon, u sure sound like well prepared. if not, pl do.
Posted By: Steve C Re: Grand Canyon R2R2R - 09/18/18 04:00 PM
> R2R is Rim-to-River and an overnight stay

This is the first time I've ever seen that as the R2R meaning.
Posted By: balsss Re: Grand Canyon R2R2R - 09/18/18 04:02 PM
haa sorry for the confusion.. i edited my reply quoting yours.. my defs are based on internet, neither am i a local/pro.. i will take yours.
Posted By: RenoFrank Re: Grand Canyon R2R2R - 09/18/18 05:13 PM
Originally Posted By: balsss
R2R is Rim-to-River and an overnight stay... I may be wrong altogether as I see 'Steve C's reply saying otherwise.


My understanding - R2R = Rim to Rim R2R2R = Rim to Rim to Rim, on my backpacking trip from North Rim to South Rim we saw MANY runners doing R2R2R. It was an event in early October.
Posted By: bruce Re: Grand Canyon R2R2R - 09/18/18 06:51 PM
IMO, the R2R2R hike is not worth it for the views. The best views I thought were from the South rim and you don't need to do any hiking for that. After all, you're already at the "summit". There are plenty of 45 mile hikes with overall better views throughout the hike. The main reason for R2R2R is just the satisfaction of having done it. It's not something I would particularly want to do again, but then if it was in my back yard I probably would.
Posted By: Harvey Lankford Re: Grand Canyon R2R2R - 09/18/18 09:16 PM
Originally Posted By: RenoFrank
My understanding - R2R = Rim to Rim R2R2R = Rim to Rim to Rim, on my backpacking trip from North Rim to South Rim we saw MANY runners doing R2R2R. It was an event in early October.

this ultrarunner site ultra R2R or R2R2R supports what RF says
Posted By: Steve C Re: Grand Canyon R2R2R - 09/19/18 03:00 AM
Originally Posted By: bruce
IMO, the R2R2R hike is not worth it for the views. The best views I thought were from the South rim and you don't need to do any hiking for that.


I did an R2R-with car-swap in 2013. The one-way hike, in my opinion, is the best! I enjoyed the hike, took 14 hours, did the entire thing in daylight. And the views... just look at the pictures I took.

I would really like to take my family to visit, and the North Rim facilities are something I'd enjoy returning to. It all looked really pricey, though. I didn't spend anything when I was there -- I just hopped into the car and drove an hour to the nearest town with a restaurant that was about to close for the night.
Posted By: bruce Re: Grand Canyon R2R2R - 09/19/18 01:24 PM
Yeah you're right Steve. I do remember a lot a great scenery during the hike. That bridge, tunnel, the sub-canyons and getting closer to the colorful rock formations. R2R would be the way to do it. It was mainly dark descending/ascending the south side when I did it last year with my brother. We were wiped out after that one!
Posted By: Oleh Re: Grand Canyon R2R2R - 10/12/18 02:43 AM
There it Grand Canyon forum on Yahoo. But it is not very active
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