Early cold start
Shuttle bus
Hike through scrub, switchbacks, onto ridge.
Scrambling with chains along narrow rocky crest, deadly cliffs on either side
Up onto the top, getting a 360' view of the park
Climb down as temperatures get increasingly hot-lots more people coming up in the midday heat
Buy a National Park Passport
Lunch and nap time
Human History Museum/ propaganda/ over the top American dramatisation of the park video
Australian style burgers
S'mores by the fire
Distance:
Total Distance:
Being just before sunrise and in a canyon it wasn't too warm in camp at 6:30am. For once I had my long trousers on, a thermal top, a couple of layers, and my light rain jacket. The reason for our early start was Angel's Landing- the best hike to do in Zion National Park, so long as conditions are perfect, one is fit and healthy, and you've no fear of heights. It's a little bit dangerous. 7 people died on it in the last 10 years. Good job the weather was looking good!
We caught the free shuttle bus through the park. A decent number of people were also up and about- not peak numbers, but enough to fill over half of the bus. On the hike we'd be with other people, but not surrounded as we would have been had we gone later in the day.
We started in the brush of the valley floor, taking a bridge over the Virgin River and followed the concrete path through this scrub. Slowly we rose up to see the meandering river and thin trees below. The trail ascended along the valley wall towards the point where Angel's Landing meets it.
Angel's Landing is a part of the edge of the valley which has not been pushed back in the same way that the rest of the valley wall has been. Thus it stands near to the centre of the valley, a little way down from where it broadens out. It is flanked by sheer cliffs and only remains attached to the walls by a thin ridge of rock. This must be traversed to get to the summit which offers spectacular 360' views of the park, looking down along its length and up towards its beginning. The steep cliffs either side of the access ridge, as well as the narrowness of the ridge itself, not to mention the old weathered sandstone one is standing on, are reason enough to not try this hike/climb in anything but perfect conditions.
We climbed into the gap between the ridge and the valley wall, finding a cold little valley with the path steadily going up. After a little while it cut back on itself giving access to the switchbacks that have been built to enable a slightly easier climb to the top of the ridge. After about 20 turns we were up onto an open area of sand and bushes. It was getting much warmer now so we joined many others in removing layers and preparing for the second half of the ascent.
The paved trail gives way to a warn estimate of a path on the sandstone, with a little guidance and safety provided by a chain running at 3 feet off the floor. It's not all hands and feet work, but it certainly feels safer and easier that way.
We passed by our first point where the cliffs left and right dug in leaving only a narrow 3 foot strip of rock to walk on. I couldn't help let out a ne vous laugh. It's a long way down.
Between getting used to the sight of the drops of death and the ridge widening we got used to such issues. There were obese people, family's with young kids, people running the whole thing- if those idiots can do it, so can I!
Personally, as someone who used to be heavily involved with rock climbing at university, I really enjoyed this hike. It was a slow, steady, yet fun and dangerous way to spend a sunny morning.
We all made it to the top eventually. The views were breathtaking. We just sat for a little while taking it all in. Photos were then taken, and our snacks unloaded for morning tea (minus the tea). Then the scroungers arrived. A few Chipmunks, tiny little animals, as well as a couple of squirrels, were skulking around the top of Angel's Landing. They wouldn't wait nor beg for anything. Instead they just sniffed around, darting under people's legs. I never saw one do it but no doubt they were looking for any scraps of crumbs we might drop. I imagine even a crumb is a significant meal for something smaller than my mobile phone.
All done and with the temperature rising we headed down. As we walked the numbers (and weight) of people climbing increased. I don't know how many managed to comets it that day but there were a multitude trying to get through the midday heat complaining bitterly whilst not even being half way up. It's good that they're trying and it's good that they're out- but its foolish to try something so hard in roasting heat with only a litre of water and a camera.
Back at the visitor centre I bought a National Parks' Passport. These are little booklets with information about the parks with a space to put stickers and stamps as one visits each location. My friend from San Diego, Sarah, told me about these and it seems fitting to try to mark what I do with one- even if we're only hitting a tiny fraction of the best parks.
Lunch and a nap in the sun for an hour before two of us decided to use our afternoon to check out the park's Human History Museum. Which was interesting. Lots of pictures, a few words in big font, that's the American Infromation Centre way, it seems. Also limited look into American Indian lives here- although their visits were limited at the time when Europeans arrived. We watched the 22 minute "orientation" video meant to introduce us to the park. It was written in a very American way- many many adjectives (like I wrote as a 14 year old before being reprimanded by my English teacher), simplifications of everything, concentrating on the beautiful aspects of the park, not on the facts of how it was formed or who has ever lived here. The formation of the park and the Native Americans only got a few lines of recognition during the whole thing. It was very entertaining and very American- so I enjoyed it as a tourist, but we'd never make anything so garish in the UK!
This evening's meal surprised and amazed our tour guide. We made Australian/New Zealand style hamburgers. Additions to beef burger and cheese include fried egg, beetroot, tomato, lettuce, mayonnaise and fried onions. We could have included pineapple if we'd had some. Instead a couple of us chose to add a little American hot sauce. After one everyone was struggling. With two we barely had room for s'mores.
Having invented the marshmallow, then invented roasting them on a campfire, some greedy, sugar-laced American invented S'mores. Roasted marshmallow with chocolate (melted by its hot friend) between two thin sweet crackers/biscuits. So sweet, so sugary. We decided, after two, that one was really enough. S'more S'mores are too much for our savoury palettes.
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